Guillaume Canet with his wife and son. French actress Marion Cotillard gave birth to a daughter

Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet love story

Marion Cotillard received an invitation from Jan Samuel to star in the film Fall in Love with Me If You Dare. Then she recalled in an interview how the director told her: “Your partner's name is Guillaume Canet. Actually, he is a director, but he was a jockey. At the age of 18, the poor fellow broke his back, falling from a horse, so he had to forget about the career of a rider. In general, Marion, I think you have something to talk about.

Guillaume Canet was married to actress Diane Kruger at the time. And Marion Cotillard was photographed by the paparazzi in an embrace with DJ Bob Sinclair. “I find it indecent to talk about my personal life,” said Marion.

Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet quickly became friends and, like their heroes Julien and Sophie, constantly teased each other. The actors played so naturally and naturally that after the release of the film there were rumors that they had an affair not only on the screen. Canet and Cotillard denied everything. “We are friends and we know the main thing: you don’t need to believe everything that they say or write about us. It’s better to stay in the background and live your own life,” Guillaume Canet told reporters.

In January 2003, Marion Cotillard went to America for several months to star in Tim Burton's Big Fish, Guillaume Canet was waiting for the release of the film Narcos, in which he played the main role, and wrote the script. The actors were constantly in touch.

“I sent pages of the script to Marion,” Guillaume Canet did not hide. - I have a perverted mind - I see everything in a gloomy light. It is important for me to hear a different point of view - smart and bright. We are good friends with Marion, so I consult with her.”

In January 2007, a plane from Paris landed at Los Angeles Airport. Marion Cotillard descended from the plane's ladder arm in arm with ... Guillaume Canet. At the airport, many saw the couple kissing. However, in February, the actress came alone to the Oscars, which Marion Cotillard was awarded for her role as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet hid the relationship for two years, although Canet divorced Diane Kruger back in 2006.

Only in May 2009 did they appear together at the Cannes Film Festival, where they presented the film The Last Flight. Guillaume Canet directed the film, and Marion Cotillard starred in it. “Will I be able to give up my career for the sake of my family? Marion Cotillard asked at a press conference. - Why not! In fact, I can only live in love. True, I still need a little water and food, and a little sleep will not hurt either.

In December 2010, at the Marrakech Film Festival, Marion Cotillard appeared with a large diamond on her ring finger. In December, the actress made an official statement: she and Guillaume are going to get married in the near future. True, the couple has not yet legalized their relationship.

“When I was little, the world seemed perfect,” said Marion Cotillard in an interview with Paris Match in 2009. But then I grew up and everything changed. I want to see the world through the eyes of a child again!”

The couple has a son - Marcel Canet (born May 19, 2011).

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Guillaume Canet is a famous French actor who has earned fame both at home and far beyond its borders. Many bright screen works made this talented actor a real star of French cinema. However, today this imposing young actor is known not only for his acting work. In his personal life, there are several novels with world-famous movie stars at once. That is why the personality of Guillaume Canet becomes interesting from all points of view.

Childhood and family of Guillaume Canet: the beginning of a biography

Guillaume Canet was born on April 10, 1973 in the small town of Boulogne-Billancourt, located near Paris. His childhood was spent in the countryside among the endless French meadows and numerous horses, which were bred by his parents. That is why, from the earliest years, our today's hero was not indifferent to these animals. Day and night he spent in the saddle, dreaming of the professions of a horse breeder or a professional rider. However, one fine day, Fate made adjustments to the usual course of things.

The thing is that during one of the walks, the future famous actor accidentally fell off his horse and injured his back. The injury was not very serious, but despite this, the career of a professional jockey had to be forgotten. At this moment, Guillaume was forced to say goodbye to his former dream. For a while he was in apathy, not knowing what to do and how to express himself. However, at some point, he learned about acting courses working near his home.

Soon, one theater studio was replaced by another. Guillaume Canet began to study acting under the guidance of the famous teacher Francois Florent and pretty soon managed to prove himself in a new role.

At the age of nineteen, he began performing on the stage of the Heberto Youth Theatre. During this period, our today's hero began to methodically make his way to the big stage. It is noteworthy that already in the theater, Guillaume Canet often began to play the role of romantic guys in love, who do not understand anything in amorous affairs, but captivate the audience with their openness and childish naivety. It was these roles that brought the actor the greatest success. Subsequently, our today's hero repeatedly successfully implemented similar images on the movie screen. But that was all a bit later.

Star Trek actor Guillaume Canet, filmography

Despite the fact that our today's hero played his first role in the short film "The Only Son", his first serious work was a completely different film - the thriller "Barracuda", released in 1997. This project brought our today's hero the first serious success. After that there were new films and new interesting works. However, the real takeoff of a career began for Guillaume Canet in the 2000s.

Guillaume Canet and Keira Knightley - frankly

During this period, the young French actor received roles in the European blockbusters Fidelity and Vidocq, and also became a partner of Leonardo DiCaprio in the famous Hollywood film The Beach.

