Present again at the Cannes Film Festival this year with two films in selection (Corsage in which she plays the role of Sissi and More Than Ever in which she shares the screen with Gaspard Ulliel), Krieps continues to pave her way internationally in the world of cinema.
She was noticed in 2017 in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, alongside Daniel Day-Lewis, and has since worked under the direction of M. Night Shyamalan (Old) and Mathieu Amalric (”Serre-moi fort”), among others. She has also shared the screen with actors such as John David Washington in Beckett, Tim Roth in Bergman Island or Vincent Lacoste (“De nos frères blessés”). She will soon be seen in the new film directed by Viggo Mortensen, as she reveals below.
A few years ago, you explained that blockbusters were not really your cup of tea. But since then, you’ve been in Night Shyamalan’s Old and in the French blockbuster The Three Musketeers. Have you changed your mind on the subject?
Vicky Krieps: Old is produced like a blockbuster. But, story-wise, we’re onto something pretty crazy. I saw it as a bit of a freak show. A fantastic work, almost a horror film, but with a very strong psychological side. I had never read a script like that and it intrigued me. As someone who is often involved in social and family dramas, I was tempted to explore another facet of cinema and to evolve in a universe light years away from what I know.
I don’t know if I have the strength to carry a blockbuster.
What about Martin Bourboulon’s The Three Musketeers? The first of two parts is expected in 2023, right?
The approach is somewhat the same. The Three Musketeers is a great popular film, based on a classic piece of literature. It’s the kind of mainstream adventure I’ve never been involved in before. But I only accepted it because I only have a secondary role. This situation allowed me to observe without having too much responsibility. If I had been offered a leading role, then I would have had to embody this film, to carry it. And I don't know if I have the strength to carry a blockbuster. It’s not in my nature...
These two experiences have reinforced the idea that blockbusters are not for you?
That’s a good question... It seems to me that it didn’t confirm or, on the contrary, invalidate anything. It has rather reinforced the idea that life always has surprises in store for you. If I’ve learned anything from the past year, it’s that things always happen that you didn’t expect. Whether in your professional or private life, you may feel prepared for something, have your certainties, etc. And then life passes and takes you away…
I don't believe in plans or even ‘timetables’. Whether it’s my life or the schedule of my day.
You are an actress with one foot in the United States, another in French and German-speaking cinema, while remaining present in the Luxembourg film world. It’s a mixture that can be surprising. You don’t seem to have a career plan?
No, I don’t have one. I don’t believe in plans or even ‘timetables’, whether it’s my life or my day’s schedule. I try to live day by day, as best I can. And when, from time to time, I look back on what I have experienced, one might sometimes think that there is a plan and that the path I have taken has been mapped out in advance. But this is not the case. I have, in fact, only followed my heart.
"I try to take everything with a smile and a sense of humour," says the actress. (Photo: Anna Krieps/FilmAg/Samsa Film)
You are increasingly becoming an ambassador for Luxembourg cinema. You are having a career that is rarely seen in Luxembourg. Or even like none we’ve ever seen...
I try to take everything with a smile and humour. I have the impression that in Luxembourg people are grateful for what I do. If I don’t make a mistake in this respect, if I manage to bring pleasure to my country and to the people of Luxembourg, then I, in turn, am happy. And that is not something that weighs on me.
What has changed most in your life since your international career took off?
The number of calls on my phone and e-mails in my mailbox! All of a sudden, a lot more people have become aware of my existence and are contacting me. Sometimes it’s a bit too much for me. And in those cases, I prefer to isolate myself, to go to the forest. And Luxembourg is a very good place to hide and be quiet (she laughs).
Luxembourg is a very good place to hide.
In the last few months, you have been featured in major media outlets such as The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Variety, Télérama, etc. What is your reaction to this?
I know that these articles exist and, obviously, on the one hand, it’s nice. But I don’t read too much about myself. I only really focus on two things: my family and my work. The basics.
What are your next projects?
At the moment I’m shooting another Luxembourg co-production about the Austrian poet Ingeborg Bachmann (called Bachmann & Frisch, co-produced by Amour Fou, editor’s note). After that, I’ll be working on the new film written and directed by Viggo Mortensen, a western that will be shot in Mexico.
I want to do my bit to help Luxembourg cinema continue to grow.
What do you feel like doing today?
A family holiday! (she laughs, editor’s note)
And professionally speaking?
To found my production company in Luxembourg. I’m going to do that. I would like to support young talent, especially women. To help develop projects, bringing what I have learned in recent years and perhaps the address book I have managed to build up. To contribute my little stone in order to allow Luxembourg cinema to continue to grow.
And how far along is this project?
It is very advanced. I can even say that it is currently being set up. Once it is done, I will give myself some time to see where I want to start. This company is going to be called Viktoria.
The first part of this interview can be found on .
This story was first published in French on Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.