Olivier Martinez

I don’t want to dig in the truth all of the time. Let me dream.

I was born and raised in a suburb of Paris by a working-class family.

I want just to be happy and peaceful. And that’s not always the case when you’re married.

I’ll always be a foreigner.

It’s like all the signs were telling me that I shouldn’t be a boxer, so I quit.

The first time Adrian saw me was on tape. But you should know that this never works – never in the history of movies has someone been cast from a video.

Love is based on imagination.

I see my friends, my family, my cousins work all day long for very little money, and if I have this problem of not being able to wall on the streets, it’s not a big deal.

I really believe great actors, even with disease and age, can be great.

I don’t have goals in life.

I’m not a movie star like other actors in the way that I need to walk with a bodyguard.

But what I really like are old Hollywood movies. Very often I watch AMC.

I like Brad Pitt; I just have nothing to do with him.

Who knows what happens tomorrow? We’ll find it tomorrow.

And what’s more I’ve got no need for anyone to tell me how to do it. I am not interested. You act how you want to and leave me alone to do my own thing.

My father was champion of North Africa and he beat the European champ. He was very good, a professional for 12 years. We’re from a big family of boxers. My father has seven brothers.

Also, I have found that I really like to work in English. It’s very strange because it’s exactly the opposite of what I thought it would be like.

Before, I was so stupid. But, you know, when you have friends who died on the street, you say, okay, let’s calm down. It’s not the kind of energy I want to have in life. I want to go slower, and longer.

And I think it is the genius of actors to be able to escape whatever people are expecting of them. Otherwise you become like a factory worker.

I quit after a bad car accident. The thing about boxing is that you can be a star for five or six years, but when you go back to the old life, it’s tough.

If you compare me to an actor, I’m probably one of the best boxers in the profession. But if you compare me as a boxer, I’m probably one of the best actors.

I don’t feel restricted by the language: I feel more free.

Otherwise, to be a movie star, it’s a lot of compromise and also a lot of headaches. You can’t do what you want. You become a prisoner of your fame. This happened to me in France and I don’t want it.

It’s nice to have some distance with your family. As long as you’re closer to them by love.

But when you work with the director and the real person who is playing opposite you, it changes everything. You are almost in a working session. I was very comfortable, and that’s maybe what helped me to get the part.

It’s not only imagination, it’s the distortion of the vision. You suddenly think, This person is idealistic, this person is strong, this person has dreams, when you know better most of the time. You put what you want to see on people.

I always say I was born too late in the world, too old.

I wanted to become a champ – I was surrounded by champs in my family and in my neighborhood – and because of this stupid accident, I lost my opportunity.

People sometimes recognize me here, but they are very nice.

The big difference with Juliette and the others in that film is that she goes beyond acting.

I played a scene at the end of my first year, and that’s how I was discovered.

Imagination creates some big monsters.

If you want to be happy, live discreetly. Does that make sense in English?

I never analyze why I was with one woman instead of another.