With the release of these films, a new chapter began in the actor's career. New interesting pictures appeared in his filmography one after another, and he himself began to appear frequently in various French television shows, where he usually played the role of a guest star. Guillaume Canet starred a lot and often. And very soon, new interesting films with his participation appeared on the screens of all Europe.

These include paintings - “Fall in love with me if you dare”, “Glitch”, “Merry Christmas”, “Don't tell anyone”. The last of these tapes became quite special in the career of Guillaume Canet. After all, our today's hero worked on its creation not only as an actor, but also as a director and screenwriter.

Guillaume Canet - director

Paradoxically, however, it was the director's work that ultimately brought Guillaume the main prize in his career - the Golden Cesar. Subsequently, as a director of films, Canet took part in several new projects. Among his works were both short films and more holistic works. The most famous films of the director were the paintings "Little Secrets" and "Blood Ties".

Business trip - short film with Guillaume Canet

It is noteworthy that with the flourishing of the "directing" career, the acting successes of Guillaume Canet also did not become at least somewhat less. New bright projects regularly appeared in the list of his screen works. It is very interesting that Guillaume Canet often played in both European and American tapes.

Guillaume Canet at present

Among the later works of the actor, it is worth highlighting the films “Right to Left”, “Wonderful Life”, as well as the American film “Last Night in New York”, where Keira Knightley became the on-screen lover of the French guy. The latest work of the actor at the moment is the dramatic film "Single", which tells the story of a yachtsman who makes a non-stop race around the world.

Currently, our today's hero is working on the creation of his next tape - a biopic about Louis Armstrong. The details of this project are still being kept under wraps. However, it is already known that the premiere of the named tape should take place in the second half of 2014. How successful this project will be, we will find out very soon.

Personal life of Guillaume Canet

As noted above, in the personal life of an actor, you can find many interesting episodes. So, from 2001 to 2006, our today's hero met with the famous German actress Diana Kruger, who later became his wife. Despite the fact that their couple was called the most beautiful in the whole world of French cinema, this marriage broke up after five years of its existence.

For a long time, the details of the divorce of celebrities were discussed in the press. However, at some point, all previous rumors were overshadowed by a new novel by Guillaume Canet. The new girlfriend of our today's hero has become another star of French cinema - actress Marion Cotillard. It is noteworthy that just before the beginning of their relationship, the couple played love on the screen - in the film "Fall in Love with Me If You Dare."

Despite the fact that the careers of the two celebrities are rushing forward at full speed, their love is still alive. The lovers spend a lot of time together, devoting all their free time to each other and to their little son Marcel (born in 2011).

Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet have been dating since 2007 to this day. French actress Marion Cotillard saw French actor and director Guillaume Canet when they met on the set of Love Me If You Dare. Feelings flared up between the actors with an unknown force and do not fade even now. The couple currently lives together in Paris. However, they refuse to discuss their relationship in the press.

In 2010, there were rumors that Guillaume gave his beloved a ring and soon the couple was going to get married, but to this day the actors have not sealed their feelings by marriage.

Child of Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet

In January 2011, the press reported that Marion was expecting her first child. For the French actress and Guillaume, this is the first and long-awaited child. But this did not inspire the happy dad to propose to Marion. Perhaps the reason for this is that Guillaume was already married and does not want to again burden himself with marriage.

In May 2011, the fruit of love Marion and Guillaume Marcel Canet was born. It should be noted that almost immediately after the birth of the baby, Marion came into shape and looked amazing in two weeks.

Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet have been a couple for almost six years. The strength of their love has not faded yet, because recently the lovers were seen kissing passionately in the Grove in Los Angeles. The French couple hugged tightly, later their adored son Marcel approached them and the trio headed out for a walk.

Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, 37, who lives in Paris with her 39-year-old co-star Guillaume Canet. The chic Dior model wore blue jeans, a gray knit jumper, and black boots, which she brightened up with a colorful scarf and bag.

As for the chosen one, Marion, the handsome Frenchman was previously married to German actress Diane Kruger, but the couple divorced in 2006 due to the fact that their creative paths diverged.

Canet recently filmed his love interest in Blood Ties, which is due out in late 2013. The loving couple also appeared together on screen in the movie The Last Flight in 2009.

In 2013, Marion will star opposite Jeremy Renner and Joaquin Phoenix in the romantic drama A Wretched Existence, while Guillaume will star in French productions of Solitaire and Jayploop.

couple photos

The birth of a second child

On March 10, 2017, actress Marion Cotillard gave birth to her second child with her companion Guillaume Canet. To the great happiness of her parents, little Louise joined her older brother Marcel, age six. The second pregnancy of the French star did not prevent the actress from enthusiastically devoting herself to her work, only enjoying a little rest after pregnancy. She told Madame Figaro magazine that at that moment it was very pleasant for her to devote herself completely to her family, and to relax after the hustle and bustle of the last promotional tours, which were many for a pregnant woman. But she did not think not to accompany the films in which she participated. So, she promoted the film "Allies". But the hype around this film is also associated with the divorce of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, in which, according to rumors, she was involved.

