Biography of Lea Seydoux
Lea Seydoux is a French actress and model who has become one of the highest paid and in demand. She does not consider herself a beauty and is very shy, but she is called a sex symbol, the new brightest star of French cinema, a modern Simone Signoret, Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve.
Model and actress Léa Seydoux
Seydoux noted that she is open to any roles, but from the numerous proposals received lately she has been trying to choose only those heroines whose character is close to her, touches her soul, where there is observation, subtlety of mind or sensitivity of nature.
Léa Seydoux's childhood
The actress was born on July 1, 1985 in the Passy district of Paris in the family of successful businessman Henri Seydoux and philanthropist Valerie Schlumberger.
The girl spent her childhood in the picturesque and wealthy district of the French capital Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Lea had 5 younger siblings, as well as an older sister, Camilla, who later became her stylist. When Lea was only 3 years old, her parents separated.
Lea Seydoux in childhood
Their family is well known in France. The father of the movie star, who created the Parrot company in 1994, is the great-grandson of Marcel Schlumberger, one of the founders of the largest oil services company Schlumberger, and the grandson of the actor and director of the Pathe film company, his mother is a former actress, the granddaughter of Maurice Schlumberger, the brother of her husband's great-grandfather. Among Lea's relatives are producer Michel Seydoux and director of the Gaumont Film Company film studio Nikolai Seydoux.
The girl grew up in a bohemian atmosphere, and was acquainted with such famous people from childhood as the American photographer Nan Goldin, rock musicians Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, and designer Christian Louboutin.
Léa Seydoux's height is 168 cm
Seydoux received a strict Protestant upbringing, but as she grew up she did not become too religious, although she was very shy. In order for their daughter to speak English fluently, her parents sent her to a summer camp in the USA for several years.
However, Lea often felt lonely during her childhood, since her parents were rarely at home. Dad was constantly on business trips, mom did charity work in Africa. Valerie became the founder of a number of charitable organizations, including ASAO (Association of Senegal and West Africa), centers for homeless children in Dakar, and assistance to victims of violence. To support African artists, the actress's mother founded the CSAO boutique, and Lea worked there as a model for the Jokko jewelry line.
Childhood and youth
Léa Seydoux was born in Paris on July 1, 1985 into a rich and famous family. Her father is an entrepreneur, and her mother is from a dynasty of oil tycoons, a former actress. The uncle and aunt of the future celebrity are the heads of the French film studio Gaumont Film, and her grandfather heads the Pathé film company.
Lea Seydoux's parents divorced when the girl was very young. Since then, Lea, who remained to live in Paris with her father, often came to visit her mother in Senegal. As a child, she saw the opera Carmen, and the impression was so strong that the future star also decided to become an opera singer. But her vocal talent was not so good, and she began attending a private theater studio. Studying here helped the young Frenchwoman overcome her painful shyness and learn the basics of theatrical art.
Léa Seydoux in childhood and youth
As a teenager, Lea began to experience panic attacks, the girl was burdened by society, she was afraid of heights and confined spaces. To conquer her fears, one day Seydoux took a short flight from Paris to Lyon and took the flight. But the painful perception of the world finally passed with the beginning of his acting career.
At the age of 18, Lea decided that she would be an artist. At first, the relatives were doubtful about the girl’s choice, but she managed to insist on her own. Lea went to study theater courses in Paris and New York.
The beginning of the career of Léa Seydoux
In her early years, Seydoux wanted to become not an artist, but a singer (under the influence of her grandmother Helen, who was a fan of opera). But at the age of about 17, having fallen madly in love with the actor, she became interested in acting and began studying at the Les Enfants Terribles courses.
Léa Seydoux in her youth
In 2005, Leo performed in Raphael’s music video “Ne partons pas faches”, a year later she starred for the first time in the film “Girls on Top: French Kiss”, then played with Klotz in “Consolation”. During the same period, the artist continued her professional training in one of the acting studios in New York and began working as a fashion model for the American Apparel brand.
Then the aspiring actress appeared in the film “The Secret Lover,” directed by Catherine Breillat based on the controversial novel “The Old Lover” by the writer Barbet d'Aurevilly (who was accused of immorality because of it) and shown in 2007 at the Cannes Film Arts Forum.
