May 9, 2006
By Bruno Crass
Bruno Crass talks to Jean Reno, who plays Police Captain Bézu Fache in The Da Vinci Code
Q: How did you come to be cast in The Da Vinci Code?
Reno: Brian Grazer, the producer, and Ron Howard, the director, offered me the part of Police Captain Bézu Fache. I was surprised when Dan Brown, the writer of The Da Vinci Code, later told me Bézu Fache, who is nicknamed "The Bull", was inspired by me.
Q: What was your reaction knowing you would be cast alongside Tom Hanks?
Reno: I was delighted! He's an amazing actor. He's also a generous and intelligent man, someone very easy to work with.
Q: The first scenes of the film were shot at night in the Grande Galerie of the Louvre…
Reno: That was magical! We could hear our own footsteps resounding in the empty museum and there was a sort of religious feeling when we were standing alone in front of those paintings that we saw in our history books when we were kids.
The Louvre is one of the most beautiful museums in the world, a place where you can feel at peace and admire some of the best works of art man has ever made.
Q: What impressed you most about Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa?
Reno: I'd forgotten how small the painting is
. The way Mona Lisa's look and smile follow you is really striking. She might not be considered a beautiful woman today but she's still very attractive because of the softness she conveys.
Q: How did you get into your character?
Reno: He is a sullen, humourless but determined police captain. By and by we realise his reasoning is flawed: it's based on belief rather than certainty. When he understands he's been betrayed by those he trusted, there is a psychological break which I tried to show even though it is unusual in Hollywood films.
Q: What are the pros and cons of being a famous actor?
Reno: It's hard to keep your feet on the ground when people lionise you, open the door of your car for you or keep a table for you at the restaurant. You cannot be an ordinary man again: you no longer go to the baker's or buy your newspapers.
Doing films might be my job and might have brought me a lot on a human and cultural level but it's not vital. You can feel love, learn to fight and face death without the cinema. Standing back from your career and talking to people is what matters most. - Tonight Reporter
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