Marion Cotillard, a mother who gives a lot of energy to her roles, emphasizes that she is lucky to be an actress and she has no right to complain. She has made her choice, which allows her to combine the luxury of being an artist and having children, around whom she builds her whole life. They are always with her on set and she can see them between scenes.

However, the 41-year-old Oscar winner wants to take some rest for now. She refuses all offers, even from her favorite directors. She says:

“I want to take some time for my family and for me. I have a son and a little daughter. I want to live with them, with their father. This is my desire and my need.”

And here are the first photos of Marion with a child:

13 chose

She could very well appear arm in arm with him tomorrow at the Russian premiere of The Dark Knight Rises (2012)...
He does not know how he would have coped without her in the most difficult times, when he could not get a word of truth from friends and acquaintances ...
They just fell in love with "open eyes", when they knew almost everything about each other ...

She...

She was born into a bohemian-creative family of an actress and theater director in Paris. Their house was always full of guests - Marion's friends literally dreamed of living in their apartment forever: the girl's parents loved to travel to exotic countries and always returned with a mountain of unusual gifts and a lot of interesting stories.

From the age of six, Marion began to go on stage - either to help her mother (to give lines during rehearsals), or to shine as a prima in children's performances specially staged by her father.

She was brought up on books and films in which people overcome life's obstacles for the sake of love only to live happily ever after. Therefore, the girl did not assume any other fate for herself.

Alas, in life, as it usually happens, "rose-colored glasses" fall somehow suddenly and quickly. It was clear to everyone from the very beginning that Marion's relationship with the son of the famous French cultural figure Claude Berry, Julien Rassam, was doomed. He was a talented actor, but he suffered from a mental disorder and drug addiction.

Marion's love could not overcome all obstacles and change Fate. A suicidal Julien jumped out of a window right in front of her eyes. But he did not die at the same hour, but became a cripple, chained to a wheelchair. Marion looked after her beloved, believing that, perhaps, things would still change ... Alas, two years later, Julien again attempted to commit suicide. And this time it's good...

This event shocked the actress so much that she literally began to avoid situations that gave at least a hint of family happiness - she was so afraid to again know the bitterness of suffering. In the meantime, she had to star in a romantic comedy, where her partner on the set was He ...

He…

He was born near Paris, and from early childhood he was prepared for the fact that his future would certainly be connected with horses - Guillaume's parents were horse breeders, and his son was predicted to become a jockey.

Alas (or vice versa - fortunately), the injury completely crossed out his jockey future. But at the same time, it opened up prospects in the acting field. Guillaume graduated from the acting courses of Francois Florent, and in 1994 he made his debut on stage, realizing himself in the role of romantic naive young people ..

At the age of 28, Guillaume decided on a serious step: he got married. His chosen one was a German model and actress Diane Kruger. For almost two years, their relationship was reminiscent of a honeymoon, when both seemed to glow with happiness. Therefore, it was easy for Guillaume to play in a romantic comedy, and he sincerely did not understand why his co-star in the film constantly had wet eyes.

Meanwhile, this depressing beauty was She ...

They...

They met at the movie set Fall in love with me, if you dare(2003). Guillaume frankly annoyed Marion - his happy face of the newlywed did not fit into her concept of "unhappy world".

But at the same time, they had to play a couple in love, who competed endlessly and poured sparkling jokes.

Guillaume has found a way out of the situation. According to the plot, their couple constantly threw each other stupid challenges that fit into the concept of "Weak?" Actually, he did not seek to spin a new romance - he was happily married. But it was necessary to continue to shoot the picture and do something with this "tearful madam".

In order to better understand the role and build a system of relationships in the frame, Guillaume suggested following the example of the characters and playing their game - constantly challenging each other. And it worked. In the sense that Marion, being a gambler, found the strength to switch from her depression to work, and he found in her person a true friend who always spoke the truth to her face.

They were inseparable as his marriage slowly fell apart. No, the reason was not Marion. It’s just that Guillaume worked hard, achieved some success and gradually lost all his friends (even those closest to him): the “celebrities” tried not to object, but he so wanted to argue with reason ... Marion became his only outlet - she always told him the truth in the eyes, while while others were trying to be politically correct.

At some point, the already restrained Diana realized that her marriage to Guillaume was a "mistake of youth", and wanted to devote all her attention to her career. They eventually divorced.

Marion supported her friend in every possible way during this difficult period. But both were afraid to admit to themselves that between them for a long time it was not just friendship ... She was frankly afraid of happiness, he did not want to rush her and poured out his soul in his diary.

