Bérénice Marlohe Talks 'Skyfall'

23rd January 2012

When the casting net went out to find the actress that would portray the mysterious Sévérine in the 23rd James Bond film "Skyfall", it would not have caught Bérénice Marlohe had she not done everything in her power to get the attentions of the production.

"When I heard there were going to be auditions in Paris I switched on my computer and tried to get contact details for anyone involved in this project – emails, phone numbers, whatever I could get hold of," she told Live magazine.

"I managed to track down Sam Mendes’s agent but nothing came of that. Then I met Debbie McWilliams, the casting director, which led me to Sam and the producers, then finally to Daniel Craig."

"At that stage I was so focused on my performance that there was no room for nerves. I also reminded myself that I was meeting Daniel Craig, not James Bond."

"Skyfall" will be the first English-language part for the French actress, who has appeared in television dramas in her home country, as well as some advertisements.

"My character is glamorous and enigmatic," she said. "I get to see less action on screen than Naomie [Harris] but I wanted to get the feel of guns in order to find my way into my character."

"I love guns – I have fake ones at home – so I grabbed the opportunity to hold a real one on the set. I got to handle a Beretta 70. It’s a nice gun."

"I definitely see myself more as a Bond Lady than a Bond Girl. The idea of a Bond Girl can be very confusing. As an actress, I know it can be a trap because you’re not sure what people expect. I think it’s quickly changing direction now. You’re more at liberty to develop a real character rather than something abstract."

"There is more scope now within the Bond movies to create a strong, independent woman. Earlier Bond Girls were very dependent women. But I loved what Famke Janssen did in "GoldenEye", in the way she portrayed a funny psychopath. In my character I’ve tried to bring a different kind of complexity. If I get recognised more when this movie comes out, I’ll deal with it. If someone says, 'Hey, there’s that Bond Girl' I’ll correct them and say, "No, I’m that Bond Lady'."

It is widely assumed that Sévérine is the girlfriend of Javier Bardem's villain character, but that is speculation. "As to the question that everyone wants answered: do I get to kiss Bond? Well, my friends, you’ll just to have to wait and see."