“Emily In Paris” Alix Bénézech Talks Recognition, Storytelling, And Tom Cruise

Award-winning actress Alix Benezech is a French actress famous for her role in La Boulangerie and tv series Alice in Paris. Her career is going from strength to strength and by the looks of it, she’s not planning on slowing down anytime soon. 

Alix has starred, directed and produced many French films and is now on track to make it big in America, she recently starred alongside Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: Fallout. 

Find out what got Alix into acting, who her dream cast would be and her advice for anyone thinking about a career in the industry. 

Q.What made you want to get into acting? 

A: “As far as I can remember, I’ve always loved telling stories. When I was a child I used to put on costumes and had a vivid, overflowing imagination. I enjoyed making my friends happy and put a smile on the faces of my family while performing. 

To be honest I originally wanted to be a writer until the day I saw a theatre play that moved me, touched something in me. That’s the moment I realized I wanted to become an actress. It felt like discovering a new world. 

My creativity was limitless. I would play male characters if I found them more interesting than female parts. I did that with The Imaginary Invalid by Moliere. 

There’s truly something magical about acting in the sense that everything is possible. It teaches empathy and annihilates judgement, boundaries, misconceptions. 

In my early teens, I was attending a French middle school where I was bullied on a regular basis by my classmates because I had just come back from a foreign country and I was perceived as an outsider. My only friends were the two foreign girls in my class. At the end of the school year, I performed in a play in front of my classmates and for the first time they laughed at me but with me, they saw past the difference and considered me. I believe acting can connect people and that is powerful. “

Q. Do you prefer acting, directing, or producing? 

A: “I consider myself an actress first. I did have experience behind the camera as a filmmaker and helped the production process on Que Justice Soit Nôtre. 

In my opinion, filmmaking is teamwork and I’m always keen on helping out the crew in production, at every stage of production. That being said, but my heart belongs to acting.

3.Do you find that working in France is much different from working in America? How so?

Maybe there is a different approach regarding acting. I’ve always used American acting methods without knowing it. Then I discovered the Actor Studio and I love the Method because it’s limitless and it’s a really creative technique.

Maybe in France actors have a more spontaneous approach to the text. Also on set, I really enjoy working with American and English teams, it’s really precise, perfectionistic. 

But in the end, the passion, the love for cinema are the same.”

Q. Congratulations on winning the Best Actress for your role in La Boulangerie. How did It feel to win such an amazing award?

A: “Thank you so much! A feeling of gratitude for the recognition of my work but also for the entire film crew. Cinema is a collective adventure and when I receive an Award, I know it’s because this collective energy worked and was fluid. The atmosphere on set was very joyful, and I am happy to have received an Award for a film that was shot in this spirit of joy and camaraderie. I’m looking forward to working again with director Luke Jin and his team.”

Q.You have played a range of characters. What’s been your favorite character to play and why? 

A: “This is a difficult question, I find it very difficult to make comparisons in general. But if there is a choice to be made, I would say the character of the policewoman in Mission Impossible Fallout. Of course, it was just one scene. But prior to the shooting, I really dug into what it meant to be a young female police officer in France during a period of attacks. It’s a job that was totally unknown to me. I met a policewoman with whom I befriended during my preparation and her testimony allowed me to see the big picture on what her job consisted of on a daily basis. She truly opened up to me and shared impressions and feelings as a woman in a, particularly male environment. It was a very challenging part for me. I truly enjoyed this part.”

Q. What was it like behind the scenes of Mission Impossible Fallout?  

A: “The atmosphere was altogether very joyful, but at the same time, everyone was very focused. 

Christopher Mc Quarrie, Tom Cruise and all together, we were making jokes between takes while being very focused on the job that needed to be done. 

Also, it was amusing to see passers-by stop and watch us act during the shoot. It felt like a hybrid experience between theatre and cinema.”

Q. What is Tom Cruise like in real life? 

A: “He’s very friendly, generous, professional and impressive in the way he approaches his work. 

There is real chemistry between Christopher McQuarrie and him, which was very interesting to witness for me as an actress.”

Q.Who would be your dream actor/actress you would like to work with? 

A: “I wish there was an easy answer to that question, but it’s hard to pick one actor/actress out of all the amazing actors that are out there today. My dream would be maybe to work alongside Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, Riz Ahmed and Leonardo di Caprio, that would be my dream cast on a movie!”

Q. What advice do you have for aspiring actors? 

A: “Get a real job! I’m kidding. Seriously, to love deeply, sincerely, simply what we do. Be passionate about the craft and cultivate this passion every day. The possibilities are endless in acting and it’s a blessing to be able to expand your horizon, to try things, to explore different parts. Don’t seek results, success is an illusion. Focus on the work. The only thing that matters is to open your heart and allow yourself to express what you have to say through your character.”

Q. Where can we follow your amazing journey?

A: “You can follow me on social media, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixbenezech/?hl=fr, on my IMDb https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3277348/ and my website www.alixbenezech.com” 

Interview Written and Conducted By: Natalie Dixon

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Natalie Dixon– UK Entertainment Editor – Natalie started her journalism career studying at the prestigious Conde Nast College in London Uk. Conde Nast is the Publication brand that owns Vogue, Tatler and GQ. Natalie loves her home comforts; give her a bar of a chocolate and a Netflix murder documentary and she will be happy.