Before Jean Reno starts filming the Hong Kong action film The Adventurers in the Czech Republic, he stopped by the Karlovy Vary festival, where he will receive the KVIFF President's Award on Monday evening. "It's a great honour, otherwise I would've stayed at home," he said at the press conference.
The actor will also speak with Marek Eben in the Grand Hall for the latter's show At the Pool. After accepting the prize he will introduce Luc Besson's cult film, Léon: The Professional, in which he played a hitman alongside Natalie Portman in her debut. "At twelve years old she understood that shooting a film is work and not a game. She was always clever and had a big heart," Reno recalls.
The French star knows the Czech Republic from last year's shoot of the third part of the comedy The Visitors as well. "I think this was the last part. We're too old for any more," the actor said. He praised the Czech Republic as a land of beautiful women, nice laid-back people and good food.
He said he most often chooses his roles based on his colleagues. "More than the story, for me it's about who I'm going to spend three months shooting with. For example, I accepted the role in the new Sean Penn film because of him. I don't understand why the critics in Cannes panned it. But it Cannes they sometimes do that to you. The food's no good there either," the Casablanca native added.
The recommendation Reno gave to starting actors is to study hard and read and above all not think about fame. "This is an occupation for your whole life and you always have to be present and in a good mood, whoever you're working with, even if they're idiots."
