“A rather amazing, surprising man and an extraordinary actor”, reacted on Friday June 17 on franceinfo the director Costa Gavras, after the death of Jean-Louis Trintignant at the age of 91. In 1969, the director directed the actor in Z for which he won the interpretation prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Jean-Louis Trintignant “came into the character with great ease and never left it”remembers Costa Gavras.
franceinfo: What memories do you have of Jean-Louis Trintignant?
Costa Gavras: A memory first of a rather astonishing, surprising man, and of an extraordinary actor who entered the character with great ease and who never left him. I worked twice in the cinema with him. First on my first film, where he agreed to do a not very big role and even a villain role. It amused him a lot to play the bad guys, and even the nice bad guys. It has always been a great pleasure to work with him. He responded with extraordinary ease to character and character changes. He was a great actor.
Do you immediately say to yourself: I have come across someone out of the ordinary, extraordinary?
Very quickly. As soon as we spoke with him, we spoke with someone who was not at all usual, not at all like actors usually and not at all like other men. He was watching you silently. And then he sometimes answered sideways, sometimes even with a certain brutality, I would say. And that was quite fascinating to be with him. And even more when we worked with him, because there was a lot more intimacy. He went much deeper into his personality, which was quite special.
What was special about his talent?
He got into character immediately. As soon as he had read the script, as soon as we spoke, he was already the character. It was quite rare. He didn’t expect anyone to explain his past, his family. And he kept his qualities until the end of the shoot.
There is also this very special voice that has accompanied many films. Did it mark you too?
Yes. Especially in the theatre, more particularly, because we expected to have it in continuity for two hours. It was fascinating. It was very special music. His thought accompanied his voice, was with his voice, in a way. With each film, Jean-Louis was completely different. Except his voice, which penetrated you immediately. But each time, he was a completely different character. For a director, it was a joy to say to himself: I will perhaps work with him again.
Did you consider Jean-Louis Trintignant to be a committed artist?
I think he was committed, especially as an actor. In the art of the actor, especially. I can’t say exactly how he thought. He had political honesty. But above all, what was fascinating with him was the actor, how he saw the profession of the actor and the life of the actor. It was amazing.