gainsbourg on gainsbourg

I adore Charlotte Gainsbourg. And there is something incredibly intriguing about her self-consciousness, it makes her seem almost vulnerable, a characteristic that these days seems so rare in an actress, that it's almost unnerving. As if you feel that if faced with her you wouldn't want to look at her for too long incase you made me feel uncomfortable. She makes me want to tiptoe just thinking of her, even her whisper of a voice is delicate. In this interview taken from Numéro Korea #1 August 2008, Gainsbourg opens up about her demeanor and quite an absorbing read it makes.

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Without veering into the realm of parlour psychology, why do you think you’ve always been so painfully shy and retiring?

I’m not nearly as bad as I used to be. I feel as though I’ve loosened up a great deal, lately. I’ve always lacked self-confidence, but that doesn’t mean that I’m shy, so much as I am reserved and introspective. I’m my own harshest critic. I spend the whole time judging myself, which is something I sorely regret.

Do you wear your aloofness as a form of self-protection?

Maybe. I remember that going to school was always something of an ordeal, because I was forever being taunted for being the daughter of such well-known parents. I had to protect myself from a very early age.

Do you have any recurrent dreams?

No, not really. I do have real nightmares, however. I wake up in cold sweats, screaming. And, believe me, my screams are real hell-raisers. They invariably wake my husband up.

When you crawl into the bathroom in the morning and catch a glimpse of yourself in the full-length mirror, what do you see staring back at you?

I’m struggling to think of something positive to say.

What do you like most about the way you look?

Difficult question. I try not to think about it. I don’t spend hours in front of the mirror.

What do you most dislike about the way you look?

A lot of things. I don’t have the face I wish I had. I’m not satisfied with the way I look, in the same way that I’m not satisfied with many things in my life. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It keeps me on the edge of my seat.

Who would you have wanted to look like? Pamela Anderson?

No.

What’s the most embarrassing tune you have on your iPod?

It’s probably some disco anthem from the eighties.