But the moment of explanation still came. But the lovers did not rush into the maelstrom of a new relationship with their heads, but carefully mastered a new feeling for themselves, gradually reducing the distance. For a long time, no one knew about their romance, except for Marion's father. She did not even dare to move in with Guillaume and instead rented an apartment on the same street. But…

…Which have not be avoided. A few years after the beginning of their romance, little Marseille was born, named after the boxer Marcel Cerdan, the deceased lover of her heroine Edith Piaf, who was once played by Marion ...

CINEMA PRESTIGE

Is

Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet

in comedy

"FOREVER YOUNG"
"Rock'n Roll"

France, 2017, comedy, 123 min.

“This film is pure pleasure. Enjoy!"

cinephile

“A wonderful self-deprecating story. Kane laughs at himself and his own wife

Marion Cotillard, and does it with such wild drive!

frenchcinemareview.com

A comedy with the participation of the main French actress of recent years - Marion Cotillard ("Allies", "Assassin's Creed"), another brilliant directorial work of her husband Guillaume Canet ("Tell No One", "Blood Ties"). The rest of the roles are also all stars: Gilles Lellouche ("French Transit"), Ben Foster ("Warcraft"), Ivan Attal ("Elusive") and the legendary Johnny Hallyday. French box office gross is about $9 million.

Guillaume and Marion and in the film - an acting married couple with experience. Marion is a star, a beauty. She is always busy, she has one contract after another, she even has no time to fulfill marital duties - she needs to cram a new role. Well, it doesn’t work out at home - Guillaume decides to hit on a young partner in the series. But here is a bummer - the aspiring actress says that he "is no longer rock and roll", that in her list of potential lovers he is assigned the first place from the end and that "they don't live that long." Guillaume understands that something urgently needs to be changed ...

Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet: STOP BELIEVE WHAT YOU ARE TOLD!

(magazine interview Madame Figaro )

In the movie "Everything will be rock and roll" you debunk the myth of a glamorous couple from French cinema. Why are you playing with your image?

Guillaume Canet: Once, a young journalist noticed that my life is not sexual and not “rocker” (like that of young people), because I am forty and have been living with the same woman for many years. This led me to the idea of ​​making a comedy where such a simple phrase leads a person to a deep existential crisis. In the film, I touch on those neuroses that we all cultivate in ourselves: the fear of aging, the desire to be seen as "different", the need for recognition ...

Marion Cotillard: When Guillaume told me about his idea, I thought that there is material for very funny scenes. And, of course, a reason to reflect on the image. But most importantly, I was happy that Guillaume found a story that brought him back behind the camera. He is truly a great director. His previous film Blood Ties, which I adore, was heavily criticized. The opportunity to see him again in action excited me.

G.K.: After "Blood Ties" I had a period of doubt. I took a break for a year, changing my focus: racing, family, friends. Gradually, the feeling of pleasure from the cinema returned. I easily worked on this film with my loved ones - with an agent, a producer, friends and, of course, with my wife. I heard so many incredible things about Marion and about myself that I wanted to play with our images, with the way people perceive us.

Are you offended by this prevailing - erroneous - image?

M.K.: Starting with the film "Life in Pink", in the minds of people, an image has formed that is very far from me. They think we're locked in an ivory tower because they only see us during public speaking. This is probably where the inconsistency comes from.

G.K.: I regularly read absurd news about us. For example, that Marion lives in Los Angeles. People think that we live somehow differently. But we, just like them, go shopping, cook, take our son to school. In the film, I wanted to start by showing the truth, and then make a caricature of it with the message: “Stop believing what you are told!”

M.K.: I don't allow myself to be engulfed in negativity. I work for myself, I don't take anything to heart. When I learned to accept myself for who I am and live in the present, my peace of mind ceased to depend on others. It liberates.

G.K.: I attach little importance to how they portray me. But I get annoyed when some portray Marion as a sexually obsessed girl ...

M.K.: What could I be! But no! ( laughs)

G.K.: I wanted to show Marion the way I know her - with character, funny and crazy. The film is proof of that because no international star that she is would settle for such a crazy scenario. She has an exceptional sense of self-irony.

How do you deal with media pressure?

G.K.: Now is the time for hype, regardless of whether it has meaning, depth or even a shred of truth. Once I took everything very close to my heart. On our son's birthday, for example, I was furious because one of the paparazzi burst in through the door, causing us to miss this beautiful moment. Over time, we have learned to better protect ourselves from anything toxic. Today, with a mobile phone, everyone can become paparazzi. Someone wants to join us? Let them come. That's the whole point of my film. Open the door for them, play with their fantasies and get away from this nonsense.

Your comedy is also about the cult of youth. For actors and actresses, is it really that destructive?

G.K.: We live in a strange world that does not want to see itself old. Appearance comes first. In social networks, you need to create your own ideal image - this is a cult of personality. Everything is artificial. The fear of aging is very much felt in our business. Many actors and actresses, especially in the US, do not resist the pursuit of absolute beauty. In the end, they all become similar to each other - without age and without expressiveness. It scares me more than old age!

