Vincent Cassel on method acting and lust
Published 12 November, 2008, 10:40
An actor has a hundred faces, and so has Jacques Mesrine – a killer-kidnapper and the central character of 'Public Enemy Number One'. The actor playing him is Vincent Cassel. In an exclusive interview with RT, the French star talks about what it's like to play on the wrong side of the law.
Cassel disproves the theory that actors become submerged in the lives of their characters. Off camera, he stays well outside his heroes' heads.
“I don't use my work to run away from my life because actually I really like my life,” Cassel explains.
Indeed, he is confident, optimistic and back in shape. Cassel had to pay a heavy price to act in 'Public Enemy Number One': he had to put on 20kg.
However, he was swift to restore his original body shape – another hint that, unlike Robert De Niro, he doesn't cling to the roles he plays.
But the extra weight wasn't a burden for the actor. Quite the opposite, it gave him the push he needed to play the difficult part:
“I wasn't myself. I was transformed physically – and that really helps to project yourself into something.”
Restored to his natural weight, which of the seven deadly sins could the husband of Monica Bellucci be guilty of? You guessed it, and Cassel was quick to confirm the obvious.
“Lust,” he said with a sly grin.
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