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In general, I have better friendships with women than men. Men can be uneasy around beautiful women – they presume too much, or they can be really aggressive towards you, just to prove that they’re not interested. Their reactions are never normal. But I’ve been in those situations so many times now that I recognise those ractions very quickly, and I can deal with them.

 

"We work together when we can. Actually, we have a film coming out this year called Irreversable, by a director I love, Gaspard Noé. It will be very different. I never went so far with an actor in my life, and I am very happy in this case, it's with my husband."

 

   

Did you find the comic books in your suite, at least?

Monica Bellucci: Oh no! But I used to read comic strips about Asterix when I was young. I don't know about Germany, but in Italy it's part of our culture. If someone would have said: "One day you will play Cleopatra from Asterix",

I would have said: "Oh God, really?" But it was really a good experience to be part of this film, because first of all Alain Chabat is a great person. He knows exactly what he wants, but at the same time the atmosphere was really amazing at the set, and that is not so all the time.

 

You've played a lot of beautiful women, but Cleopatra is the symbol of the most beautiful woman in the world. Isn't it flattering, when someone calls you and asks you to play this part?

Monica Bellucci: Yes, it was flattering. Cleopatra is THE woman, she is beautiful, she is intelligent, she is powerful. In all of human history, we don't know so many women in power, and she is one of them, she is the most powerful. So it was fun. And my Cleopatra of course is not the Elizabeth Taylor Cleopatra. [The film] is not a drama, and this Cleopatra is just based on the comic strip. So she is really crazy, over the top, exaggerated, spoiled. Even when she is tough, she is never mean.

 

There is no love story in this film, because even if Caesar and Cleopatra are together, their love for each other is all over. It's more about politics.

Monica Bellucci: No, no, actually no! It's more like a game. They get excited over each other, they have this big passion between them. Just because they fight all the time for this power. It's like today, between a man and a woman: to get excited for each other, you need to fight a bit. For me, if I have a man who does everything I say, I get bored. I need a man who keeps me excited. I have to fight for something. Of course, this is a comic strip, everything is exaggerated. But Caesar and Cleopatra had a big passion, and you understand it in the end. They kiss each other with big passion, just because they fight each other all the time

for the power. And verbal power is about sex.

     

Asterix and Obelix is a typical European movie with European beauties. In the previous episode we took delight in Laetitia Casta and now we do the same in Monica Bellucci. After a French and an Italian who can be the next one? Perhaps a Spanish girl. Maybe Penelope Cruz.

 
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