Léa Seydoux recently expressed her opinion on the differences between working as a female actor in Hollywood versus in Europe. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK, the star of Dune: Part Two and No Time To Die, highlighted the harshness of the American entertainment industry on women, stating that it is hard for women to age and that she does not want to lose her contract or fear being undesirable. Seydoux added that working in America is an economic matter, and when it comes down to making money, actors lose their freedom. In contrast, being a woman on screen is easier in Europe, where she feels she has more freedom to simply enjoy herself as a European actress.
Seydoux began her acting career in films in France during the 2000s; her breakthrough role was in 2013’s Blue is the Warmest Colour, which won the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. She has appeared in a number of high-profile American movies, such as The Grand Budapest Hotel, Beauty and the Beast, and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
Seydoux also discussed her involvement in the Bond franchise, noting that while the spy is “totally a sexual object,” he is maybe one of the only male characters to be sexualized. She claimed that women love to see Bond’s body. However, Seydoux has made the case that her Bond character, Dr. Madeleine Swann, is an exception to the trend of sexualized female characters. “My character is not a stereotype. It’s not clichéd. She’s a real woman, and an interesting woman. That’s what we needed. We are not here to please Bond’s sexuality,” Seydoux stated.
Currently, Seydoux can be seen playing Lady Margot Fenring, a friend of Christopher Walken’s Emperor Shaddam, in Dune: Part Two in cinemas. Seydoux’s comments bring attention to the continued harshness in the American entertainment industry on women, showcasing how, despite having made progress, there is still work to be done to ensure that women feel comfortable working in this field
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