"Winners Talk": Julia de Nunez - Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent
Julia de Nunez in Bardot
The 62nd edition of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival awarded The International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent to Julia de Nunez at the Opening Ceremony of the Festival on Friday, 16 June. The award recognises the brilliant and exceptional rising talent of an actor who has elevated the bar of excellence to international acclaim. French actor Julia de Nunez starred most recently as the iconic Brigitte Bardot in Bardot, a television series written and directed by Danièle and Christopher Thompson in 2023, produced by Judith Rochelois and Pascal Breton. The series has already been pre-sold worldwide by French producer and distributor, Federation.
Julia de Nunez talked with journalists during the Festival, revealing that she thought her life wouldn't change that much after the series and in fact it didn't. She lives in Paris, people don't recognize her in the street and she is not followed by crowds. After the miniseries was completed, she came back to her theater lessons, her third year. Her life returned back to normal. She now has an agent who knows that de Nunez wants to take her time and does not want to rush to new projects because she wants to keep learning her craft - it is a craft when talking about theater, she needs to go back to theater now because she hasn't learned everything. It is very nice to be with people her age, the easiest would be to take other parts, earn money but she is too curious and this is what theater allows - to learn about writers, play new roles.
De Nunez admitted that she wasn't in contact with Brigitte Bardot but if she was, she would prefer to keep it personal. She added that she intended to write a letter to the iconic French actress to thank her, as revealed in a magazine, but again would prefer for this letter to remain personal.
When asked what made Bardot an icon of French cinema, was it beauty or talent, de Nunez commented that "I think it is a mixture of many things, I don't know whether Brigitte corresponded to the criteria of her time and I don't think so. What made her a myth is that she was very ahead of her time, she used makeup, she wanted to have her own hairstyle and everyone wanted to imitate her. I also think she was really an actress and that is how I recognized her - and also the songs. It was something that radiated from her that made her beautiful, because she was different".
When asked by TVBIZZ about whether she had any concerns playing an iconic figure of French cinema, de Nunez revealed that when she answered the casting call, she didn't know it was such a big production, with such directors, she thought it was a short movie but maybe if she came with fear of playing such an icon, it would not have been possible, it would have been very difficult to enter her intimacy, "they way I look at her is not the way everyone else looks at her; I wouldn't have embodied her otherwise - I was probably doubtful or worried afterwards because I was wondering what people would say. Maybe it's candid but at first I was not concerned".
In terms of how de Nunez came on board the project: "I was in my first year of theater studies, I saw an ad and I think many young actresses have seen it. At the time I didn't have an agent. I answered, sent pictures, then there was a presentation, video with trials and then I did a casting session, followed by a second one and then I was sent the script, we talked with the director and after a few weeks they called me." It was a very long process.
As far as Brigitte Bardot's image is concerned in France, de Nunez commented that in her opinion it depends on the generation, different people have different viewpoints. People from her generation, when she talked to them, say that she was their idol, she created a revolution, sexual freedom, represented many different things. People of her age talk about her with a strong bond, like she belongs to them and they are nostalgic about that time. People from de Nunez's generation are very well aware of her work on protecting animals and everyone knows who she is.
When asked if she was afraid that her name will now always be connected with Brigitte Bardot, de Nunez commented that she was lucky to be from a different universe because theater is very different. She can play many more parts, in the theater she can be a 40-year old woman. "I liked the part, it was my first major role, of course people will connect me with that role for a little while but I am not terrified by the idea, I am a comedian, I am an actress..." De Nunez also added that she would like to play Bardot in her later years (the role in the Bardot miniseries was when the actress was 15 to 26).
When asked about the Golden Nymph Award, de Nunez commented that she was very moved and proud of the recognition as this is her first award and her first part. Another reason for her to want to go back to the theater is that she wants to follow her own path. This is something she needs because she feels she needs to go back to those roots and to cool down the atmosphere - each time you need to start from a blank page.
