James Bond actress Léa Seydoux says French president Emanuel Macron’s statement in support of Gérard Depardieu gives “a very bad image for France.”
Depardieu will face a criminal trial later this year over charges of sexual assault of two women on a movie set in 2021. The 75-year-old actor has denied the allegations.
When the news was first reported, President Macron said his country is “proud” of the actor who is revered in his home nation. More recently, the French premier has said he is awaiting the trial before making any further judgement on the star.
In a weekend interview with The Times of London, Seydoux poured scorn on Macron’s statement, saying:
“So strange. It was crazy. It gives a very bad image of our country. Why say that? It was really something. It’s crazy he said that — the president. Crazy.”
Macron’s statement tallies with a global perception that France remains an outlier in its reception of the #MeToo movement. Earlier this month, a group of actresses including Oscar winner Juliette Binoche signed a public letter claming the country is “enormously backward” in dealing with the issue.
Seydoux told The Times she was encouraged by the assertiveness of younger people: “The young generation is very active. I see my nieces, they are super-aware. It’s super-strong and not only in cinema. Maybe the old generation are not completely into it, but there is a change. A move has been made.”
In reference to her own career, which has seen her combine appearances in Hollywood blockbusters with French independent films, Seydoux mentioned how the James Bond franchise has evolved. She appeared as Madeleine Swann alongside Daniel Craig in two of the films, Spectre and No Time to Die.
She said: “It would’ve been weird to do Bond nowadays with a guy who is super-misogynistic. It has to reflect the society we’re living in.”
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