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The 'Dune: Part Two' actress said of working as an actress in America, "It’s hard for women to age. I don’t want to be afraid not to be desirable or to lose my contract."
By Carly Thomas
Associate Editor
Léa Seydoux shared that she finds it “easier” to work as an actor in Europe compared to America.
The French actress, who has also starred in a number of big Hollywood franchises, including James Bond’s Spectre and No Time to Die, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Dune: Part Two, recently opened up to Harper’s Bazaar U.K. about her experiences working on American projects.
“The industry in America…I find it harsh on women,” Seydoux admitted. “It’s hard for women to age. I don’t want to be afraid not to be desirable or to lose my contract. In America it’s economic, and when it becomes a matter of making money, you lose your freedom. I don’t feel comfortable with the fact that you have to tick all the boxes. Being a woman on screen is easier in Europe.”
However, The Beast actress added that she’s “really satisfied” with the parts she has been given throughout her career in Hollywood so far, saying, “I take what I get!”
“I’m not frustrated,” she said. “It’s tough for someone who’s not totally American to lead a Hollywood film.”
Seydoux previously told IndieWire that one of the reasons she still looks for roles in Hollywood is because she feels “that in America, people have more imagination.” But she acknowledged during her interview with Harper’s Bazaar U.K. that she has “more freedom” as a European actress because it “suits” her.
“I’m not trying to be popular, I’m just trying to enjoy myself,” she said. “In America, you have to conform. I don’t want to adapt myself to the system, I want the system to adapt to me!”
Seydoux isn’t the only actress to share their challenges of finding roles as a woman in Hollywood. Bridgerton alum Phoebe Dynevor told The Evening Standard earlier this year that there are “not that many parts going” for women when she reads scripts compared to roles for men. “There is such a space for male actors,” she added at the time.
Also, during The Hollywood Reporter‘s actress roundtable last year, Greta Lee referenced Margot Robbie, saying the Barbie star started her production company LuckyChap because “the men always had the best parts in the scripts you’re getting,” which Robbie proceeded to confirm.
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