De Nunez told details about the balance of fiction and real facts told in the series to TVBIZZ: "I knew that the set and the flat was completely recreated but other things were fictional, for example dialogues are fictional - we knew what she went thru but we don't know in which manner or using what words but I think the series was very faithful to her life".
Julia de Nunez talked with journalists during the Festival, revealing that she thought her life wouldn't change that much after the series and in fact it didn't. She lives in Paris, people don't recognize her in the street and she is not followed by crowds. After the miniseries was completed, she came back to her theater lessons, her third year. Her life returned back to normal. She now has an agent who knows that de Nunez wants to take her time and does not want to rush to new projects because she wants to keep learning her craft - it is a craft when talking about theater, she needs to go back to theater now because she hasn't learned everything. It is very nice to be with people her age, the easiest would be to take other parts, earn money but she is too curious and this is what theater allows - to learn about writers, play new roles.
De Nunez admitted that she wasn't in contact with Brigitte Bardot but if she was, she would prefer to keep it personal. She added that she intended to write a letter to the iconic French actress to thank her, as revealed in a magazine, but again would prefer for this letter to remain personal.
When asked what made Bardot an icon of French cinema, was it beauty or talent, de Nunez commented that "I think it is a mixture of many things, I don't know whether Brigitte corresponded to the criteria of her time and I don't think so. What made her a myth is that she was very ahead of her time, she used makeup, she wanted to have her own hairstyle and everyone wanted to imitate her. I also think she was really an actress and that is how I recognized her - and also the songs. It was something that radiated from her that made her beautiful, because she was different".
When asked by TVBIZZ about whether she had any concerns playing an iconic figure of French cinema, de Nunez revealed that when she answered the casting call, she didn't know it was such a big production, with such directors, she thought it was a short movie but maybe if she came with fear of playing such an icon, it would not have been possible, it would have been very difficult to enter her intimacy, "they way I look at her is not the way everyone else looks at her; I wouldn't have embodied her otherwise - I was probably doubtful or worried afterwards because I was wondering what people would say. Maybe it's candid but at first I was not concerned".
In terms of how de Nunez came on board the project: "I was in my first year of theater studies, I saw an ad and I think many young actresses have seen it. At the time I didn't have an agent. I answered, sent pictures, then there was a presentation, video with trials and then I did a casting session, followed by a second one and then I was sent the script, we talked with the director and after a few weeks they called me." It was a very long process.
As far as Brigitte Bardot's image is concerned in France, de Nunez commented that in her opinion it depends on the generation, different people have different viewpoints. People from her generation, when she talked to them, say that she was their idol, she created a revolution, sexual freedom, represented many different things. People of her age talk about her with a strong bond, like she belongs to them and they are nostalgic about that time. People from de Nunez's generation are very well aware of her work on protecting animals and everyone knows who she is.
When asked if she was afraid that her name will now always be connected with Brigitte Bardot, de Nunez commented that she was lucky to be from a different universe because theater is very different. She can play many more parts, in the theater she can be a 40-year old woman. "I liked the part, it was my first major role, of course people will connect me with that role for a little while but I am not terrified by the idea, I am a comedian, I am an actress..." De Nunez also added that she would like to play Bardot in her later years (the role in the Bardot miniseries was when the actress was 15 to 26).
When asked about the Golden Nymph Award, de Nunez commented that she was very moved and proud of the recognition as this is her first award and her first part. Another reason for her to want to go back to the theater is that she wants to follow her own path. This is something she needs because she feels she needs to go back to those roots and to cool down the atmosphere - each time you need to start from a blank page.
De Nunez told details about the balance of fiction and real facts told in the series to TVBIZZ: "I knew that the set and the flat was completely recreated but other things were fictional, for example dialogues are fictional - we knew what she went thru but we don't know in which manner or using what words but I think the series was very faithful to her life".
