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Green is incandescent as Isabelle, equal parts glittering and cruel, confident and deeply vulnerable.
This was your first movie, which is pretty wild.
How did you end up getting the role?I was not really believing Id get the part.
As if hes going to give me a role.
I was skeptical, because I wasnt happy with what I was doingonstage at the time.
It was kind of a miracle.
And even though there were lots of nude scenes, I was desperate to do it.
I was like, I dont care!
I loved the story.
I thought it was just a really beautiful love story between three people.
It was very Bertolucci: inside a flat, three teenagers exploring.
Why had you become disillusioned with your work at that point?I dont know.
I didnt like the play I was doing; I didnt like the way it was directed.
It was quite painful.
I really loved going to drama school, but the play was very harsh.
You know when you feel like you cant express yourself as an actor?
Like youre in a straitjacket?
I didnt know if I wanted to continue.
And then this miracle happened and Bernardo gave me that part.
Its really thanks to him that Im still doing this crazy job.
Youve said before that your parents begged you not to take the role.
Of course, I dont Maria Schneider had a very harsh experience, and that was her experience.
But my experience with Bernardo, I really loved his vibe straight away.
He was very paternal.
I used to call him my little Buddha.
He was very wise and mischievous.
It was one of the best experiences Ive ever had, I have to say.
And he said, I dont think Eva Green knows who Maria Schneider is.Oh, no.
No, thats not true.
Thats lost in translation.
Of course, I didnt meet her, but we talked about her.
But I dont want to speak in her name.
I was worried about not being good as an actor.
I think its beyond the nudity.
I was, and am still, extremely shy.
It was really a very strong bond.
On the weekends, wed go to Bernardos house, like his kids.
And hed talk to us about 60s and 70s music and cinema.
Jake Gyllenhaal was originally cast in Michael Pitts role but dropped out due to the nudity, right?
I was like, Oh no!
I really liked him!
And then Michael came onboard, and he was extremely interesting and actually perfect.
There is that kind of angel quality about him thats very good for the character.
It might have been a completely different film with another actor.
Ive never met somebody so funny, actually.
Its difficult to keep a straight face.
So it was good to be able to relax.
And Michael was we didnt audition with Michael.
He came onboard and was picked already.
He was a bit like the outsider when we met him, the American.
And theres something quite shy about him, actually.
And he was like, Oh, those two French people Im not sure about them.
So that was maybe actually working for the dynamic.
We all entertained each other.
And then it became very easy, and we let our guard down and were laughing all the time.
Ive always been very shy and was never really a teenager before.
I became a teenager on [the set of] this movie, being naughty and free.
Not boring onThe Dreamers.
[Stage-whispers dramatically] I became a woman onThe Dreamers.
How did Bernardo explain and direct the relationship dynamics to the three of you?It was strange.
We were very young.
I can be a bit cerebral, like, Lets talk, Bernardo.
kindly, how do I do this?
And I could tell he wanted me to shut up, trust myself, trust the moment.
He likes stolen moments, spontaneous stuff, not something too overdone.
So, for me, it was like going there without a net, which was extremely scary.
I was very worried about getting fired on the first day.
And the second scene was in the flat, and I remember saying, Stop, stop stop!
Oh my God, Bernardo told me off: You never say cut!
Even if you think youre shit, you continue, all right?
I was like, Oh God, hes going to fire me.
Im such a fool.
What did I do?
Now I know you never say cut.
But I didnt know that.
You see Michael stopping the fire in my hair.
Its kind of a weird scene its at the beginning.
That was a bit like,I would die for Bernardo!It was a stolen moment.
We drank a lot as well, like we do in the movie.
We laughed a lot, which was really lovely.
So wed all hang out in the same room between takes.
Ive never had something like this on other projects.
Maybe because I was very naive; it was my first film, which was very exciting.
I would be exhausted to hang out all the time with other actors now [laughs].
But we were like little children.
Pranks and laughing and ridiculousness.
But we were extremely close and giggling.
When was the last time you spoke?Id have to say it was when Bernardo passed away.
I was in New Zealand, and we called each other.
And she was definitely torn.
She was in love with her brother, and theres this new guy coming in and disturbing her world.
There was conflict, which was interesting.
