If they were not contradicted by a frequent and willingly mischievous smile, his eyes would recall glacier water: limpid, of an almost transparent blue. As early as 1986, this look literally ignited Prince, the American singer, who entrusted Kristin Scott Thomas with the lead role in his first production. It was the very first step on a film set for this young, unknown 25-year-old. Under the cherry moon was filmed in Nice and the one which was to achieve worldwide fame, three years later, with Four weddings and a funeralplayed the role of the fiancée of the megastar of Kiss or Purple rain.
Short-cut blonde hair, black and white zebra dress, Kristin Scott Thomas took advantage of a break at the end of August to speak with us on the sidelines of the 17e Angoulême French-speaking film festival for which she chaired the jury. And in September, she resumed filming season 5 of the series Slow horsesfilming which should end in February. But back to Angoulême and this hot summer day. Before actually devoting himself to his interview with The New RepublicKristin Scott Thomas has one last thing to take care of: “Is it possible to have cold tea? But not the… What’s it called? You know, the already done thing. » The waiter understands very well, but she wants to clarify: “What you need to do is make a Ceylon black tea and put a lot of ice in it.”
“The journalists took over my childhood, I wanted to get it back”
When we point out to someone who has been naturalized French for seven years, that she still has some “so British” habits, it makes her smile: “However, I am often criticized for doing things the French way: why is there salad with that? And do you serve the cheese before dessert? Because I live in England again. It’s a return to basics: it seems that it happens when you reach a certain age. I had applied for French nationality because I was afraid that my children and I would have difficulty living in the same country. »
The three children she had with obstetrician-gynecologist François Olivennes are now flying on their own. One of them, Joseph, is already following in his mother’s footsteps: he plays one of the main roles in Xavier Beauvois’ new film, The Valley of Foolswhich will be released on November 13. “Ah! My son ! Do I give him advice? More ! You should never give it unless you are asked for it. I gave him some unsolicited, now never again! And then he does very well without me. » Close the ban.
Even if in the theater, Kristin Scott Thomas has played Sophocles, Racine, Chekhov, Pinter, cinema remains the great business of her life. To the point, after seventy films as an actress, to wear the hat of director for the first time. If the arrival on the screens of North star is not yet dated, the film is finished. “Directing is a desire that began to grow in me quite a long time ago. And then I had a story to tell, a very personal story (the accidental deaths of her father and then her stepfather, both navy pilots, when she was five then eleven years old). Journalists took a lot of the story of my childhood, I wanted to reclaim it and show that ultimately, it was not the end of the world, that something perceived from the outside as a tragedy does not. It’s not necessarily. My film is about the return home of three daughters, Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller and Emily Beecham, to attend their mother’s third wedding. I play this woman who is over the moon, which annoys them a lot. »
Kristin Scott Thomas notices, this first realization changed her perspective as a spectator: “I’m less impatient, less angry. Before, I didn’t understand certain elements. Today I know how things are made. I learned everything in the editing room. And even if I’m not going to start a new career at over sixty, I would like to make a film again and I already have a subject in mind. But I’m very happy as an actress and I love going to the movies. When I’m in Paris, I live opposite L’Arlequin in 6e district, I go there often. And then while walking through the streets of the capital, you notice traces of cinema everywhere. Whereas in England, I find myself starving for films. Enthusiasm for the theaters there very quickly diminished. Today, there are too few left and the choice is limited. If I want to see French films, the only place to go is the Lumière theater in south London. It is held by the French Institute. »
The complications of Brexit
Committed to global warming (she is one of the 200 signatories of the forum entitled The greatest challenge in the history of humanity published in The World in 2018), Kristin Scott Thomas chose to live in the English countryside where she draws, reads “the press and some books”cooking and above all, gardening. “When I’m there, what I miss most about France is the good products, the food. I love cooking: it’s like making a film, you start with a simple tomato and it becomes a dish. But because of Brexit, we no longer have decent fruit and vegetables in England, they are all imported from far away and are not good. So you have to grow them yourself. And that’s not the only problem this decision poses: I have a French friend who can no longer work in London. »
“After this shoot, I’m free. To the wise! »
If the platforms offer magnificent characters like that of Diana Taverner from Slow Horses, Kristin Scott Thomas couldn’t do without cinema. “I always want to rediscover the atmosphere of film shoots. But it’s very nice to work on Slow Horses, because we always find the same people, the director, the cinematographer, the sound person: it’s the same team for four years and we have a lot of time for filming. » This role of secret agent that she plays with authority in the series is not entirely unknown to the one who starred in Mission impossible in 1996. “I remember the casting director telling me: it’s a very small role but all the scenes are with Tom Cruise and it’s directed by Brian de Palma. How to say no? »
If she was also the partner of Ralph Fiennes in The English patientby Robert Redford in The man who whispered in the ears of horses or Colin Firth and Jessica Biel in A dream weddingit is the character in a French film that she feels closest to. “Julia in Her name was Sarah by Gilles Paquet-Brenner resembles me in his way of being: not giving up, being possessed by a certain tenacity and maintaining a permanent revolt in the face of injustice. Besides, there are a lot of French filmmakers with whom I would like to work: Jacques Audiard, Céline Sciamma… There are many of them. English cinema is often dependent on American approval while European production is much more varied: this gives more diversity. So say that after the filming of Slow HorsesI am free. To the wise! »
