Emmanuelle Seigner
Emmanuelle Seigner
Emmanuelle Seigneris a French actress, former fashion model, and singer. She is known for her roles in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The Ninth Gateand Frantic. She has been nominated for a César Award for Best Actress for Venus in Fur, and for two César Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Place Vendômeand La Vie En Rose. She is married to French-Polish director Roman Polanski...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionMovie Actress
Date of Birth22 June 1966
CityParis, France
CountryFrance
I started as a model when I was 14 because I wanted to make money.
Age is a number on a piece of paper.
When my husband won the Palme d'Or in 2002, I wore the same dress two days in a row. My daughter said, 'Mom! Did you sleep in your dress?' But I think it's cool to wear the same thing. I have to feel comfortable.
In France, I guess there's something like a tyranny in mentalities - we accept success badly, beauty, money. People are certainly envious, and this creates negative energy. This is annoying. I suffered a great deal at one time. I had to fight harder than others. Add to that my marriage to Polanski.
I think age is just something written down on a piece of paper. I mean, you come across 20-year-olds who are like old people sometimes. I've never taken much account of age throughout my life - my own or anyone else's.
When I did 'Frantic,' I didn't have a lot of experience. My English was so bad, and I did an OK job, I think, but I was not amazing.
Acting in another language is great, and I've done that. But you can't do it as well as you can do it in your own language.
Everything in life, bad or good, makes you change and grow - happily, because if it didn't, we'd be machines.
I come from a family of actors. My grandfather was like a Laurence Olivier with the Comedie Francaise. Since I was four I went every week to the Comedie Francaise. My aunt and grandmother were there, but my grandfather was a big star.
I never had the slightest desire to have cosmetic surgery - partly because I don't want to look like an alien and partly because it's nice to age in a way. Also, I think that if your soul is beautiful, then the rest of you stays beautiful.
I've always been very good at convincing people. For instance, if I arrive in an airport and I'm in economy, I can always convince the guy to put me in first class.
I've wanted to be Mick Jagger since I was 18. One of the things I love about music is that you don't have to be dependent on other people like you are in the film business. I hate being dependent on anyone. With my music, I can do whatever I want. I also think it's made me more relaxed as an actress.