My Turning Point
Kristin Scott Thomas
As an overweight, insecure student, Kristin Scott Thomas was told to forget about acting. She set out to prove them wrong, moved to Paris and found the love that brought her happiness and stardom.
"Growing up in England, I dreamt of becoming an actress. But one
of the teachers at London's Central School of Speech and Drama told me to
forget it .I was doing a teaching course and tried to sneak into the
acting course, but I was caught and told I didn't have the talent to act.
It was a shame people never told me what I could do, only what I
couldn't.
I didn't know what to do, so I went to visit a friend in Paris. I
intended going for just two weeks, but I ended up staying. In the end, it
seemed the only way not to be permanently bitter and jealous of everybody
else was to move.
When it's everything you've always wanted, but haven't really dared to
tell anyone, then you drum up the courage to admit it and someone tells
you: 'Forget it, waste of time - who do you thing you are?' ... it's just
so devastating. At first, I worked as an au pair and, initially, it was
difficult. My weight balooned to 76 kilos, as I had to learn a new
language and , essentially, create a new life.
I got into a French drama school, but, initially, it wasn't easy. I was
so terrified of everybody and everything, that I couldn't even dial a
number for the casting director. But then I met my husband François
(Olivennes), who's a gynaecologist, at an evening class and he completely
turned my life around. I was 21 and barely surviving in Paris and he gave
me the confidence to audition for films. Even now, when I'm lacking in
ambition, he kicks me in the arse and pushes me along.
I'm still surprised by all the people who say that they find me really
frightening. I don't know what it is about me that does that to people.
I'm really more of an intimidated person than intimidating. And, quite
frankly, I'm actually hideously shy!
When I'm not filming, we live a very quiet Parisian life with our two
children, Hannah, 12, and Joseph, 9, and we're expecting our third child
this month. I love being pregnant and then having a baby. I'm not going
to change my whole life to do a big studio film. I can't take the kids to
Hollywood and I can't take my husband. Paris is home. I absolutely hate
being away from my family - they mean everything to me. I don't want to
produce movie kids. I want them to be in a stable atmosphere at home.
Their father is here, they go to school with their friends and are with
the rest of their family, which includes cousins and grannies and
hampsters - the whole thing.
Sometimes, I'm tempted to live in London or America. My husband could
work anywhere now. My life would certainly be easier, but we have to take
the children's education into consideration.
The French think I'm very English and the English think I'm very French.
I love it here - they grey of the roofs and the river... the light. Paris
is more compact than London and much more friendly.
It's funny, because, for a long time, Hollywood wasn't interested in me.
I'd done ten European films and was trying to crack into that market, but
it was too depressing, sitting in someone's corridor before they deigned
to look at you. One woman was flipping through my file while on the phone
negotiating Johnny Depp's fee. After a while, she put her hand over the
receiver and said: 'I've seen you; you can go now.' Thankfully, my luck
changed.
I've worked with some great people and I've learned that it takes a lot
of energy and concentration to act naturally when you don't have any
clothes on. Chemistry is also very important when I've got to do a love
scene. Both Ralph Fiennes, who was in The English Patient, and
Sean Penn, who I'm starring with in Up at the Villa, are world
class kissers, but the worst kisser I've acted with is Robert Redford!
But now I'm 40, I'm not really interested in playing sex symbol parts,
althought that doesn't mean that I intend to play some teenager's mother
or a frumpy housewife. Not yet! I feel like I deserve a couple more
seductions under my belt!
It's important to me to be a normal person. I enjoy being able to take my
kids to school, go to the supermarket, cook and not be living out of a
suitcase and be suffering from permanent jet lag! Now, when I go back to
England it just doesn't impress me. I haven't been spending all these
years getting revenge. It's a drive, a motor, but it's one you don't
really want to admit to. Most actors I've known never dream about fame or
money. They all want some measure of stability and security. I feel very
lucky to have found that. Whatever happens now with my acting career is
just icing on the cake."
