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Gérard Depardieu: 'What people know is that I pissed on a plane' Gérard Depardieu: 'What people know is that I pissed on a plane'
(about 1 hour later)
In a long and distinguished career French film star Gérard Depardieu has made 181 films of which, he says, he is proud of 15.In a long and distinguished career French film star Gérard Depardieu has made 181 films of which, he says, he is proud of 15.
Now, he laments, all anyone remembers of him is that he was caught short on a flight and ran away to Moscow.Now, he laments, all anyone remembers of him is that he was caught short on a flight and ran away to Moscow.
“When I travel around the world what people know is that I pissed on a plane, that I’m Russian and that I wrote a letter of complaint to the prime minister,” the actor said in an interview with France Inter radio on Monday.“When I travel around the world what people know is that I pissed on a plane, that I’m Russian and that I wrote a letter of complaint to the prime minister,” the actor said in an interview with France Inter radio on Monday.
Related: Gérard Depardieu discusses Russia in Cannes: 'If Crimea had been American it would have been a different matter'
He was referring to an incident in August 2011 when he was accused of urinating in the aisle of a Ryanair plane, his decision to take Russian citizenship after the French government accused him of moving abroad to avoid higher taxes and his subsequent letter of protest to the then prime minister.He was referring to an incident in August 2011 when he was accused of urinating in the aisle of a Ryanair plane, his decision to take Russian citizenship after the French government accused him of moving abroad to avoid higher taxes and his subsequent letter of protest to the then prime minister.
In the interview publicising his forthcoming film, Valley of Love, Depardieu covered a wide range of subjects, including his penchant for “stupid” Bruce Willis movies, how cinema audiences are “misogynist”, and how the G7 summits are just about “who is selling what weapons to whom”.In the interview publicising his forthcoming film, Valley of Love, Depardieu covered a wide range of subjects, including his penchant for “stupid” Bruce Willis movies, how cinema audiences are “misogynist”, and how the G7 summits are just about “who is selling what weapons to whom”.
“I don’t care and I don’t want to hear about how many Rafales [French fighter jets] have been sold all the time on the radio. That’s why I live in a country where I don’t speak the language,” he said.“I don’t care and I don’t want to hear about how many Rafales [French fighter jets] have been sold all the time on the radio. That’s why I live in a country where I don’t speak the language,” he said.
He agreed with fellow French film legend Catherine Deneuve that there were “no stars any more”, adding that he was not one anyway. He also insisted he was not, as has been reported, opposed to paying 75% income tax but was opposed to “what the money is spent on”. In any case, he was “not hard on France but French politicians, whoever they are”.He agreed with fellow French film legend Catherine Deneuve that there were “no stars any more”, adding that he was not one anyway. He also insisted he was not, as has been reported, opposed to paying 75% income tax but was opposed to “what the money is spent on”. In any case, he was “not hard on France but French politicians, whoever they are”.
“It’s complicated to be sincere and sensitive. I’m not always sincere, but I am when it comes to screwing up. I admit going off the rails, and even if one doesn’t go off the rails, one is still a bloody idiot. Anyway, I don’t want people to love me 100%,” he said.“It’s complicated to be sincere and sensitive. I’m not always sincere, but I am when it comes to screwing up. I admit going off the rails, and even if one doesn’t go off the rails, one is still a bloody idiot. Anyway, I don’t want people to love me 100%,” he said.
Depardieu, who has a reputation for consuming several bottles of wine a day, insisted he did not drink a drop of alcohol during the shooting of Valley of Love and was still on the wagon.Depardieu, who has a reputation for consuming several bottles of wine a day, insisted he did not drink a drop of alcohol during the shooting of Valley of Love and was still on the wagon.
“I don’t always drink alcohol, despite my reputation. I live for life and living makes me drunk. I’m totally ascetic at the moment.”“I don’t always drink alcohol, despite my reputation. I live for life and living makes me drunk. I’m totally ascetic at the moment.”
Related: Valley of Love review: peaks and troughs as Depardieu and Huppert feel the heat
Asked about appearing naked in his new film, the actor said he did not consider himself fat.Asked about appearing naked in his new film, the actor said he did not consider himself fat.
“I don’t see myself as obese. Near the Valley of Love in America is Nevada and I would go to the supermarkets there. I love big supermarkets and there the aisles are twice as big as our supermarkets because the trolleys are twice as big and the obese are larger than the trolleys on each side. I would think, what a mad world.“I don’t see myself as obese. Near the Valley of Love in America is Nevada and I would go to the supermarkets there. I love big supermarkets and there the aisles are twice as big as our supermarkets because the trolleys are twice as big and the obese are larger than the trolleys on each side. I would think, what a mad world.
“Lucian Freud showed larger older men and women and it was beautiful. Nowadays we see women who are sacks of bones and sometimes that too is beautiful when they are young, but not when one is old.”“Lucian Freud showed larger older men and women and it was beautiful. Nowadays we see women who are sacks of bones and sometimes that too is beautiful when they are young, but not when one is old.”
And regrets, has he a few? “Non, non, non, non, non … no regrets. None,” he declared à la Piaf. “There’s no point. What’s done is done. Others live with it, I live with it.”And regrets, has he a few? “Non, non, non, non, non … no regrets. None,” he declared à la Piaf. “There’s no point. What’s done is done. Others live with it, I live with it.”