Léa Seydoux in the film “Beauty and the Beast” One of the actress’s first works was also a role in Bertrand Bonello’s film “At War”, where her co-stars were Mathieu Amalric, Guillaume Depardieu, Laurent Luca, Asia Argento.
Successful career of Léa Seydoux
The new star of French cinema first attracted attention after she was nominated for a Cesar Award in 2008 for her role in “The Beautiful Fig Tree” and won the Trophee Chopard award from the famous Swiss jewelry and watch company at the Cannes Film Festival. This legendary brand, the creator of the Palme d'Or, awards its award to young up-and-coming artists with the goal of making them believe in themselves and their talent.
The filmography of Léa Seydoux is very extensive.
Chopard has the unspoken title of “lucky talisman” for movie stars. It is difficult to confirm or deny the validity of the company’s prizes, but since then success has come to her in Hollywood, and the artist began to appear in large-scale projects of the American “dream factory,” including “Inglourious Basterds,” “Midnight in Paris,” and “Robin Hood.”
Even though Lea has posed for numerous magazines and brands, she has always seen herself as an actress. However, as a model she could be seen on the pages of Vogue Paris, Esguire, L'Officiel, Numero, and posed for famous photographers, including Steven Meisel, Mario Sorrenti.
Léa Seydoux in the film “Saint Laurent. Style is me” (trailer) In 2011, the French superstar was the “face” of Prada Candy, and since 2012 she has been demonstrating Prada Resort products.
Personal life of Léa Seydoux
The actress does not like being asked about her private life and loved ones who belong to the highest circle of Parisian bohemia.
The personal life of Léa Seydoux is hidden from prying eyes
According to unofficial data, she is having an affair with fashion model Andre Meyer, with whom she was caught kissing by the paparazzi. The girl does not hide that she really dreams of children.
In one of the interviews, Lea admitted that she believes in fairy tales. She is sure that in a person’s fate a lot depends on luck, but if you really want to, you can change the course of events, and then magic will happen.
Léa Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos
The girl adores Eva Green and Marion Cotillard, loves to relax on the island of Mustique, where the actress’s family has a house next door to Bill Gates and Tom Ford.
Personal life
The personal life of Lea Seydoux is closed from prying eyes. The charming Frenchwoman prefers not to talk about her private life. It is only known that Lea loves shopping and expensive boutiques, leads a luxurious lifestyle, buys exquisite things and jewelry, spending everything she earns on it.
At one time, the girl did not speak publicly about whether she had a boyfriend, only saying that what she values most in men is their attractive appearance. Such secrecy of the actress became a reason for rumors, and after the release of the film “The Life of Adele” the media started talking about the girl’s unconventional orientation, but such assumptions turned out to be false.
Léa Seydoux with her husband Andre Meyer
In 2020, fashion model Andre Meyer became the actress’s boyfriend. It was soon known that Lea was pregnant. Reporters filmed the actress walking along the seashore in a one-piece swimsuit. Even then it was clear that Seydoux’s figure had changed. Later, Lea appeared with a rounded belly at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the film “It's Just the End of the World” was presented. In January 2020, the actress gave birth to a son. The boy was named Georges Meyer.
Pregnant Léa Seydoux in a swimsuit
Already in February 2017, new photos of the 31-year-old actress with her newborn appeared on the Internet. Parisian paparazzi captured the family while shopping at the Bonpoint store.
Fans on social networks once again noted the Frenchwoman’s wardrobe. Many remembered her photo shoots for An Other and Crash magazines. Earlier, her fans also appreciated a vibrant photo shoot for the French magazine Marie Claire.
Léa Seydoux today
Wide recognition from the world community and film critics came to Lea in 2013, when she was awarded an award at the Cannes International Festival for her role as Emma in the erotic melodrama “The Life of Adele.” During the same period, she was awarded the Lumiere Prize, the equivalent of the American Golden Globe, for the best role in Grand Central.
The press attributes Léa Seydoux to homosexuality
In 2014, the film actress was nominated for a BAFTA award and starred in the films “Beauty and the Beast” (based on the fairy tale of the same name by Jeanne-Marie Leprince De Beaumont, the great-grandmother of Prosper Merimee), “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (awarded the Grand Prix of the jury of the Berlin Film Festival) and the biographical drama "Saint Laurent".
