hen Stylist meets
Diane Kruger at London’s
Soho Hotel, the first
W thing she does is sweetly
point out that our
mustard dress and coral nails match
the expensive material on the walls.
But while we’re blending into the
background, there’s no such
embarrassment for this rather
enigmatic movie star. An accomplished
former ballet-dancer turned model,
Diane is a statuesque beauty who turns
heads wherever she goes – as proved
by the neck-twisting of chattering
diners next door. Happy to sit with us
alone, no hangers-on required, Diane
seems unfazed by the attention.
At 33, the German-born actress
admits she’s done with overscrutinising
herself. She’s amiable and
sparkly eyed, which may be due in part
to her four-year relationship with
fellow actor Joshua Jackson. For such
a high-profile Hollywood couple, the
two live a low-key and idyllic life
together, splitting their time between
Paris and Vancouver (where Joshua is
filming Emmy-nominated TV series
Fringe); their days are spent cycling
around the city and having friends over
for dinners where everyone pitches in.
The modest star – who speaks
English, German and French – seems
to have risen effortlessly up the
Hollywood ranks to hold her own in
big-hitting movies like Quentin
Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.
Upcoming roles include starring
opposite Liam Neeson in thriller
Unknown White Male, and playing
a French journalist who gets kidnapped
by the Taliban in Special Forces,
scheduled for release next year. But it’s
not all heavyweight roles and political
drama. Unlike the hordes of over-styled
red-carpet glamazons around her, this
is one actress increasingly known in
fashion circles for pulling off more
daring pieces with aplomb, such as the
bronze appliqué Lanvin minidress she
wears to the National Movie Awards
the very night of our interview. Today,
however, Diane is all about beauty
credentials after being appointed the
global spokesperson for L’Oréal, which,
as a self-confessed make-up obsessive,
is pretty much a dream come true.
What do you see when you look in
the mirror?
More and more I see myself. I really do
believe I’ve gotten a lot less critical.
When I was younger I used to model. It
was an impossible quest to be perfect.
So now I try to be quite kind to myself.
Do you have more freedom to be
yourself as an actress than a model?
Being an actor makes it easier to show
your vulnerabilities and imperfections
– that’s what people can relate to,
that’s what I think when I look at
women. I’m OK having dark eye circles
and not looking my best sometimes in
movies I make. It’s liberating.
Do you think that confidence comes
with age?
I think so. I don’t want to be 16 any
more. I still have doubts and fears and
all of that. I just don’t try to hide them
as much. In fact the one really big thing
acting has taught me is to take fears
and turn them into strengths.
What does beauty mean to you?
It’s an attitude in life. I used to think it’s
what we all think is beautiful – the
perfect body, the perfect face, hair…
but that’s negative and impossible to
reach. I truly believe that every single
person has something beautiful about
them, externally or internally.
Who are your beauty idols?
I love the [Austrian-born] German
actress Romy Schneider [whose films
include Sissi and Orson Welles’ The
Trial]. Also Bette Midler, even though
she’s not the most traditionally
beautiful woman. There’s something
about her I find very inspiring. Hillary
Clinton too... she resonates beauty.
How do you stay in shape?
When you’re really busy you tend to
lose a lot of weight. You don’t eat
properly, you don’t eat at the right
times. But I try to eat organic; no
burritos more than once every couple
of weeks or so. I don’t like to go the
gym: I like to go hiking. I sold my car
in Paris, I like riding my bike.
Do you have a fitness goal?
I used to be a ballet dancer so
sometimes I go overboard. I once
signed up to the gym and got a trainer
– he was an ex-Olympic ice-skater. All
of a sudden I went from doing no sport
to doing two hours of exercise every
day. I’ve always dreamed of having the
bubble butt – the Beyoncé butt. I’m
a white girl, it’s just not gonna happen.
I tried really hard. We always want
what we can’t have.