That was the main thing to portray, while bringing her as much humanity as possible.
Something dark, too.
How did you prepare for those scenes, doing those impersonations?I rememberQueen Christina,Greta Garbo.
AndBette Davis inBeyond the Forestwhen she goes, What a dump!
It was nice to watch all of these old movies.
Which scene was the most joyous to film?I loved running in the Louvre.
It felt like something forbidden and naughty.
Thats the scene that comes to mind first.
Do you know what Im referring to?That my dad was shocked when he sawThe Dreamers?
Like a father watching his daughter having sex, something like that?
It must be weird.
Yeah, when the movie came out, it was all about that.
I was worried Id be put into a box.
You want to be[mocks herself]appreciated as an actor.
Blah blah [laughs].
Maybe in indie, indie movies.
But people are more brave on TV.
You cant smoke thats weird.
I dont know why.
you’ve got the option to kill a child, but you cant smoke.
I think it depends.
It can be quite strange.
Lets talk about a few specific scenes.
The first sex scene in the kitchen is very intense and intimate.
You lose your virginity on the kitchen floor to Matthew, and you start bleeding; its incredibly raw.
What was that like for you to film as a new actor?I know.
I dont know if Id be capable to do this again [laughs].
Its like youre on a special drug or something.
Ive sort of deleted this in my memory, you see?
It was so scary and surreal.
Im somebody who doesnt even dare to Im not very confident in my body.
So its like,Here you go!
Ill show my body!I dont understand myself.
I dont get it.
So you had to leave your body a bit to film it?Yes.
Otherwise, you kill yourself.
A lot of actors do this, not consciously, but you have to intensely concentrate.
And leave your body.Heres my body!
How do you read the ending?
I was not sure about the ending, I remember.
I was like,Is that it?Its kind of an open ending.
Its a story about growing up and leaving it open, I guess.
Dot, dot, dot.
What was your reaction when you first saw it?
Did you like it?No, no.
I was in London.
I went with my best friend at the time, and we watched it.
Its a very narcissistic experience.
You watch yourself, and youre like,Oh God, I can hear myself reciting.
Its weird.And the nudity to see myself onscreen was very shocking.
Its much easier to live it.
It was too much for me, and I felt nauseous.
Since then, Ive decided, if I can avoid it, not to watch my work.
I feel too self-conscious.
I really dont like it.
So you havent watched it since?No!
Oh God, no.
I prefer to keep the memories.
In every movie, actually, I prefer the experience rather than watching it.
Youve said in the past that people think of you as otherworldly or a bit weird.
Do you lean into that public perception as an actor, or do you prefer not to?No.
In fact, I hope people see other things.
People say so often that Im weird that I end up believing Im weird.
Maybe I am I dont know!
I must be[laughs].It is sometimes like, Oh, shes dark, or gothic.
I hope Im other things.
But lots of people are put in boxes.
Its reassuring, I guess.
But I really hope people I dont want to play witches and fairies all my life.
Proximais really grounded, I think.Yeah, yeah.
Like I said aboutThe Dreamers,[Proximas Sarah is] a torn character.
Shes torn between her passion of being an astronaut and her love for her daughter.
When I read the script the first time, I really loved that.
How did you develop that really intimate, believable relationship with your onscreen daughter?
Its really almost painfully real.Alice Winocour, the director, organized a few rehearsals.
There is something very intimidating about children.
You cant lie to them.
But [Boulant-Lemesle] was really lovely and very mature, actually, for her age.
There was something very raw about her.
How did it affect your career generally?
We didnt get good reviews in France.
It was an average movie.
Its with the years that people really like it.
For me, it was one of the best experiences of my life.
I love the people, love the movie.
The littler [nudity] the better.
Maybe I was paranoid after that.
What would you do instead?With the COVID situation …
I feel like Im half retired.
I was thinking of posting an ad like Bette Davis: yo hire me!
Ive done this, blah blah blah.
Where have you been during COVID?London and Normandy, and were in our second lockdown.
Its a hard one.
The first lockdown, I feel, might have been easier.
And its not tomorrow.
We have to live with it.
Theres a lot of introspection, which may be dangerous sometimes.
But good, other times to find the light inside you.
Though I dont want to sound too weird [laughs].