In the fall of the same year, it was announced that she would become another special agent of British intelligence, along with Monica Bellucci, in Sam Mendes’ film “007: Spectre,” about Bond played by Daniel Craig.
Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was expected to attend the premiere show, which took place at the Royal Albert Hall on October 26, 2020. Léa Seydoux became the new Bond girl in the film “007: Spectre”. In 2015, the artist was involved in the film “The Lobster”, which received the jury prize at Cannes, “Diary of a Maid” based on the work by Octave Mirbeau. Seydoux received an offer to star opposite Channing Tatum in the film Gambit, a spin-off of the X-Men film series. The film should appear on wide screens at the end of 2020.
Holding Your Breath: An Interview with Léa Seydoux
Can Léa Seydoux be called a typical French actress? I only ask because every other interview I've read with her makes reference at some point to her French insouciance or subtle European sexuality - and I refuse to believe that anyone else can more accurately fit that cultural stereotype. We are sitting in the living room of Lea's house in Paris: she answers the questions I have prepared so that I can understand - what makes this girl from France a real Frenchwoman? Does she drink red wine? - "Yes". Does she eat a lot of French baguettes? - Lea laughs: “Yes.” I stare in disbelief at her body, incredibly thin and graceful, still in her workout clothes—she's just returned from a 45-minute run in the park. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail at the back of her head, she's wearing no makeup (at least I don't see it) and still looks great. Is she smoking Gauloises cigarettes, shrugging her shoulders and blowing out smoke with her characteristic pout? - “No... (Yeah, I think I found a discrepancy with the image of a real French woman.) - I smoked before. But I gave up a long time ago.” Crap! Does she feel sexy? - “Yes, I feel it. Sometimes I feel clumsy, but overall I always feel sexy.” Does she feel French? - "Yes". What does she consider to be the most characteristic of French women? Lea smiles: “My tendency towards melancholy.”
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Bomber, dress and boots, Louis Vuitton
It would hardly occur to you that Léa Seydoux might have a tendency toward melancholy. She is thirty years old, beautiful, talented and world famous. In 2013, she gained fame for her leading role in the film “The Life of Adele,” a story of unconventional love relationships, for which she was awarded the highest award, the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. This branch is nestled comfortably on one of the bookshelves that line the walls all the way to the ceiling in the room in which we are sitting. The branch shimmers slightly in the daylight. “You know, it’s made of real gold,” Lea says, still not hiding her excitement when looking at it. The interior of the house, located on a quiet street in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, is impeccable and designed in an eclectic style. We are sitting on low sofas upholstered in thick golden velvet. On one side stands a beaded chair in an African style. Dog faces are embroidered on the pillows, and family photographs are scattered around the room. In the enclosed garden you can constantly hear birdsong. Lea has lived in this house since August last year and decorated it herself. “This is the house of my dreams,” says the owner, smiling and not hiding her delight. - I love him!" In addition to “The Life of Adele,” Lea starred in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” Woody Allen in “Midnight in Paris,” and also in one of the parts of “Mission: Impossible” along with Tom Cruise. Last year, she starred in the author's dystopian film The Lobster, starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz, in which in the future single people will be stigmatized and forced to find a partner. Is Lea afraid to be alone? “No, not really,” she replies, as if I’m asking something incredibly stupid (perhaps I should ask if she cares about never being alone). Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux compares her to Bardot, Binoche, Kate Moss, and sometimes three at the same time. This is quite a fascinating combination. Is male attention intrusive? “I’m not afraid of men,” Leah replies. - “Yes, but most men are probably afraid of you. I'm talking about all the people I know who started drooling and gasping when they found out who I was going to meet. Lea grins slyly: “Maybe.” She is characterized by an easy natural charm and she has that ingenuous, slightly childish quality, thanks to which she is capable of sudden bursts of enthusiasm. Lea is one of the few women who always seem to feel at ease. It's no wonder she played the Bond girl so convincingly. Thanks to the role of Madeleine Swann in “007: Spectre,” the last part of the Bond film, Lea found herself on the star Olympus of cinema. She enjoyed