Is it difficult to maintain your sense
of well-being when you’re so busy?
Sometimes. You have to get in a certain
head space to be away from home for
so long, hauling luggage everywhere.
It’s hard sometimes to feel like you
can’t see your friends, you have no
point of attachment anywhere, you’re
always on the road… it can get to you.
How do you ground yourself?
Well, I love it too, so it’s a real
double-sided sword. I love what I do
“I ALWAYS DREAMED OF
HAVING THE BEYONCÉ BUTT.
I’M A WHITE GIRL, IT’S NOT
GONNA HAPPEN. WE ALWAYS
WANT WHAT WE CAN’T HAVE”
DIANE AS DOUBLE-AGENT
BRIDGET VON HAMMERSMARK
IN INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
and I love to be in a different country
for a couple of months and see
different cultures. So I have to pull
myself up – remind myself, ‘you’re
really a lucky bitch’.
How do you like to wind down?
A glass of wine, make some food. I love
cooking. Last night in Paris I had a big
dinner party at my house. I don’t like to
be in the kitchen for hours so I asked
all my friends to come at seven and we
all cooked together and talked. It’s my
favourite way to spend an evening.
Do you believe you are what you eat?
Yes I do. Even though I’m certainly not
the vegan/vegetarian crazy person –
I don’t believe in any of those silly diets
where you cut out something for six
months and you lose 30lbs. I really
believe your body needs everything.
Some people are really skinny but
they’re also gaunt – they gotta eat
a yoghurt or something, there’s
something missing in their diet.
Does the way you look on the outside
affect how you feel on the inside?
When I wake up with pimples all over
WITH PARTNER AND FELLOW
ACTOR JOSHUA JACKSON
DIANE KRUGER
my face it doesn’t make me feel great
that day. I still think it’s important to
put on some make-up and a nice dress
for my boyfriend. I’m not one of those
girls who stops working and just throws
on sweatpants. At night it’s nice to
wear make-up; I tend to do my own
make-up for red-carpet events and
I have an obscene amount of make-up.
You must be good at doing your own
make-up for red-carpet events
because you always look flawless…
Oh, thanks! I‘ve picked up a lot of
tricks from make-up artists, how to
apply certain things. I really believe
that if you even out your skintone
– foundation not too thick, just enough
coverage – then you can do anything
with the rest of your make-up. I do
tend to buy concealer that’s too light,
though, and that’s really ugly.
Do you think that the way you look is
an expression of who you are?
Yes, more than ever. Especially when
I’m out on the red carpet – it’s
important for me to choose my own
dresses, choose my own make-up. So
often in Hollywood all these women
have stylists and they all look the same.
I’m not saying it’s good or bad, and
I understand that some women aren’t
sure, or they don’t like fashion and
don’t give a shit what they wear. Maybe
it’s my modelling background but I like
what will make me look different or
most make me look like myself.
How do you get ready for an event?
If I can, I like to take my time, I don’t
like to rush. I like to have a glass of
wine, sit down once my hair’s done,
have a girlfriend or gay best friend
over and try on different things.
How do you bounce back after
a heavy night?
Sleep! There’s no other way. I don’t
care what anyone says. Just sleep.
Do you have any favourite
beauty products?
I just signed with L’Oréal and got to
choose the products I represent.
Elnett’s my favourite product hands
down. Then there’s the foundation I do,
Matte Morphose – L'Oréal sent it to
me when I first signed with the movie
I just finished. It’s amazing – it’s like
a water-based mousse and you don’t
need powder. I begged them, “I want
to do this mascara” – extreme lash or
whatever – I love it. I think Penélope
Cruz is doing it at the moment.
What’s your secret to a happy life?
Love. If you love you’ll make someone
feel beautiful and if you’re loved
you feel beautiful yourself.
Diane Kruger appears in the L’Oréal
Paris Matte Morphose campaign.
Matte Morphose foundation is
available nationwide
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