Translated by Bethszabee Garner

What artist could better embody OniriQ than the divine Alice Taglioni? Beautiful without artifice, sublime when she dons sophisticated outfits, fatal when she plays the ultimate seductress in La Doublure, among other notable roles, alongside Dany Boon. And brilliant when she evokes her passion for music or for her profession, comedy, which she now practices as she sees fit. “I'm lucky to be able to choose my films, I know it's a luxury,” she tells us in this exclusive and atypical interview. Alice Taglioni, who shares her life with journalist Laurent Delahousse, has agreed to play along with the questions and confidences, sometimes even immodest ones. “I'm saying a lot there, aren't I?” she exclaims with a spontaneous, charming smile. Yes, Alice, and so much the better! My first is pleasures, my second is desires, my third is the future. To be savored more than read.

Yves Derai: The capital pleasure?

Alice Taglioni: Family. Being surrounded by my children. My driving force. And of course, dinners with friends, playing the piano, singing, composing.

Yves Derai: Do you enjoy working?

A.T.: Infinitely. I like roles that require research, reflection and introspection on a character who did not exist before reading the script. I can feel lost when I'm not working. For lack of inspiration, of stimulation. That's why music fulfills me. Like a form of meditation, of relaxation. When you're an actress, you depend a lot on the desire of others. At least, that's how it feels. As if overnight, you could cease to exist.

Yves Derai: And idleness? Does that appeal to you?

A.T.: It's an art! Total. Seizing the present moment. Knowing how to enjoy the moment you're living without projecting yourself into the next moment. Or redoing the past. Idleness can be watching a movie, taking a nap or just sitting and daydreaming…

Yves Derai: ... Or a treatment? A massage?

A.T.: Yes, I love it. It’s me as well. What I haven't been able to live for thirty years. No time, no money, not in my schedule. I admit to seeking wellness. Physical and mental.

Yves Derai: Your dream vacation?

A.T.: The essential thing, the family home. It's a legacy from my grandparents that has remained in the family. A preserved meeting place where all generations can get together. Next, I dream of going on a safari in Africa. It's a childhood dream that I want to share with my family.

Yves Derai: What is your best travel memory?

A.T.: French Polynesia. The islands are sublime, Huahine, Bora Bora... The traditions, the songs, the people. On the island of Moorea, I met the local Cousteau commander, who took us swimming with whales, just with a mask and a snorkel. Swimming above a whale and its calf. There are no words.

Yves Derai: Gastronomy?

A.T.: Of course! And wine, evidently. More Côtes-du-Rhône wine, Bourgogne... Rather red wine, even if there are some fabulous white wines. I can be junk food sometimes. A good burger every now and then, without naming a brand, I like that too! On the other hand, eating something that's not good is a wasted moment for me.

Yves Derai: Do you cook?

A.T.: Not often. I leave that to my darling, who has it completely under control!

Yves Derai: What about love?

A.T.: That’s all there is, no ? And not just the love we have for our partner, our children, our friends. I believe in universal love more than anything, even if I feel that more and more, we are running towards things that distance us from each other. We are permanently connected, but we are disconnected from others, thus from love. Many people are angry, rightly or wrongly, but it is becoming blinding.

Yves Derai: You are a brand ambassador. Are you what we call a fashion victim?

A.T.: Absolutely not. Look at me! I love streetwear, those looks that let the body breathe. I collect beautiful sneakers. In fact, it's a market that is (re)taking off. For me, it's art. There are exhibitions and auctions. I have some Gucci there that I found in a consignment shop over ten years ago. It's a pleasure that I share with my daughter-in-law and my son.

Yves Derai: You have often been very well dressed in the movies.

A.T.: No doubt, yes. In any case, not like in my daily life. For example, I almost never wear a skirt. I don't want to be hampered by the constraints of dress, especially those experienced by women. High heels, makeup, etc. That doesn't mean that I don't like it. What I don't like is spending time choosing my outfit, or time in front of the mirror. Besides, when you wear makeup, you only see what's wrong with you! It's a form of freedom that I allow myself, in fact.

Yves Derai: A luxury item that you fantasize about?

A.T.: A Steinway grand piano. Or, on a completely different note, a pair of very nice sneakers. But not just any pair. I certainly wouldn't pay top dollar for a pair of Jordan sneakers. That's the whole point of this market, in my opinion.

Yves Derai: Is there anyone you would like to meet?

A.T.: I would be afraid of not being able to interest her. She seems very unapproachable to me. A great pianist whom I look up to with admiration, Martha Argerich. She has an immense love for her art, something divine, and at the same time, devastating.

Yves Derai: The crazy dream you have never achieved?

A.T.: To go on stage. Like a rock star. With my guts and my music. I recently went to Orelsan's concert. I had seen the documentary his little brother made about him, Montre jamais ça à personne. He is the perfect example of what talent and hard work can achieve. I love this guy, without knowing him. I find him inspiring, and completely in tune with our times.

Yves Derai: Your dream role?

A.T.: A magnificent loser. Like Bacri in Le Sens de la fête, by Nakache and Toledano.

Yves Derai: Any projects?

A.T.: At the start of the year, I'm going to be in a social science-fiction film by Nicolas Vannier. Except that, given what's going on in the world, it's a very realistic film. With Michaël Youn, Valérie Bonneton, Éric Elmosnino, François Berléand...

Yves Derai: Another femme fatale?

A.T.: No, why? I know how to say no to projects that no longer suit me. I like stories that help me reveal myself. The movie La Doublure by Francis Veber helped me gain self-confidence, for example.

Yves Derai: And you're not tempted by a great tragic role?

A.T.: I've already come close with Réparer les vivants and Je voudrais que quelqu’un m’attende quelque part, adapted from Anna Gavalda. I really enjoyed it. But don't be fooled into thinking that acting in a comedy is easy and light-hearted. It requires a lot of precision and rhythm, and it's also a way of tackling fundamental issues.

Yves Derai: Music?

A.T.: I have a slightly offbeat show project, in which I return to my piano, which occupied the first part of my life. Until my adolescence, I played for several hours every day. Then I put it on the side for various reasons. But I always continued to compose. Tunes, songs. Recently for certain themes of the series Ovni(s), on Canal Plus. I have also started working on the classical repertoire again. I had a feeling of incompleteness since my last year at the conservatory in... 1996! I missed out on my prize, it completely unmotivated me. Then I discovered jazz, which was really interesting, a new interpretation, but classical is still my first language, my mother tongue in a way.

Yves Derai: Can you tell us more?

A.T.: We are setting up something with Steinway, the workshop that makes the most beautiful pianos in the world! They possess a unique and magnificent expertise. The idea is to mix our worlds in a way. Through a mini-concert in their showroom with journalists from the music and film industries. Secondly, I would like to move towards a musical show where I could call on my memories in terms of music, images and even, why not, olfactory memories. The smell of grass after the rain, among other Proustian madeleines.

Yves Derai: Is it happening soon?

A.T.: Normally, yes... In any case, you're never ready, so at some point, you have to go!

Article written by Yves Derai, to be found in issue n°1 of OniriQ Magazine.