Does the number of roles decrease with age?

M.K.: I think it's much more difficult for actresses. Age is equated in women with a disease, although we are talking about the maturity of a person. In the US, in blockbusters, we don't see heroines aged 40-45... But let's be optimistic! Still, there are screenwriters who write strong roles for women over 40. Situations are different.

There are some hilarious scenes in the film, especially when Marion Cotillard is learning the part in Quebec.

G.K.: This is my little revenge laughs). In the nine years that we have been together, I have repeatedly tried to get used to difficult roles - in the film I call them roles “with an accent” or “with difficulties”. Marion didn't have to do anything but watch my character ramble, and the accent allowed her to play the comic role.

M.K.: I prefer roles that are far from me, in which everything is constructed. The movement towards them is gradual - it's like a way to start breathing. I want to put my body and soul into the role. The process captures me, and it is not always easy to combine this state with personal life. In the film, of course, Guillaume went too far.

How do you see each other?

G.K. A: I truly admire Marion, which fuels my love for her. I respect her talent, her genius as an actress who knows how to convey all the emotions with an amazing understanding of the text. I love her both as an actress and as the woman she has become - calm, self-confident. I also love the way she raises our son. I think she did a great job on me too laughs) I've changed a lot since we've been together.

M.K.: I happened to live with a person who changes miraculously. It's inspiring. He pulls me to the top, helps, accepts and enriches. We actresses have a developed ego that can subtly take over completely. Guillaume keeps me from turning into a "monster". He is kind and has the heart to make his family and friends happy.

What is the strength of your strong relationship?

M.K.: We met 14 years ago, first became friends and only then - a couple. This is our strength. We always have fun together. We are partners in the true sense of the word. He is my friend and man.

Your second child will be born soon. What is your mood now?

M.K. A: Looking forward to this moment. During pregnancy, I had to star in five films. It's time to do something different!

Madame Figaro February 2017

translation – Marfa Veselova

GUILLAUME CANET: And you didn't know that Marion is stubborn and talkative...

How did the idea for this film come about?

A few years ago, I was already thinking about making a film about celebrities and the public's attitude towards them - a kind of mockumentary about how the real life of stars has nothing to do with what their fans imagine. The story was like this - we kind of follow the guy who knows that he is being filmed, but periodically asks that the camera be turned off. And the idea is that you don't have to believe what people tell you, you don't have to see only what you want to see. There are a thousand different things behind it, not necessarily good, maybe bad, but definitely not what you think.

I've already written a few scenes, but then Casey Affleck's I'm Still Here came out with Joaquin Phoenix. It was the same mockumentary I was going to do, so I had to drop my own idea.

What made you come back to it now?

Two years ago, during an interview, one journalist suddenly began to say things about me that I did not understand. “This is all your image that you created for the public,” she insisted. And the desire to play with their own image returned. I came up with a movie in which I will play myself, showing that I am not the way the audience knows me, which will make them think that I am here for real. I called two of my accomplices, Philippe Lefebvre, with whom we wrote scripts for the films As You Say and Tell No One, and Rodolphe Loga, who worked as a steadicam operator on almost all of my films. And we started to work.

But in the end, the movie doesn't really sound like what you say...

I wanted it to be a comedy, but with meaning. For example, she touched upon the problem of total ageism. It surprises me, for example, that some 60-70-year-old women, especially American ones, do not have a single wrinkle. That men do Botox injections and constantly visit the solarium. This led to the idea to make a film about a guy who, in his forties,

realized that he was getting old. He worries that it's not "rock 'n' roll" anymore. And I especially wanted to talk about this, because it is the men who experience it here.

In the film, you are very impartial to yourself. And Marion too.

Our public image with Marion does not always correspond to the real one. She has the image of a sweet, kind woman, which of course she is. But people will be surprised to know that

She also lives a full life, is stubborn and talkative. I have no words to express all my gratitude to her for her willingness to laugh at herself like that. Without her, this project would not have been possible. My own image is of little concern to me. Although, of course, the protection of my privacy is a concern. Being famous does not mean telling everything about yourself. You must keep something secret from the public. The element of mystery is required! Especially for actors. With this film, I kind of say: do you want to know all my ins and outs? Please! Show you everything - my friends, my agent, my mother, myself in bed with Marion... I wanted to play with our images and fame - pretend to open our door. If we hear all sorts of nonsense about us, why not make it up ourselves? Thus, the intended documentary turned into a complete fiction.

How can you write such an unusual script?

Don't slow yourself down. Philippe Lefebvre, Rodolphe Loga and I did just that. It's easy to laugh at yourself - I can do it. It is more difficult when your co-authors throw up ideas that are not very flattering to you. But I'm used to it. I even enjoyed it. The main storyline - "the guy wants to be a rock and roll player, although he never was one in his youth" - was thought up quickly. This music is very groovy, although I personally prefer Demis Roussos and Aphrodite's Child. My friends often quarrel with me because of this.

