We are sharing our recent interview with a talented and versatile actress Anne-Cécile Bégot.
SBF : How did you get into acting?
Anne-Cécile Bégot : I secretly always wanted to become an actress since a very young age but that path was not considered a real career where I’m from, a small town in Brittany, France. I was doing great in school with foreign languages so I decided to become a legal translator and obtained a Master’s Degree in Legal Translation, then I got hired at the UN Headquarters in NYC as the assistant of the director for Peacekeeping in Somalia. Even though I was very proud of my position at the UN, I realized that doing administrative work was not for me and one day I decided to quit my job and to finally be true to myself and live for myself and do what truly mattered to me, not what was socially accepted. So I researched the best acting schools in NYC and decided to study Method Acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. I did the two years training programme that the school offered, and those were one of the best two years of my life, I had finally found my true path! I started acting in short films in NYC while I was still in school and then got cast in other short and feature films in NYC, and that’s how my acting career started.
SBF : You also studied acting, How helpful this education has proved to be in making up your career?
Anne-Cécile Bégot : Oh yes, I will study acting all my life, I feel I learn so much every time I go to class, it’s like a ‘religion’ to me, especially once you find the right teacher who gives you the acting tools that perfectly resonate with your personality to become the character. I studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in NYC, at UCB in NYC, Lesly Kahn & Company in Los Angeles and at the LA on Camera Training Center in Los Angeles.
As far it’s implication and effect on career is concerned, It’s very simple, without the acting education that I received I don’t think I would have found my voice as an actress. I learned so much technique and how to use my inner life, imagination and past experiences to give to each character I played, that I don’t know how I would have done otherwise!
SBF : You have worked in many short films and features films as well. What’s your best role so far?
Anne-Cécile Bégot : My part as Claire in the short film Position shot in London and directed by British/Israeli director/producer, Liran Nathan. I really loved working on the vulnerability and strength of Claire, the employee of a company who gets fired for unfair reasons and she fights back for justice.
SBF: Our readers would like to know about your character in Adam Ruins Everything ?
Anne-Cécile Bégot : Doing comedy, playing character and period roles really are my thing and I loved the idea of playing the role of a French farmer from the XVIth century who suddenly ends up and gets lost in the XXIst and who is amazed by all the modern things she discovers. The character Jacquouille la Fripouille from the French movie ” Les Visiteurs ” by Jean-Marie Poiré, which is actually one of my favorite French comedies really inspired me for that role and I was so excited at the idea that I was going to play a role similar to the characters from “Les Visiteurs “.
SBF : What are your future goals?
Anne-Cécile Bégot : Yes, hopefully I’ll be one of the lead actresses of a TV show soon! Finger crossed!
SBF: Anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Anne-Cécile Bégot : If there is one message I’d like to share through my acting career is to tell people to go after their dreams and to not get stuck in a career that is not meant for them just to please people. I lost 10 years of my life studying the wrong subject and pursuing the wrong career before I finally accepted the fact that I was an actress and that this was the only thing that made sense to me! I feel so fulfilled ever since I made that choice! Life is too short! Do what is truly important to you!
SBF: Tell us about your upcoming projects?
Anne-Cécile Bégot : Yes, I’ve been cast in a feature film. It’s a thriller/dark comedy and we’re going to start shooting mid-December in NYC.
