Renowned French actress Sophie Marceau made striking allegations against fellow actor Gérard Depardieu, accusing him of “rude and inappropriate” behavior, particularly towards women in subordinate roles on film sets. These revelations emerged in an interview published in the latest edition of Paris Match magazine on Thursday.
Marceau, who rose to prominence with the 1980 film La Boum and later gained international acclaim for her roles in Braveheart (1995) and the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999), recalled her experiences working with Depardieu on the 1985 film noir Police. She asserted that Depardieu, a veteran actor with over 200 film and television credits, exhibited a pattern of targeting women with less prominent positions rather than established actresses.
Describing Depardieu’s behavior as rooted in “vulgarity and provocation,” Marceau noted that, while this approach earned him widespread adoration, she found it “unbearable” and publicly denounced it at the time, only to face backlash and attempts to marginalize her concerns.
The allegations against Depardieu have resurfaced in the wake of his 2020 charge of rape and subsequent accusations of sexual harassment and assault by multiple women. The actor, who celebrated his 75th birthday on Wednesday, has recently been scrutinized for sexually explicit remarks, including those made during a 2018 trip to North Korea, which were broadcast in a documentary on national television earlier this month.
This renewed attention has led to a divided response among public figures and feminist groups. President Emmanuel Macron defended Depardieu, expressing “huge admiration” for his talents, a stance that provoked widespread condemnation. In contrast, feminist collective Generation.s Feministe described Macron’s remarks as “an insult” to survivors of sexual violence, and Maelle Noir of the Nous Toutes association labeled them “scandalous and dangerous.”
Former president Francois Hollande expressed disappointment in Depardieu after viewing the footage. Meanwhile, nearly 60 actors and artists, including British actor Charlotte Rampling, former French first lady and singer Carla Bruni, and Depardieu’s former partner, actor Carole Bouquet, have come to Depardieu’s defense in an open letter published in Le Figaro. The letter describes Depardieu as a victim of a “torrent of hatred” and lauds him as “probably the greatest of all actors.” Depardieu praised the letter, noting that most signatories are his contemporaries and friends.
However, this support was met with criticism. Laurent Boyet, founder of Les Papillons, an organization combating violence against children, deemed the letter “indecent.” Furthering the discussion, French actor Isabelle Carre, in an op-ed for Elle magazine, condemned the sexualization of young girls in France and the longstanding tolerance of inappropriate behavior in the film industry.
Depardieu’s controversial history includes public brawling, drunk driving and an incident of public urination on a commercial aircraft. In 2012, his move to Belgium for tax reasons was criticized as “pathetic” by then French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. Depardieu responded by acquiring Russian nationality and publicly aligning with President Vladimir Putin, though he recently criticized Putin’s actions in the Ukraine war.
Recently, a Belgian municipality rescinded Depardieu’s honorary citizenship, following Quebec’s revocation of its top honor in light of his “scandalous” comments about women. Additionally, there have been protests in France against Depardieu, and the Musee Grevin in Paris has removed his statue from its collection.
With AFP
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