There are many hilarious scenes in the film - where they call you Monsieur Cotillard, the cuckoo clock chimes in your house, Marion masters the Quebec dialect ...

During the nine years of our life together, several times I found myself in absolutely surreal situations when she completely immersed herself in her new heroine. When we were writing the script, she was preparing for a Xavier Dolan film. And we thought it would be funny to reduce her work on the role to mastering the Quebec accent. Because in fact, Marion often plays complex characters, and she is a real hard worker. Of course, there are real facts in the film - my musical tastes, Marion's passion for organic food. Those who know us at least a little will not be surprised to see a garden in the middle of the living room in the film.

How did you get Johnny Hallyday?

We thought: since our hero wants to be a rock and roll player, why not send him to the French king of rock and roll? Johnny Hallyday will explain to him that the time of rock and roll is over, and now no one destroys furniture in hotels. I had crossed paths with Holliday several times before, but we barely knew each other. I was shocked that he agreed to play a role, especially such a self-deprecating one. Holliday is rock and roll.

From where your character goes to the plastic surgeon, the film has a touch of black comedy...

One night I woke up in a cold sweat - I dreamed that I had lips pumped with Botox. The next day I told Philippe and Rodolphe: Guillaume's problem is not that he is not "rock 'n' roll", but the fear of aging. This is an obsession of many people who strictly control their image. But "small corrections" of the face easily develop into addiction.

However, does this addiction make your hero happy?

Yes, he feels like he was reborn. He is young again and back in the game! And he's so touching. It's scary to think how far this rejuvenation will take him. And it's scary to think that his wife will follow the same path, after she was not approved for the role, appointing a younger actress. But they fell in love with each other with renewed vigor. Rebooted.

Initially, you were going to make the project low-budget…

That's what I told Alain Attal: only one location, an apartment and a studio pavilion. Well, and then there were ideas with special effects, the finale with crocodiles in Miami ... In general, the film moved into another category.

How was the shooting?

I've been working with the same team all my life. Starting with short films. With cinematographer Christoph Offenstein we are like brothers. Everyone in the group knows me well. They know that I am very demanding - both to myself and to them. Everyone is very patient with my nit-picking. We were lucky that our objects were ready a week before filming, and we were able to rehearse some scenes with Marion in a relaxed atmosphere, and discuss angles and plans with Christophe and Rodolphe Loga.

Did you keep any past films in mind while filming?

When I wrote the script, I couldn't help thinking, of course, about Michel Blanc's Insidious Glory. That film was also about the problem of image, and also self-deprecating. There are many films like this, but I wanted to tell my own story. If it is necessary to draw parallels, then only with my first directorial work, As You Say. Here I wanted to achieve the same unusual intonation - to shoot a stupid comedy, but believable and sincere.

MARION COtillard: There is a vegetable garden in my Paris apartment

How did you react when you found out what the film will be about?

I thought: very inspiring! Already in the working versions of the script, there was room for humor, for very funny scenes related to the problem of the actor's image ...

which concerns you personally...

Certainly. Always there is a discrepancy between you as a person, the image that you create in the media (or would like to create) and what people think of you. This discrepancy is exacerbated by the fact that sometimes a single word or statement is enough to distort reality and widen the gap between fantasy, myth and truth.

In the film, an ordinary interview of the hero for a glamorous magazine provokes a real tsunami ...

I like this image - a tiny seed, casually thrown into his mind, makes the hero completely change. This clearly demonstrates how much you can depend on someone else's opinion. And if this happens to a 40-year-old man, it's a nightmare.

Did you have concerns about both of you playing yourself here?

I wasn't afraid for a second. For two reasons - the comedic tone of the film and my absolute faith in Guillaume.

In the film, Marion Cotillard argues that a good role is a heroine with a physical defect, or at least with an accent ...

Naturally, this is a caricature of the opinion of some people about my roles. And this is Guillaume's revenge for the time he has to put up with me preparing for the next movie. When he first hinted at this project, I thought: well, finally! A French movie where I don't have to spend days with a teacher learning an accent! But then I saw that Guillaume was smiling enigmatically. And then I read the first draft of the script. He was so funny that I happily started working with a tutor on my Canadian French. This is not even an accent, but, one might say, a different language.

You and Guillaume seem to have enjoyed the "mirror effect" in which your own story is reflected in the film.

Many of the scenes took place in real life but took an extreme form in the film. Sometimes an artist, plunging into a role, can behave in a strange way - depending on what he has to play. I still remember the expression on Guillaume's face when I announced to him that I would play Lady Macbeth. And my face was no better when I found out that Cedric Angers offered him to play a serial killer in the movie "Next Time I'll Shoot in the Heart."

Garden in the living room - is it true or fiction?

I really have a garden in my Parisian apartment. True, on the balcony. When my son and I are fiddling with beans or tomatoes, it's so exciting!

Which Guillaume is the director?

