- Frances de la Tour, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2004. “I wouldn’t mind being in an American film for a laugh, but I certainly don’t want to be in Thingy Blah Blah 3, if you know what I mean.” Besides, the new French rave was too busy testing to partner Tom Hanks in Da Vinci Code – and winning. UK director Mike Newell chased various other French actresses – Carole Bouquet, Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Seigner – to be Hagrid’s romantic interest, Madame Olympe Maxime, headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, in the fourth of eight movies from JK Rowling’s books.
- Eva Green, Casino Royale, 2006.
- Marion Cotillard, La môme, France-UK-Czech Republic, 2007. Preferred another film, knowing she would not be happy with the kind of special, aged make-up that helped win Marion the first Best Actress Oscar for a French actress in a French film.
- Louise Bourgoin, Les aventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec, France, 2009. When Jean-Pierre Jeunet was keen to direct some years earlier after discovering Audrey for Le fableux destin d’Amelie Poulain, 200l “However, Adèle doesn’t have to be an appealing character and Audrey has the tendency of installing cuteness where it is uncalled for.” Luc Besson rediscovered the joy of directing by filming the Jacques Tardi comic-book with the most successful of the ex-TV weather girls from Canal + going into movies.
- Noomi Rapace, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shows, 2010. UK director Guy Ritchie saw the Spanish Penelope Cruz and all the usual French girls for Sim – Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Cécile de France, Eva Green, Virginie Ledoyen, Sophie Marceau. And then signed a Swede… the star of the Millennium trilogy.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 5