Marion Cotillard Speaks on Her First Acting Experience, Admiring Tim Burton

Oscar-winning French actress Marion Cotillard has spoken on one of her first ever acting experiences. She reveals that when she was young she got to play the part of an angry housekeeper and the feeling made her feel powerful because it allowed her to express herself, which is something she always strives to do in her roles:

“I always wanted to express myself by being someone other than myself. I needed to experience the human soul—something more than just my soul. I wasn’t enough! When I was 10 or 11, I played an angry housekeeper in a play at camp. I was yelling at everyone. I remember the feeling I had when it was over. I really loved it.”

Speaking on working with Tim Burton on Big Fish, Marion says that when the opportunity came about she really wanted the part, so badly that she even slept with the script under her pillow to hopefully help her chances – and it worked of course:

“I was a big fan of Beetlejuice, and I really wanted to work withTim Burton. I remember I kept the pages of the scenes under my pillow for a month. I don’t know if that’s why I got the part, but I know I wished for it every night.”

On her sharing her Oscar experience with her fellow actresses, Marion revealed that it is always a great feeling:

“It was amazing. In France, we have a lot of actors, but you never get a chance to share your experiences. In America, you show the movie, and you talk about it with actors who know what it’s like to open your heart, soul, and mind to another person and let them in. I especially feel very close to other actresses…I love actresses. I love them! When there’s a movie without an actress in it, I miss something. Without a woman, it’s not the same.”