He is a perfectionist and perfectionist. He closely monitors everything, even the smallest details, and does not let anything take its course. But he's also an actor. He understands how we actors feel, understands our fears, our doubts, our emotional rollercoaster. Since I don't have much experience in the comedy genre, I was in some tension at the beginning of filming - I had to find a balance between sincerity and comedy. I had to "pull" the clown out of me. Guillaume was very supportive and helped me to tune in. Nothing will work without trust on set.

Forever Young is a very funny movie. But it also raises serious problems. Fear of aging, for example.

This fear is especially strong in actors. Sooner or later, looking at ourselves on the screen, we understand that we are getting old. Our roles change as we age. This is especially worrying and unnerving for those who continue to identify with themselves when they are young. In responding to these fears, modern society offers an instant remedy. Instead of a gradual and long process of reconciliation of a person with himself, he is offered injections and operations. Here and now. The film talks about this, of course, ironically.

Metamorphoses with the hero after plastic surgery look creepy ...

This is where the real development of the story lies. At the beginning, the reality of the film is very close to our real life, but gradually it is deliberately mixed with fiction and brought to the point of absurdity.

But the hero himself is happy.

This is temporary peace. You can't live with a face like his for decades. So new modifications are needed.

You shoot a lot abroad. Does the release of a French film evoke any special feelings in you?

No. Each film is unique, each is like a new adventure. But this one is definitely special. I was happy to work with Guillaume again. His previous film "Blood Ties", which I adore, unfortunately, did not find its audience. Guillaume was very worried. So to see him again on the set, directing the process, with such a personal story, in a state of ease that comedy creates, is incredibly exciting.

ALEN ATTAL: The ways of filmmaking are inscrutable

You and Kane seem inseparable. You were the producer of all his films.

We have known each other since 1993. But we have no obligations to each other: the film is over - the page is turned. I have that kind of relationship with all the directors I work with. In the absence of any obligations there is a huge power: you only do what you want to do and when there is a good reason for it.

You both had ups and downs after As You Say...

Success brought us closer, and disasters brought us even closer. Surviving a storm brings people together. We are friends, but our friendship does not prevent us from being extremely demanding of each other. There is nothing we can't talk about. Many years of experience helped us on this film.

How do you work in the early stages of a project?

Guillaume loves projects to follow one after the other. And my job is to support him. He has a lot of ideas and desires, but, I noticed, they take on exact outlines only when the previous project is completely completed. He works by inspiration. He's not the kind of guy who sits down at a table, writes a plan, then a synopsis, then a script. Canet begins to write only when he has already come up with several scenes in detail. He is obsessed. You have to be firm with him.

Were you surprised by the theme of "Forever Young"?

I was immediately fascinated and fired up with this idea, however, fearing that Guillaume would not want to go too far in his self-criticism. His wife, friends, family were involved in the story, and I was worried that he would hide behind the cliché of an overly flawless image. As I wrote the script, I realized that there was no need to put pressure on him - he was determined to make a "black" comedy.

This is a bold and unusual project.

Incredible! Some people tried to warn Guillaume against him, but not me. I gave him the opportunity to express himself in full. While he was writing, I told him that this should be a story not only about the fears of a filmmaker, but also about what is familiar to every person - about a midlife crisis, about doubts, love, problems, choosing a path.

Initially, Guillaume was going to make a low-budget film.

The ways of filmmaking are inscrutable. He really wanted to make the film quickly, with a small group. But the more I came up with new scenes, the faster the project turned from a planned mockumentary into a full-fledged game. I supported this change. Bringing in the actors he wanted to shoot, securing the runtime he needed, and that American "stupidity" in the finale - of course, it took a big crew and special effects.

Guillaume's complex make-up in the final scenes must have created particular problems?

Huge! It's always tricky when an actor spends several hours on make-up before he starts filming. But when he also puts on a “suit” of pumped biceps, when special effects and other complex technologies are used, the problems are compounded. And when an actor is filming in every scene, and, besides, he is also the director of the film, this is where it starts.

real rock 'n' roll! When Guillaume, in full dress - biceps, makeup - gave instructions to the film crew, there was something schizoid about it.

You have worked with many directors who started their careers as actors (Nicole Garcia, Gilles Lellouche and others)…

My love for cinema came through the films of actor-directors, John Cassavetes for example. Their films fascinate me. For twenty years, I have produced a lot of pictures of actors who have retrained as directors. But they never starred in their films, and they certainly didn't play the lead roles, which required three hours a day of makeup!

Here you also performed for the first time as an actor.

Guillaume gave me a big scene between his character and the producer to read and offered to play. I categorically refused. I was laughing wildly as I read it, but his idea of ​​my acting put me in a daze. I'm not an actor, and as a producer (in reality) I didn't want to spoil the movie with my inexperience. I was horrified. Then Guillaume reassured me, saying that Ivan Attal would participate in the scene, they would play all the most important things among themselves, and I would only portray the producer's anger in the background. In principle, I am a calm person, but once or twice Guillaume saw me in a terrible rage. This is what he decided to use in the film.

