Watch Monica Belluci analyze her career from The Matrix to Beetlejuice | Career Timeline

My agent called me

and told me Sam Mendes wanted to meet you

for “James Bond”.

And I was 50 at the time,

the oldest Bond lady of all time.

(soft jazz music)

Hello, I’m Monica Bellucci,

and this is the timeline of my career.

Apparently Henry talked to us about your marriage.

How much do you wish you had married a younger man,

someone your age, like Paco.

Are you saying Henry is jealous of my sister’s husband?

Are you having an affair with Paco?

Am I in court now?

NO.

I worked in the fashion industry,

and Roman Coppola saw pictures of me,

and I met Francis Ford Coppola and I was in Dracula.

It was my first cameo, but it was so important to me

because I realized that I wanted to be an actress.

And then I went back to Rome and started studying acting.

And then I was in my first American film

with a bigger role, of course.

I was with Morgan Freeman in “Under Suspicion”

and Gene Hackman.

So I went to Los Angeles,

and they were so kind, so generous,

and I felt completely welcome in the project.

(splashing water) (suspenseful music)

I was at the Cannes Film Festival

and I was shaking, I actually still remember that.

And Gene Hackman touches me

and he said to me, “Oh, you don’t have to feel like that.”

I mean, you have to relax and just go for it.

And so he gave me the courage.

(Wind rustles)

(Actors speak in a foreign language)

Malena speaks through her eyes and her body.

It’s a lot about body language.

And the body is really an instrument for actors,

how to get in touch with others.

And this movie is really about that.

Tornatore knew me because we made a commercial together.

And at that time he said to me: “I have a story in my head.”

And if I make this film one day,

it will be with you.

And he called me about three years later and said to me:

You know, do you remember this project, “Malena”?

I want to make it.

And we filmed in Sicily for a few months.

And I love Sicily because I believe that in Italy,

Without Sicily we would have no cinemas,

because (laughs) I think the most beautiful stories,

they come from Sicily.

(lively music) (screams of the crowd)

The sequence is very brutal,

but I have to say that these actresses,

they were great to me.

In the end nothing happened to me,

although the scene is of course very brutal.

But we have tried everything,

so that I knew how to move without getting into danger,

and Tornatore was so protective too.

Actually, I was sure

although the situation looks really, really terrible.

But it gives the story power.

And this woman, Malena, is in a situation

where women hate her because she arouses desire.

And not even the men protect them.

And there is this scene that is so famous, you know,

when she smokes a cigarette and all the men come closer.

And really it’s all about desire.

Has nothing to do with love.

We live in a male-dominated society,

So a woman does not exist without a man.

And when she finally returns with her husband,

From that moment on, people respect her again.

(Guests speak unclearly)

(Actor speaks in a foreign language)

“Irreversible” is the most brutal film I have ever made.

At the same time it is also very poetic.

It shows the beauty and monstrosity of man.

Even in the scene we all know

that was, you know, very dangerous.

I mean, it looks dangerous to the audience,

but I was completely protected, even in this,

because it was like a choreography.

So I knew what step I had to take.

So in a way it was like a dance scene.

This film is also interesting because of its style

because there were 20-minute sequences.

So I could act for 20 minutes at a time, like in the theater.

And that never happened in the movies.

Even the way it was done

was something very special.

(light, tense music)

I give you what you want,

but you have to give me something.

What?

A kiss.

Forgiveness?

I want you to kiss me like you would kiss her.

(light, tense music continues)

Why?

You love her.

She loves you.

It’s up to both of you.

When I was filming Dracula with Francis Ford Coppola,

Keanu Reeves was in the film,

that made it easier.

It’s always great when you know someone

in such a large cast.

(light, tense music continues)

I felt safer because I already knew him,

and he was very nice, very generous,

and it was an experience.

And Carrie-Anne Moss was so protective of me.

And I was in Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolution,

So they all knew each other.

So I was a newbie.

Persephone, she comes from Greek mythology.

In Greek mythology, she is between hell

and people.

She had to be mysterious, enigmatic and dangerous.

At the same time she needs love.

She wants to feel sensuality.

So I had to play this character very elegantly.

(light music)

When I composed The Passion of Jesus Christ,

I was in Rome at that time,

and I met the costume designer of the film.

I asked him: “Who will play Mary Magdalene?”

I met Mel Gibson and he offered me the role.

Mary Magdalene was an incredible personality

because for me Mary Magdalene represents humanity.

Someone who is standing in front of something

that is bigger than her and she can’t explain it

because she has no faith at the beginning.

So she gradually gets used to it.

For me, Mary Magdalene was a very interesting role,

because it represents human nature.

(soft opera music) What a beautiful view.

You are wasting your time.

