There’s never been a better time to have stocks in Diane Kruger, as the online saying goes. Not only is she about to debut her new HBO Max show, The Seduction, on November 14, but Apple TV has announced her casting in the new political thriller La Décision.
German in nationality but often acting in English, hardcore Krugerheads will know she’s only once acted in French (which she is fluent in) before – the 2012 film Farewell, My Queen, in which Kruger played Marie Antoinette. These next two projects mark her second and third language outings in 13 years.
Watch any episode of The Seduction and you’d think French was water off a duck’s back for her. But when I spoke to Kruger ahead of the show’s debut, I learned it was anything but… and that might not be encouraging news ahead of La Décision‘s production.
Diane Kruger found it ‘almost impossible’ to learn French for HBO Max series The Seduction
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“It was a hard muscle to flex because it’s old French,” she tells me. “I don’t know if you pick up on that if you don’t speak the language, but it was not easy. I mean, I barely speak French, but this type of French is impossible, and my biggest preparation was just to be able to say it.
“There was a lot of putting a pen in your mouth, and you have to talk like that and try to get your muscles relaxed enough to say things. And because it’s a TV show, there’s a lot of rewrites constantly… so you couldn’t learn it beforehand. I was struggling, but I love it.”
Kruger’s Rosemonde is a calculated genius, and the natural sensuality in her charm is a huge part of what makes her storyline so intriguing. French is the perfect fit for both the Dangerous Liaisons prequel itself and her character, so why wouldn’t that transfer into other roles?
Thankfully, Kruger has a present timeline on her side in La Décision. As the Apple TV synopsis tells us, she’s set to play political advisor Nora, who is unaware that her husband (the French president, played by Raphaël Personnaz) has an illegitimate 8-year-old daughter… until she goes missing.
Think Netflix’s Hostage vibes for this one, I think. Even if there are more rewrites than Kruger can count, I’m sure she’ll knock it out of the park… and I can’t wait to watch.
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