The famous actor talks about the director’s unique way of making movies and how working on the scary movie made her think about “what real love is.”
“It was tough for me. I wanted it to be special for him,” says Diane Kruger about acting in David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds. Cronenberg made the film to deal with his sadness after his wife died.
The Shrouds is showing at Cannes. It tells the story of Karsh, played by Vincent Cassel, who creates new technology so people can watch their dead loved ones. Kruger plays three roles: the dead wife, her sister, and a computer image of the wife.
“David told me something that Vincent says in the film. When David’s wife died, he wanted to jump in the coffin with her. He didn’t want her to be alone,” says Kruger. “The movie is about letting go of someone you love.”
Kruger, who won an award at Cannes in 2017, talked about The Shrouds and working with Cronenberg.
How did you join The Shrouds?
It just happened. Vincent and Léa Seydoux were going to be in the movie. But Seydoux left. I was in Paris working with Vincent on another movie when I got the script. It said, “David’s in Paris. He wants to talk to you about this movie.” We talked for a long time. I didn’t know the movie was about his wife.
What did you talk about?
I love David’s movies, and I’ve seen many of them. When we met, he talked about his wife and how he helped her until she died. This made me think about love, death, and sadness.
Did Cronenberg’s personal story affect your acting?
Yes, it did. But he didn’t make me feel sad. When we filmed scenes with the wife, I thought of him stepping back. He told me what to do but then let me do it.
You play three characters in The Shrouds. Have you done that before?
I played two characters in a short film for a TV channel. It was about a woman who was attacked at work. I played her and the attacker. It was strange. In The Shrouds, I liked playing the wife. Her death was brutal for David, so it was vital for me to do it well. The sister was fun because she was strange.
You play someone sad and someone who makes others unhappy.
Yes. The movie made me think about death a lot. It’s about a couple dealing with death, not their kids. It shows how hard it is to let go of someone you love.
What’s Cronenberg’s way of directing like?
He doesn’t do rehearsals or table reads. He wants you to do exactly what’s in the script. Vincent and I didn’t rehearse much, but we talked about our scenes a lot. Cronenberg is focused on the script and the actors.
How did the Cannes audience react to such a personal movie?
Cannes is special. They like Cronenberg there. I hope people see the love in the movie, not just the weird stuff. I hope they understand and respect Cronenberg’s story.