After me, a hundred more will come.

You’re only buying me five minutes.

Excellent.

Time for a drink.

Act in a Bond film

is almost a secret dream for many actresses.

And what happened to me was so funny

because my agent called me

and said to me: “Monica, do you want to laugh?”

Sam Mendes wanted to meet you for “James Bond”.

And I was 50 at the time.

So I said:

But he wants to meet me because of M?

(laughs) That was me, you know, because of course,

I had so much fun playing M.

I have so much respect for Dame Judi Dench.

But he told me: No, he wanted to meet you

for a James Bond girl, Don Lucia Sciarra,

the oldest Bond lady of all time.

And you are obviously crazy, Mr…

Binding.

James Bond.

Acting in a film is for me at my age

was a kind of revolutionary.

And because this topic was repeatedly raised,

was really something new that a mature woman

could be close to James Bond.

Also because Daniel Craig is younger than me.

I mean, in reality it proves that things are changing,

and we are in a new era,

and women have such an influence on society.

And I think this film is an example of that.

The noodles were overcooked

by at least three minutes.

(Dishes clatter)

4 1/2.

Well, I’m not here to stop you from cooking.

What if my singing is over the top?

I will never allow that.

Never.

You want to talk about the blood?

Well, my heart has been bleeding for some time,

and I believe your vote is the only thing that can save it.

Mozart in the Jungle is my first television series,

and Roman Coppola produced this television series.

So it was such a nice coincidence

to contact him for the second time.

In this TV series I had to play an opera singer

completely obsessed with her voice.

And she has this passionate love

for a man who is younger than her,

played by Gael Garcia Bernal, he is a conductor.

I had to sing in many different languages,

also in German, Italian, English,

and my synchronization had to be perfect.

So I had to work very hard for this role.

(light, calm music)

Alessandra was a woman who suffered

because she lost her voice.

That’s why this instrument was so sensitive.

And she is also afraid of getting older.

At the same time, what saves them,

that she is very childish,

and she comes out of the tragedy.

She has this opportunity to escape from the situations.

(Monica speaks in a foreign language)

Monica, you are damn beautiful.

I want to share my life, my ranch, everything with you.

(Monica growls)

When Marc Fitoussi, the French director,

came to me with this project, I said: Oh my God,

what will you write down?

Is it about me?

He told me, “No, it will just be an inspiration.”

Then the script will of course be larger than life,

so don’t be afraid.

Go and let it go.

And that’s what I did.

And actually, as an actress, I was the inspiration for it.

But at the same time I had to play someone

who no longer believes in love.

And (laughs) it was so funny,

but she wants an affair with her agent

because she thinks he is the only one who can see her

for what it is.

It was really well written,

and so it was easy for me to play this role.

I had so much fun.

And I was happy too,

because I didn’t have that many chances

to act in comedies, you know?

You know when you see all these movies

what we talk about in Malena, Under Suspicion

and Irreversible, they are all so dramatic.

For me it was very refreshing to act in a film

that was a comedy.

(Actors speak in a foreign language)

(Actor scoffs)

(Actors speak in a foreign language)

I wore dresses, different dresses that I had,

to really give something of myself,

not just the way I behaved.

Because sometimes it is so interesting

and in our business it is important to have a certain distance.

And this role gave me the opportunity

To have distance from myself and also to play with myself,

and also to laugh at myself.

And I think sometimes it’s important to do that.

(light, suspenseful music)

Can the dead coexist?

Hmmm?

Uh!

(light, suspenseful music continues)

That’s what we want to find out here.

(light, suspenseful music continues)

(Airplane engine roars)

(Electricity hums)

Where is Beetlejuice?

Of course I was a big fan of the first one.

And when Tim told me that there was a key role in this film

and for whom I thought of you,

So I was very happy to accept it and play it.

Delores, she is Beetlejuice’s bride.

The connection between them

is that they have a dark side,

and they are connected by their soul.

It’s like a poisoned love trauma.

(light, ominous music)

Soon, my darling.

Soon.

(light, ominous music continues)

(glass shattered)

The incredible thing was that we didn’t know each other,

and we had to play an intimate, funny scene straight away.

It was easy with him because

he was really generous and protective,

and at the same time it was so nice for me

to see the relationship over the years

between Tim and Michael.

And what is so interesting about the film

is to see all these actors

who have grown with their character,

and they still enjoy playing these characters.

An incredible honor to be part of this amazing cast

and immerse yourself in Tim’s poetic, fantastic world.

There is so much substance in his fairy tales for an actor.

(soft jazz music)

It is the passion that drives you,

and I believe in synergy.

I mean, if you want something and fight for it,

Things will happen.

(Smooth jazz music ends)