the essential
At 75, the actor made an unexpected turn by publishing his first novel, “Emma” with XO editions. Very invested in this new project, he reveals himself with humility in an interview.
You are now the author of a novel. Like other actors, we would have rather imagined you behind a camera. Why the book?
A few years ago, I got behind the camera. I made a short film called “Rushes”, which obviously told the story of an actor and a director… I filmed it with a fantastic crew, it was bought by television before it went under into oblivion. But the whole process, from writing to casting, filming, editing and producing, was not my cup of tea. I wasn’t happy doing that. It’s too long, there are too many people. The prestige of the director, all that, didn’t interest me anymore. So I stopped there.
But a book is also a lot of work, right?
Yes, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not fast. Writing time suits me well. And then, as Luc Besson told me years ago about the total freedom that writing offers you, “if you want to send 300 helicopters through the sky, in a book you can do it without problems!” » The only imperative, in the end, is that it pleases. And then when I write, I can be next to my children. Finally, a book is physical. You can touch it, it makes noise (he scrolls the pages), you can smell it (he holds it to his nose). When I saw him two weeks ago (interview conducted on May 14) I almost cried.
Why such emotion?
Because I can’t believe it. It’s a bit of an immigrant’s reflex, remnants of my family history, bits and pieces of my parents… I thought about how my father would have reacted. I remember his reaction when I told him that I had participated in an Italian television show with Julio Iglesias. He looked at me with one of those looks… If he had seen this book, he would have been proud.
This story takes us from Brittany to the Sultanate of Oman. Why these two places?
These are places that I know. My character works in a thalassotherapy center, and I didn’t see her anywhere other than in Brittany. As for Oman, it’s because I wanted an adventure in an atmosphere worthy of 1000 and one nights. Oman and its desert still remain preserved. And there is even a sultan! All the ingredients I needed were in these two places.
You declared in an interview that you did not feel like a writer, adding “a writer is Victor Hugo!”. What are you then?
When you read Hugo, Simenon or Modiano, you say to yourself “wow! » These are writers who are so high. I am a storyteller. That’s what I did with this book, page after page, hoping to have written something that won’t bore people, that will succeed in getting them on board. Story teller, that suits me very well. And if I can continue on this path a little, I will be happy.
You are close to the writer Marc Levy, who also lives in New York. Have you spoken to him about this writing project?
Of course. But he didn’t answer me anything. Marc is a man of immense modesty. And he’s a bit like Johnny: these are guys who let you do it, who let you get into the swamp and who let you figure it out. Because he has this wisdom not to tell you “you should do this or that”. On the other hand, in the discussion he will tell you “well, it would be interesting to combine this event with something else. » He spoke to me about the importance of the characters’ past, of the existence of flaws in their lives, of all the depth that must be theirs. I listen to him, obviously. But he was not my mentor. It’s something he couldn’t stand and something I wouldn’t have done to him: you shouldn’t be a burden to your friends, it’s very important to me.
Cinema made you a huge star, but you never seemed very comfortable with this status. For what ?
Because it distances me from others. Musicians, actors, writers have to deal with this, and it’s complicated. The rapper Jay-Z, who I once knew, is no longer the one I knew. He and his wife (Beyonce) must be worth more than a billion dollars… So then you say to yourself, “but what about Reno?” ! » (Laughs) This is not the case, far from it, but I saw what permanent flattery and court effects had on people… As an Andalusian (region of origin of his parents Editor’s note ), you can’t believe this! This family culture of mine keeps these things at a distance, and that suits me very well. And then vanity is good, but in the end you will die like the others.
With The Big Blue, Leon, The Visitors, Ronin, Godzilla, The Da Vinci Code and so many other films, you occupy a special place. How do you view this career?
I’m very lucky, very lucky. The love that people give you when they reserve a place like that for you is incredible, but you have to know how to return it. You can do this through actions that seem good to you. You can also do it through this book, why not? Giving people a taste for adventure, telling them a love story, taking them on a journey… Maybe that’s it.
The Cannes Film Festival opens this week in a tense atmosphere. How do you see the Me Too phenomenon and its consequences?
The blow started a long time ago, with the Weinstein affair, and it is already having effects. I have just filmed in the United States and in my contract, there was a link to a video explaining the behavior you should adopt towards your filming partners. We therefore see the consequences of this movement. The abuses, which I would describe as abuse of power, were enormous in cinema. But they have also been in the world of medicine, politics, catering, even the direction of major orchestras! It is a global phenomenon. And it must have done a lot of damage.
Your heroine is a strong woman. Where did this model come from?
I remember the words Simone Weil had for me after a screening of “La Rafle” and I was very impressed. But I don’t have a specific model in mind. Thinking about it, that said, my character fits well with the Me Too movement: she is a strong woman, who resists and who makes her choices.
The end of your novel makes it easy to imagine a sequel. Is it already in preparation?
It is the public, the readers, who will decide. And I’ll know that from my editor’s face in the days to come! (Laughs) But whatever happens, I love this adventure. If I can pursue it, I will pursue it.
