23
23
Interview with Cara Delevingne: “I’ve never been one to follow the rules”
Model, actress, and singer, British star Cara Delevingne has left her mark on a generation with her rock’n’roll style and outspoken views, especially on mental health. While attending the Cannes Film Festival as a L’Oréal Paris ambassador, she opens up about self-esteem, music, her acting roles, and the evolving role of women in cinema.
Interview by Violaine Schütz.
Karl Lagerfeld’s muse, model, it girl, musician, singer, actress, and mental health and LGBTQ+ rights activist… The magnetic British star Cara Delevingne has more than one string to her bow.
For over a year now, the top model has also become one of L’Oréal Paris’s ambassadors, promoting self-acceptance while rejecting societal norms. Numéro met the star with 40 million followers in a suite at the Martinez Hotel during the Cannes Film Festival.
Interview with Cara Delevingne: actress, model and L’Oréal Paris ambassador
Numéro: What does being an ambassador for L’Oréal Paris mean to you?
Cara Delevingne: It’s a real honor to me. The women who represent the brand are people I deeply respect, both for their careers and values. Some are also friends. Just look at the journeys of Jane Fonda and Viola Davis, their fights, their achievements… I think L’Oréal Paris does an incredible job selecting such a diverse and remarkable group of women, each with their own voice, opinions, and values. To be among them is a huge honor.
L’Oréal Paris puts a huge emphasis on self-love. How did you come to accept yourself as you are?
Self-love and self-esteem are things that are constantly evolving. It’s not just something that you have, but something you need to work on every day. Some days, you don’t feel good enough, but that’s when you need to push through. I think it’s when we feel our best that we need to work on it most. That’s when we should remind ourselves: “Hey, I feel really good today. I’ll remember this on a bad day.” Because bad days eventually pass, they never last forever. You have to keep going and remind yourself that this day shall pass too.
Are you happy to be at the Cannes Film Festival?
Yes, coming to Cannes is important to me, especially to celebrate emerging female directors through the Lights on Women’s Worth award by L’Oréal. It makes me really happy and I’m eager to see whom Viola Davis, the award juror, will choose for the Best Short Film.
“Cannes is nature’s most beautiful spectacle combined with the chaos of humanity.” Cara Delevingne
What do you like the most and the least about Cannes?
What do I like most? The ambient chaos, the drama of it all – people rushing, crossing paths quickly. You take an elevator, then a taxi, you can hear snatches of conversations from everywhere… It’s utter chaos and I love it. But I also don’t love chaos when it comes to traffic. Luckily, watching the ocean is incredible. It’s wild because it’s nature’s most beautiful spectacle combined with the chaos of humanity.
You were first known as a model, then an actress and a musician-singer. How do you define yourself?
As an artist and a creative. I think we humans like to label people or put them in a box. But I’ve always been creative. The only thing I really can’t do is paint or draw, but I find and use whatever I can to express myself creatively.
“I’ve never been one to follow the rules.” Cara Delevingne
How do you choose your roles on screen?
There are several things that matter. I’m generally drawn to the characters, but I also consider the bigger picture, since a film is made by so many people, including the director of photography, the filmmaker, and the other actors. For me, it’s always about the character and the vision. What is the project’s meaning, its message, and dialogues? Before I accept a role, I want to know what questions the film or series raises and what the audience will take away from it.
You’ve acted in quite rock’n’roll featuers like Suicide Squad and Her Smell. How much do these projects reflect your personality?
I think I’ve always been rebellious. I’ve always liked doing things differently and I’ve never been one to follow the rules. By that I mean the rules and conventions of society. Laws and all are important obviously. I’m like a salmon, I enjoy swimming against the tide. If everyone’s going one way, I usually go the other way. When people tell me something is true, I don’t believe them. I need to find out for myself. I may be stubborn.
“On Only Murders in the Building, I worked with my very close friend Selena Gomez.” Cara Delevingne
You’ve recently appeared in the series Only Murders in the Building and American Horror Story. Can you tell us more about those two experiences?
They’re two very different projects. Both shows tell very different stories, but both casts were amazing and I had a great time on both sets. On Only Murders, I worked with my very close friend Selena Gomez, as well as with people I’ve admired for a long time. The team and the directors were fantastic. I learned a lot. American Horror Story is a show I’ve been watching and been a fan of for a long time too. I love Ryan Murphy. It was definitely more shocking than Only Murders in some ways. I learned a lot in different ways and it was an unexpected challenge. But both series were very educational for me.
What is your take on the evolving role of women in cinema?
Progress has been slow. Slower than I would have liked. Over time, we’ve had incredible trailblazers among female filmmakers, screenwriters, directors, even women behind the camera, in the team. Personally, I’d like to see more women. There are almost as many women in the world as men, but art doesn’t reflect that and it should. But I do think things are improving. With awards like Lights on Women’s Worth, we’re contributing to the future we all want to see.
“My rebellious nature shows in my looks.” Cara Delevingne
What role does music play in your life at the moment?
A big one. I’ve always loved listening to music and playing it (Cara Delevingne plays the drums and guitar, ed.). And I always will.
You are known for your glam, punk look. How would you describe your style?
Androgynous. I can be both masculine and feminine. One day I love being super glamorous, the next day, very comfortable. I think it changes a lot (on the Cannes red carpet, she wore a princess dress with gothic mini bangs, ed.). I have always liked having something offbeat. That’s just how I am. My rebellious nature and the “slightly different” side of me come through in my looks.
Cara Delevingne will soon star alongside Noémie Merlant and Shailene Woodley in the film The Murderous Miss Highsmith directed by Alexandra Pechman.
