Quotes from Vincent Cassel

As a younger actor, I had delusions. I would dream of Scorsese and De Niro; I would meet people, and it would be like this, and it would change moviemaking in France, and Paris would become the center of the world.

I used to be more self-conscious about style because when you're younger, you want to exist, you want to show everything you do.

Cronenberg's a lot of fun, and that a lot of people don't know watching his movies. He doesn't take himself seriously. He's still reinventing himself.

When you appear on the screen, often enough you become sexy, even if you look like an elephant.

The first important movie that I did, I shaved my head for the movie. When the hair grew back, I had white hair for the first time in my life.

I'm an actor, that's what I do every day. Dressing up is part of my job. But whatever you wear you should always be yourself: never go totally with the fashion but use what there is available to be an individual.

I'm moving to Rio permanently with my family. It's one of the places left in the world where people still live with a big charge of poetry on a daily basis. I feel we've kind of lost that here in Europe.

I think I'm actually more vulnerable than people imagine.

When you see violence in movies in general, it's very quick and painless, which isn't what it's like.

Perfection is not just about control, it is also about letting go.

I feel to look for perfection is a very dangerous path. More than that, it's dangerous because it doesn't exist. You can aim for it, but you already know you won't get there because it doesn't exist. Plus, I definitely think the flaws, little cracks, and accidents are a lot more interesting.

Many times, I have heard people saying that they don't like to work with their wife or husband, but to me, it is a plus. To work with somebody you love makes filming faster, more fun.

There is this idea that it's very different from the French point of view to work in America blah, blah, blah. But I think it's different from one person to the other, not from one country to the other.

From my point of view, I'm a totally normal person! Really! I have a family. I have kids. I have a house... I don't have a dog.

I love Cartier. They are the classic French jeweller.

My father is best known for his light comedies, and I'm best known for crazy bad guys with short tempers.

I always compare human beings to animals. It's a nice way to figure out who they are.

I've always loved the idea of changing myself, wearing costumes and disguises. It takes you back to being a kid, to dressing up.

I guess I look strange a bit. Strange but confident. I'm not like a model or anything. I always compare this to wearing a hat. You can wear the strangest hat, but if you think it's cool, then you'll look cool.

Instead of playing heroes and righteous people, I'd rather portray characters with problems of conscience who have to lie, to betray, and then have to cope with that. They feel more true to me.

I was a dancer, and my father was a dancer, so I really grew up in that environment.

I have a huge relationship with Brazil; it's almost a love affair, I would say. And to me, to introduce that specific martial art like capoeira in Hollywood movies was something important to me.

I really like romantic comedies and light movies and everything but I think - I don't know where it comes from - but when you're doing violent movies, you're closer to reality.

If I have to pretend to be anything else than French, then I know it's work for me. It's not that it scares me, but it's work. I cannot just pop up on the set and say 'Okay, today I'm Italian!'