How did you finance the film, the script of which was constantly changing?

Although scenes were rewritten in the course of work and new directorial decisions were invented, the nature of the film - a "blackish" comedy - was nevertheless determined immediately. Therefore, I managed to interest partners. Each famous actor who responded to Guillaume's invitation added weight to the project. Despite the oddities of the script, our partners - Pathé, Canal Plus, M6 - believed in the project, Guillaume and me, supported us, giving us great freedom.

	Guillaume Canet /Guillaume Canet/ Born April 10, 1973 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Winner of the "Cesar" award for directing ("Don't tell anyone"). He starred in the films "Cezanne and Me", "Love and Penguins", "Dope", "Next Time I'll Shoot in the Heart", "The Man Who Was Loved Too Much", "Right to Left", "Wonderful Life" , "Last Night in New York", "Last Flight", "Key", "Honey", "Just Together", "Hell", "Merry Christmas", "Glitch", "Car Keys", "Vidok" , "Loyalty", "Beach", "Barracuda". Director of the films Can't Sleep, As You Say, Don't Tell Anyone, Little Secrets, Blood Ties.
	Marion Cotillard / Marion Cotillard / She was born on September 30, 1975 in Paris. Winner (La Vie en Rose) and nominee (Two Days, One Night) of the Academy Award, European Film Academy, British Academy Film Awards, Cesar, all for her role as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose . She starred in the films Ismael's Ghosts, Assassin's Creed, Allies, It's Only the End of the World, Illusion of Love, Macbeth, Fatal Passion, The Dark Knight Rises, Midnight in Paris", "Infection", "Beginning", "Nine", "Johnny D.", "Fall in Love with Me If You Dare", "Taxi".
	Gilles Lellouche / Gilles Lellouche / Starred in the films Model Families, French Transit, Payback, The Whistleblower, Right to Left, My Piece of the Pie, Adele's Extraordinary Adventures, A Little Turbulence Zone, Enemy of the State No. 1", "Masked Bandits", "Elusive", "My wife is an actress", "Fall in love with me if you dare."
	Ben Foster He starred in the films "Inferno", "Warcraft", "Any Cost", "And the Storm Came", "Dope", "A Streetcar Named Desire", "Survivor", "On the Run", "Mechanic".
	IVAN ATTAL /Yvan Attal/ Starred in the films The Last Diamond, His Wife, Longtime Lovers, Attraction, Rush Hour 3, Munich, Elusive, The Translator, Car Keys, Easier for the Camel …”, “After love”.
	KEV ADAMS /Kev Adams/ He starred in the films "Mad Teachers", "Son", "The New Adventures of Aladdin".
	Camille Rowe /Camille Rowe/ She starred in the films "Ideal", "Our day will come."
	Johnny Hallyday /Johnny Hallyday/ Rock legend. He starred in the films "We love you, bastard", "Pink Panther-2", "Robbery in French", "The Man from the Train", "The Beast".

SHOOTING GROUP

Guillaume Canet / Written and directed by Guillaume Canet
Born April 10, 1973 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Winner of the "Cesar" award for directing ("Don't tell anyone"). He starred in the films "Cezanne and Me", "Love and Penguins", "Dope", "Next Time I'll Shoot in the Heart", "The Man Who Was Loved Too Much", "Right to Left", "Wonderful Life" , "Last Night in New York", "Last Flight", "Key", "Honey", "Just Together", "Hell", "Merry Christmas", "Glitch", "Car Keys", "Vidok" , "Loyalty", "Beach", "Barracuda". Director of the films Can't Sleep, As You Say, Don't Tell Anyone, Little Secrets, Blood Ties.

PHILIPPE LEFEVRE / Philippe Lefebvre / - screenwriter
Born December 17, 1968. He starred in the films "Single", "Special Agents on Vacation", "My Piece of the Pie", "The Italian", "Don't Tell Nobody", "As Charlie Says", "Amateurs". He is the scriptwriter of the films As You Say, Real Weekend, We Are Legends.

Christophe Offenstein / Christophe Offenstein / - operator
Director of photography for all films by Guillaume Canet, as well as the films "The End", "Valley of Love", "The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq", "Free Exchange" and others.

MAXIM NUCCI /Maxim Nucci/ - composer
He was born on February 23, 1979 in Creteil, France. Famous musician, author of five albums, actor. He starred in the films "Don't Tell Nobody", "Once Upon a Time in Marseille", "Little Secrets".

ALEN ATTAL /Alain Attal/ – producer
He took part in the creation of the films "Illusion of Love", "Dancer", "My King", "Next Time I'll Shoot in the Heart", "She Loves Him", "Blood Ties", "Love at your Fingertips", "Balcony overlooking the sea", "Little secrets", "Concert", "Don't tell anyone".