Marion Cotillard tells all about Johnny Depp and being a gangster's girlfriend in 'Public Enemies'

Marion Cotillard

In just two short years, Marion Cotillard has gotten what most actresses would love to have: an Academy Award and a movie role playing Johnny Depp’s soul mate. Cotillard won an Oscar for portraying singer Edith Piaf in 2007’s "La Vie en Rose." She follows up that movie with "Public Enemies," in which she plays Billie Frechette, a half-French, half-Native American coat-check girl who gets swept into the world of 1930s bank robber John Dillinger (played by Depp), who persistently pursues her. During their romance, Billie’s loyalty is tested as Dillinger becomes the most-wanted outlaw sought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

By portraying Billie Frechette, Cotillard (a native of France) had to take on the challenge of having a substantial role in a movie in which she had to play an American. There was also the added pressure of following up her award-winning performance in "La Vie en Rose" with a meaningful project that wouldn’t be considered way beneath her talents. Fortunately for Cotillard, she chose "Public Enemies," which boasts a number of respected A-listers, including Depp, Christian Bale (who plays FBI agent Melvin Purvis) and writer/director/producer Michael Mann. While filming "Public Enemies" and at the movie’s press junket in Chicago, Cotillard sat down to talk about how she felt about doing an American accent in this high-profile film, what Depp is really like behind the scenes, and what she liked most about the relationship between Dillinger and the love of life.

Can you talk about Billie Frechette’s loyalty to John Dillinger?

When she got arrested in April ’34, she could’ve told the FBI a lot of things and she never did, because she couldn’t betray her love.

Marion Cotillard in "Public Enemies"

How would you describe John Dillinger’s character and his appeal?

He was a gentleman, and he was very worried about what people would think of him. That’s why he didn’t want to do kidnappings, because the public didn’t like kidnappers. I think it’s charisma. He’s the type of gangster you don’t meet so often, because I think he was a good man.

What can you say about Johnny Depp?

He’s a very good actor and really very generous. He’s totally in love with Dillinger, so he’s generous to people and generous to the story.

Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard in "Public Enemies"

What do you think of women’s fashion from the 1930s?

In the ‘30s, the women, even if they were poor, would really take care of themselves. In the cities, it’s very different than when you live on a farm. And the funny thing is to see when women were in jail, they took care of themselves. The hair was done, the nails; they wore lipstick. So even if she’s not that wealthy — she’s pretty poor — she took care of herself.

Marion Cotillard and Johnny Depp in "Public Enemies"

What appealed to you the most about John Dillinger and Billie Frechette’s relationship?

I think they look like each other. They went through very tough things when they were young. They share the pain of the loss of a parent. And I think they understood each other without explaining things … When they met, the recognized each other, and that’s why they were so in love.

Marion Cotillard in "Public Enemies"

Were you nervous to play an American when English isn’t your first language?

I was very nervous. I’m always nervous when I start a movie, especially on this one, because it was my first movie after "La Vie en Rose," and it had been two years and I had to have this American accent from the Midwest, even if I knew it wouldn’t be 100 percent perfect. But it makes sense, in a way, because she had some French blood and at that time, it was a mix of a lot of accent. When you watch movies from the ‘30s, you have all kinds of accents.

Marion Cotillard in "Public Enemies"

How did Johnny Depp help you get into character?

He was real nice to me. He’s a real gentleman. He knew I was very nervous and he told me it would be OK. He reassured me and if he thought my accent was good, he would tell me. It was very nice of him, because I was so focused on this technical thing; it’s really, really hard. I didn’t have a reference mark — apart from my dialect coach who would tell me it’s good or so-so — I didn’t know if it was really good.

And then Michael Mann and even Johnny Depp told me, "You really have to let it go. It’s going to be OK. You just have to give her a soul and a heart. You can do that." And I understood her from all the information I had from the Indian tribe and women I met who shared their history with me, especially the convicts’ wives that I met who told me how hard it was to live in fear. They were very nice with me.

Marion Cotillard in "Public Enemies"

What was it like working with Michael Mann?

He opened a box with so many things in it. Really. He fed me with movies and music and newspapers of the ‘30s. He was the one with the idea of meeting the convicts’ wives. He offered me a schedule of so many things to do. And I love to learn things and I love to work before a movie to prepare, to go deep inside every corner. And [Michael Mann] is this kind of person. He gave me all that I needed.