Charlotte Gainsbourg

Everyone gets the feeling that they know you and they know your life, and I felt really embarrassed by that.

I hated seeing myself on screen. I was full of complexes. I hated my face for a very, very long time.

I used to hate being recognised.

It’s more than a job. It’s very personal, so when you’re hurt, you’re really hurt inside.

At the beginning it wasn’t to do with the work, it was more the experience.

I was putting all those pressures on myself.

Letting go of things and not being afraid of being ridiculous or over the top – I think that’s the main thing for me to work on.

I wasn’t getting the responses I hoped for. You can’t protect yourself from other judgments.

I hope I’ll consider my next part, having learnt from this one.

When you love someone, you don’t want them to suffer at all.

I couldn’t do anything else, I enjoy it so much. But I find it tough.

I’m a very shy person towards my intimacy and private life.

Wanting to do it was much more powerful than the fright.

There were always questions about my parents; I got so fed up with that.

I still find it hard to push my own limits. I know where my limits are and that I always have to push myself.

I’m desperate to work again. I’ve often had those periods, but two years was the longest.

In France, you’re with the crew, and you have lunch with them. It’s more like a family.

It’s nice that we have all these different films.

The character is close to me, except that I haven’t lived through those situations, so it’s not completely me.

Girls can wear jeans, cut their hair short, wear shirts and boots, ’cause it’s okay to be a boy, but for a boy to look like a girl is degrading.

I went on television and I wouldn’t say a word; I feel so stupid when I watch them again.

The more you turn down things, the more difficult it becomes to feel that the next one will be right.

You think that being a girl is degrading, but secretly, you’d love to know what it’s like, wouldn’t you?

The more sincere I could be, the better it would be for the film.

I thought people would ask me really personal questions because I’ve shown more of myself, but it’s a comedy, and people understand that it’s a game we play.

You don’t even need the director’s judgement. It’s too much.

The English was really my mother, it was never me. Being the daughter of my father, I always felt very French.

I found it very difficult to explain to someone why you did a film. It’s not like having a conversation.