filming the film: “It’s all about Sam Mendes. He's a great director. Daniel Craig is a wonderful actor. They make films at a very high level. I was delighted! " She especially enjoyed working with Craig, whom she addresses in a uniquely French manner - Daniel. "I love him. He is above all praise. He is so charming and noble!” Before filming the film, she had to master stunt tricks and learn how to shoot a gun, and also work with an English teacher on her accent. Filming was a lot of fun: “I really enjoyed everything. You see, for a young French actress to be in such a huge film is a great pleasure. It's James Bond! This is real fun. But we French are not used to entertainment.” Because you are usually always serious and intelligent? She grins and nods: “Sometimes we are so boring... So entertainment is good. I love it, I really love action movies." One way or another, critics praised Lea's acting skills in Specter, noting her new interpretation of the traditional Bond girl (Madeleine Swann is a doctor, and not just a nice-looking character in the film). According to The Guardian, Lea brought “just the right amount of muted sensuality” to the role of 007’s passion. Now she has the right to be picky in choosing the roles that interest her, from independent, art-house films to box office and big-budget films. On the coffee table in front of her is a mountain of scripts for her to read. “I feel like I can do whatever I want, you know what I mean? - says Lea. — I can choose the films I want. And I'm independent. I also found something that I really love. I'm in love with my job."
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That is why it is quite strange to hear from an actress at the peak of her fame that she is prone to melancholy. But Lea claims she suffered from depression ten years ago: “It was terrible. I was depressed... I guess you could call it depression.” She was twenty at the time and doesn't know what caused it: “The world seemed disgusting to me. I wasn't happy. You see, it's all about the emotional state. I started my acting career, but was not famous. This is exciting for some. I think... that was the end of my teenage years." She underwent treatment to cope with her problem and says she is much happier. But you can't hide your sadness. Perhaps it is sadness that gives Lea a certain mystery: on the screen she seems mysterious, and her performance always speaks of hidden mental pain, captivating the viewer. “Some actors have no secret, but there is a mystery. It’s a big difference,” director Rebecca Zlotowski told The Guardian in 2020. “Even if they are required to be sexy, they go beyond stereotypes - they complicate things. Lea has real sensuality."
Vest and shirt, Louis Vuitton
Where does this mystery come from? Probably because Lea always considered herself a black sheep. As a child, she felt like an outsider, “always kept to the side.” She doesn’t remember having many friends: “Even as a little girl, I was very worried about the world. I didn't feel like I was a part of it." She grew up on the Left Bank in Paris, in the heart of the Parisian elite. Her father, Henri Seydoux, heads a major electronics company, and her mother, Valerie Schlumberger, was a costume designer, writer and actress before founding an environmentally friendly business in Senegal. Cinematography is in Lea’s blood: her grandfather is the chairman of the Pathé film company, and her cousin runs the Gaumont film studio. Leah is the youngest of five siblings. Her parents divorced when the girl was three years old, then she had two more brothers on her father's side. Lea never liked being a child: “I was sad... Probably because of my parents’ divorce, and also because I had no friends. I don’t think my childhood suited me... I think I’m better now that I’m my own boss.” She never knew exactly what she wanted to do, and for some time she thought about becoming an opera singer. But at the age of 19, she met the actor “and realized that his life was wonderful. He was absolutely free and could do whatever he wanted.” Lea studied at drama schools in France and New York. What did the parents think about their daughter's career choice? "I'm sure they're proud of me, but that's not what's really important to them." I imagine how the parents look at their daughter in The Life of Adele, a rather impressive story about a lesbian relationship, where Lea plays a blue-haired artist. Filming turned into 800 hours of hard work and definitely opened up a lot of new things for the actress. Director Abdelatif Kechiche demanded a lot from his young star, sometimes insisting that Lea do a hundred takes for a single scene. “He controlled everything,” admits the actress. “When someone has a lot of control over you, it can be a burden.” Commitment is something terrible for me, it kills my creativity." According to some sources, Kechiche's attitude towards the actors has grown from demanding to disrespectful, especially towards the main characters of the