Amazon.FR

Interview With Samuel Le Bihan

In the space of three films ('Venus Beauty Institute', 'Jet Set', 'Brotherhood of the Wolf'), Samuel Le Bihan has become a star. Sometimes a slacker who succeeds in society, sometimes the aristocrat; the multi-talented actor discusses the cost of his new notoriety and how he deals with it.

Amazon.fr: Your last three films, 'Venus Beauty Institute', 'Jet Set' and 'Brotherhood of the Wolf' were great successes. Do you think your moment of opportunity has arrived?

Samuel: I know nothing of it! That is what people tell me, but I remain astonished at guys who can play both the physical and intimate at the same time. Moreover, at the beginning of my career, no one saw me like that. Before playing the part in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (he played Stanley {Brando), everyone regarded me as an 'intellectual' actor because of the role of 'Norbert', the lawyer of 'Conan Captain'. After that, I never received offers of any roles but teachers and lawyers.

Amazon.fr: How did this change come about?

Samuel: Thanks to the women. Directors finally started giving me more physical roles with a carnal aspect. Once this awareness hit, things began to change.

Amazon.fr: Where 'Jet Set' was received well, 'Total Western' was described as a movie to be missed. How does one react to this? (Apparently 'Total Western' was widely critically maligned.)

Samuel: It is very cruel. I spoke to people around me about it. Some liked it while others did not. 'Total Western' was destroyed by criticism and then disavowed by the distributor. I find that deeply unfair. It did not deserve that. The film was labeled as 'violent', whereas I have seen much worse American films that have been accepted without criticism. I did not understand the reasoning behind breaking the film as if it were diseased or dirty. It was an entertaining action film about organized crime. I hope that it will go to video (it is available). Rochant had a good time making this film. We have all grown up with Bruce Lee and Sergio Leone. It is not necessary to disown this movie!

Amazon.fr: And aside from Bruce Lee and Leone?

Samuel: The movies of Scorsese! Recently I saw 'The Yards' and 'Ghost Dog' which speaks about the martial arts via the Samurais. I find these films both extremely touching and poetic in their presentation of violence. 'Memento', however, is a film that hustled me. The story was not obvious, but the director kept it coherent.

Amazon.fr: Do you dream of having a career like Belmondo with your own directors and writers?

Samuel: To work as a family is more rewarding. To have an entourage which interacts with us is very good. It makes it possible to improve things on multiple topics. I envy the team of Splendid enormously, that of the Coffee of the Station, all of those people, who, even if they are separated now had known magic years full of dreams of the future. In time, I would like to bring together people for whom I have high regard, then you are working and growing older while having fun.

Amazon.fr: Have you experienced any 'dirty dealings' on a film?

Samuel: One day, I had been hired without a contract, on a simple handshake. I refuse all other offers because I know I have this one. One month before filming was to begin I learned, by chance, that the role had gone to someone else! I let it be known that if I met the director again, I would put the pie cutter to him. He had to avoid me (laughter). That is not done.

Amazon.fr: Is it true that you had wanted to become a professional boxer?

Samuel: Let us say that it was true at the time. I had left the Academy; I was intended for theater but was not in a hurry. I wanted to be an amateur boxer. I devoted one year to only that. I never could have done it. It is very hard. It is necessary to have training, en entourage. Then, the Comedie-Francaise asked me to re-enter the troop. I had to make a choice. I needed a regular job. The internal violence I needed to channel faired me badly.

Amazon.fr: If you had stayed with this profession, how do you think it would be different than your career in the cinema?

Samuel: I do not know where I would be now. If I had continued I would have certainly had girl friend with whom I would have been very much in love, I would have had children. Things would perhaps have been simpler.

Amazon.fr: Simpler?

Samuel: When you are in the cinema, the girls are always attracted. Not in the way you would like them to be interested. One is always attracted by someone who does something, I believe. In any case, I always saw it like that. It is easier to meet girls, but superficial. The connections become harder to build.

Amazon.fr: And what would you like to have now?

Samuel: A history of love. A beautiful history of amour!

-- Interview by Jean-Pascal Grosso