Actor and television host, Jean-Pierre Castaldi has filmed for the greatest directors such as Jean-Pierre Melville, Claude Lelouch, Édouard Molinaro, Claude Sautet and Claude Zidi. On the occasion of 77e Cannes Festival, we asked him to tell us about this event as well as his career in the cinema industry, which he has been involved with for more than 60 years... An interview to be found in full in the new issue ofInterviews, currently on sale, and here is an extract…
When was your last Cannes Film Festival?
It seems to me that it was when Natalie Portman came to present the latest Star Wars… It's starting to go back! It’s not necessarily something for me anymore. It's great when you're a young actor, when you're looking to meet people, when you want to enjoy yourself, to party... At 80, it's no longer my age! (Laughs)
Do you think we still find big movie stars like we could see at the time?
Today, the term “star” is completely overused. We no longer have big stars, with big films like Yves Montand or Simone Signoret for a while. Today, we no longer see actors or actresses stirring up crowds like Alain Delon did, for example! When Alain moved, it was a real human tidal wave, it's unimaginable! I remember once seeing a crowd of people outside a hotel. At the time, I didn't understand, but one of them explained to me that they were all here because Alain Delon was perhaps going to come and sleep in this hotel... (Laughs) It was completely crazy. In the evening, Alain recognized me and invited me for a drink in his room. So people saw me going up with him. The next day, I was a star too! (Laughs) Because I had gotten up close, during a simple evening, with the unique and already legendary Alain Delon.
There is no replacement?
The only two I would see taking over would be Jean Dujardin and Isabelle Hupert. Whether it's one or the other, they've made great films, played great roles, they're beautiful, they're classy... They're stars!
How do you recognize a big star?
To his humility. It's something that I found in each of the greats that I had the chance to meet. They don't need to prove anything.
You want to know more ? Discover the entire interview with Jean-Pierre Castaldi by our journalist Solenn Mirarchi in the new issue of Entrevue, on sale everywhere in France…