film. However, Kechiche himself considers his approach “simply demanding.” He disputes unfounded accusations of heavy-handed behavior on set: “I have never disrespected anyone. I may have shouted from time to time because I thought I could get a better result by raising my voice, but I never insulted anyone.” Lea argues that sexism is pervasive in the film industry: “It’s a misogynistic world. It's all about what we demand from actresses. We ask them to be gentle, fragile, desirable. And from men? We demand that they be strong and courageous. But you can make it your strength. Because when I decide to pose naked, it's my decision. I feel like I have the right to choose. And that suits me. I think it becomes a problem when you feel like a victim, you feel bullied. I never find myself in the role of a victim." After playing the lesbian role, did Lea think about her own sexual orientation? - "Yes. I think that even if you are not a lesbian, at some point you may feel attracted to a woman. And I think I had a chance to experience that, you know? I've never been in a relationship with a woman, but sometimes cinema gives you the opportunity to try a lot of things. In short, this is a way to experience drive—attraction to women.” Lea's boyfriend, Andre Meyer, has nothing to do with acting. They've been dating for years - every now and then photos appear of the couple walking around Paris in sweatpants (Holy Virgin Mary!), while looking less than stellar. Naturally, when it comes to filming, Lea knows exactly how to dress: her sister Camille is the actress's stylist, and fashion houses adore her. Lea has already been the face of Miu Miu and Prada campaigns, and now she has starred in a Louis Vuitton advertisement.
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Although she loves the USA, she feels at home only in Paris. Lea was there during the attacks last November, when suicide attacks and a series of mass shootings at cafes, bars and restaurants killed 130 people. That day, Lea returned early from China and could not recover from the change in time zones. She and her sister were in a restaurant when it all started: “We were a few meters from the scene of the incident. It was very strange." Lea and her sister managed to get home before the height of the terrible events. After the incident, she could not recover from the shock for some time: “I sat at home for a week and did not go anywhere,” she says. “I was shocked by this news... I was terribly sad.” It was as if a terrible depression had attacked Paris, everyone was talking about these events and were obsessed with them. As for me, I am not afraid of terrorism. I don't want to lose my freedom because of this. I want to live a normal life. But even I was in a paranoid state for a couple of weeks.”
Shirt and earrings, Louis Vuitton
However, she doesn't want to live anywhere else, especially now that she has this house filled with the things she loves most. On the same bookshelf with the Palme d'Or, I saw a vinyl version of Michael Jackson's cult album Bad, and next to it was a miniature figurine of the singer. Is she a fan of his? Lea nods enthusiastically: “I’m crazy about him,” she says, delivering the words with lightning speed (the most animated response I hear during our conversation). “I like his weirdness and eccentricity,” Leah adds, speaking about him in the present tense, even though Jackson died several years ago. “I don’t think I realize he’s not alive.” For me he is alive. His music is brilliant. His songs had a political tone. But rap, for example, promotes sexism - I personally think so. Everything is based on material values: if you are successful, you will have a big car. I think what the stars are talking about the world now is disgusting. For example, Kanye West. There is no message in his songs! But Michael Jackson... If you listen to his songs, he sings about hunger, blacks and whites... A clear message. I love him. I like what he sings about. And I think that’s why people are crazy about him.” Lea says her favorite Jackson song is Human Nature. I wonder if she ever sang it at karaoke? Leah looks at me in horror: “No, I never sing karaoke.” Frankly, I breathed a sigh of relief. It would shake my idea that she is a real Frenchwoman who is actually as flawless as she seems. And then Lea shouts: “Yes! I love karaoke! It was a joke...” As parting, I ask if she minds taking a selfie with me. I explain that I don’t usually suffer from this, but after seeing our selfie, all my heterosexual male and lesbian friends will be jealous of me. She cheerfully gets up from the sofa: “Of course!” We stand at one of the tall windows in the living room. Lea tilts her head back slightly, looking at the camera with a languid, sexy gaze. “Promise you’ll filter the photo?” she asks. It's a joke? I'm standing next to a Bond girl! Yes, I am absolutely sure that I will filter this photo down to every second of its life.
text by Elizabeth Day, photo by Kai Z Feng, style by Anne-Marie CURTIS
