Elodie Yung
"The
Hitman's Bodyguard & The Defenders” Interview
with
Kam Williams
Elodie's
Melody!
After
earning a law degree in France where she was born and raised, Elodie
Yung realized that she wanted to pursue her lifelong passion of
acting instead. That led her to study theater and earn a degree from
the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
Elodie
booked work right out of school, first, as a recurring character in
the serial drama La Vie Devant Nous and, then, in the highly-regarded
drama Fragile(s), which premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
That led to what would be her breakout roles as ‘Laura Maurier’
in the French TV series Les Bleus, and as the female lead in the
feature film District 13 Ultimatum where she showcased her extensive
martial arts skills.
Elodie
subsequently set her sights on Hollywood, where she was tapped by
director David Fincher to play ‘Miriam Wu’ in The Girl with the
Dragon Tattoo. Next, she landed the lead role of ‘Jinx’ in GI Joe
2: Retaliation opposite Dwayne Johnson. More recently, she starred in
Gods Of Egypt, an adventure fantasy about a common thief who joins a
mythical god on an epic quest.
On
TV, Elodie starred as the superhero 'Elektra' in the second season of
the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Daredevil. And she is currently
reprising that role in The Defenders, a spinoff series which
premiered on Netflix on August 18th.
Here,
Elodie talks about both that show and her new film, The
Hitman's Bodyguard, where she plays Interpol Agent 'Amelia Roussel'
opposite Samuel L. Jackson
and Ryan Reynolds.
Kam
Williams: Hi
Elodie, I'm honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.
Elodie
Yung:
No,
it's my pleasure, Kam.
KW:
Your
accent reminds me that my wife just got back after spending a week in
the South of France. She went to Provence for a wedding.
EY:
Oh,
it's beautiful in Provence. Have you been there?
KW:
No, unfortunately. But enough about me. What interested you in
playing Amelia?
EY:
First
of all, I wanted to do this comedy because Ryan [Reynolds] and Sam
[Jackson] were attached to it, and Salma Hayek as well. And when Gary
Oldman joined the cast, I felt that I just had to be a part of the
project filled with people that I really admire. I also liked the
script which I found to be a very clever comedy in the way they
reversed the male-female dynamic. There are no damsels in distress in
this movie. Instead, Salma's character is shouting at Sam's all the
time. And I'm giving Ryan lots of directions and telling him what to
do. I love that aspect of the movie, and I thought it was an inspired
idea to pair Ryan and Sam. They had great chemistry and were really
funny together.
KW:
How did
you prepare to play Amelia?
EY:
Since
she's an Interpol Agent, I had to make sure I knew how to handle a
weapon. And to make sure it looked realistic, we had someone on the
set to make sure I held the gun correctly. I'd been working on TV
series [Daredevil] where I did a lot of action, so I just needed to
stay in shape by running and going to the gym every day, but nothing
too crazy.
KW:
Editor/Legist
Patricia Turnier would like to know: What message you want people to
take away from the movie?
EY:
I think it's a true love story, so I'd say: Love out!.
KW:
You
have an intriguing background in that you not only studied acting and
law but earned a black belt in karate. How do you explain that mix?
EY:
Well,
karate was something I did as a kid, because I grew up in a part of
France that wasn't so nice. My father suggested I try it, and I
really enjoyed it and the competition. Later, when I studied law at
the university, I didn't have much time for anything else. And acting
happened sort of randomly, because I needed to make money. I didn't
really want to be an actress, at first, but I stuck with it because I
really liked it.
KW:
Tell me
a little about reprising the role of Elektra on the new, Netflix
spinoff series, The Defenders. Didn't your character die on the old
series, Daredevil?
EY:
Yes,
but Alexandra, played by Sigourney Weaver, brings me back to life.
This time, I'm basically teaming up with some other superheroes to
save New York from a threat.
KW:
You've
been very successful in action films. However, you are obviously very
intelligent and versatile. Are you concerned about becoming typecast.
What would be your dream role?
EY:
I would
love to try something besides the action genre, like playing a
lawyer. I'm really willing to play anything. I'm drawn to complex
characters, and I'm up for any type of challenge. So, hopefully, my
next role will be a very interesting. But you never know what you're
going to get.
KW:
This
has certainly been a banner year for female empowerment films: The
Zookeeper's Wife, The Beguiled, Wonder Woman and Girls Trip, to name
a few.
EY:
We talk
a lot about it. This is a good thing for us. We have as much to offer
as men.
KW:
Ling-Ju Yen asks: What
is your earliest childhood memory?
EY:
The
blue wallpaper with apples in the small apartment in a suburb of
Paris where I grew up. That's my first memory.
KW:
What is your favorite dish to cook?
EY:
I like
sliced potatoes in fine layers with creme and garlic, and baked with
cheese on top.
KW:
When
you look in the mirror, what do you see?
EY:
It
depends on the day. Let me have a look. Today, I see someone with no
makeup who's sweating, since she just came from the gym.
KW:
The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
EY:
Ooh,
it's hard to answer that. For the red carpet, I like Christian Dior,
because they know how to make clothes for petite women like me. And
they know how to be classic and edgy at the same time. I like what
they do.
KW:
The Viola Davis question: What’s the biggest difference between who
you are at home as opposed to the person we see on the red carpet?
EY:
They're quite opposite. That's why I like the red carpet. You can
really have fun expressing a different side of yourself. I'm normally
very low-key. At home, I just wear my dirty jeans and a t-shirt with
no makeup. You'd think I was a different person, I guess.
KW:
If you
could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
EY:
Eternal
life.
KW:
Larry
Greenberg asks: Do you have a favorite movie monster?
EY:
When I used to go on holiday with my parents as a child, we'd stay in
a house with other people. One of them had a machine that played old
movies, and I became fascinated by the original King Kong.
KW:
The
Pastor Alex Kendrick question: When do you feel the most content?
EY:
When I'm with my loved ones.
KW:
What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your
footsteps?
EY:
Perseverance
is one key. And do what you like.
KW:
The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which
one would you choose?
EY:
I'd
like to be able to be in different places at the same time. I always
miss my family and friends in France, my sister in Germany, my
brother who travels a lot, my dad who is in Cambodia. I would like to
duplicate myself and be with all of them at the same time.
KW:
The
Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what
would that be?
EY:
I would
probably be a human rights lawyer.
KW:
The
Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
EY:
That
makes me feel like I'm about to die. Give me about 15 years and maybe
I can answer the question. Is that okay?
KW:
Of
course. I understand. Finally, what’s in your wallet?
EY:
[Laughs]
Nothing really special. A few dollars in coins.
KW:
Thanks
again for the time, Elodie. I really enjoyed both the movie and our
chat.
EY:
I'm glad. Thank you so much,
Kam.
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