Stephanie Gil Explores the Hidden Depths of Anne of Austria in ‘Une amitié dangereuse’: A Journey of Power, Friendship, and Intrigue

We meet Stephanie Gil, who shares her experience portraying Anne of Austria in the upcoming series ‘Une amitié dangereuse.’ Through an emotional and detailed performance, she reveals the profound impact this role has had on her career and artistic vision.

In an intimate conversation with Xmag, Stephanie Gil discusses the deep influence of playing Anne of Austria in the series ‘Une amitié dangereuse.’ This historical drama delves into the relationship between the queen and Marie de Rohan, and the actress offers insight into her experience and perspective on the role.

Stephanie confesses her deep affection for Anne of Austria. “Anne is a character I am very fond of. Although she may seem like a cold and distant queen, she is actually the opposite; she just puts up a front to protect herself,” she explains. This complexity in the character, who seems to hide a deep vulnerability beneath her cold exterior, represents an intriguing challenge for the actress. Stephanie considers embodying such a significant historical figure an honor and emphasizes that the portrayal requires genuine respect for historical truth.

The series, presented at the Series Mania festival, focuses on the evolving relationship between Anne of Austria and Marie de Rohan. Regarding this dynamic, Stephanie describes the journey as complex. “The relationship changes as the series progresses. At first, there is a distance, especially on the queen’s part, but then my character starts to warm up to Marie, and a beautiful friendship develops between them,” Stephanie reveals. This evolution of the relationship, from emotional distance to a deep connection, is handled by Stephanie with great sensitivity.

Preparing for such a historical role involved extensive research. Stephanie devoted time to studying the life and context of Anne of Austria. “I did a lot of research on Anne of Austria. I have a lot of respect for history, and I wanted to build my character as close to reality as possible,” she comments. Researching her family, personality, and environment allowed Stephanie to delve into the character’s psychology and offer a more authentic and faithful performance.

Working with director Alain Tasma was a fundamental part of the process. Stephanie highlights Alain’s precision and knowledge of history, which greatly facilitated collaboration on set. “From the beginning, Alain helped me immensely both in building the character and on set. He knew the entire history in detail, which benefited all of us. He’s a director who knows exactly what he wants, and that made our collaboration much easier,” Stephanie notes.

Seeing the audience’s response at the Series Mania Festival was especially gratifying for Stephanie. “It was a wonderful premiere. Seeing the cinema full and receiving applause at the end was a very gratifying experience. I felt very happy, especially since this is my first project in French,” she expresses enthusiastically.

Working with Kelly Depeault, who plays Marie de Rohan, was also an enriching experience. Together, they built the relationship between their characters not only on set but also off it. “We built the relationship between our characters before we started filming, along with Clémentine, who plays Louise. We had meetups, and for example, the three of us went to see Barbie in Paris, which was a lot of fun,” Stephanie recalls. These interactions before filming contributed to a more authentic and deep portrayal of their friendship in the series.

‘Une amitié dangereuse’ not only addresses themes of power and politics but also friendship in a historical context that remains relevant today. Stephanie feels that these themes continue to be significant. “I believe these themes are and always will be relevant, regardless of the historical context. The dynamics of power, friendship, and politics are still very pertinent today,” she asserts.

One of the biggest challenges for Stephanie was working with animals during the shoot. “The most challenging thing was working with so many animals. I’m not complaining at all because I love animals, but riding a horse with both legs on the same side while wearing dresses with a thousand layers was a challenge. I also worked with falcons in one scene, which was another challenge, but I loved it,” Stephanie confesses. Despite the difficulties, her love for animals and the time spent rehearsing with them made these scenes particularly memorable.

Finally, Stephanie hopes that viewers of ‘Une amitié dangereuse’ will gain a new perspective on the era. “I hope the audience gets another point of view on the era through the eyes of two young women who struggled to make their voices heard and change the course of history at court,” she concludes.

With her ability to blend history with an emotional performance, Stephanie Gil offers us a captivating portrayal of a complex historical figure and a story that promises to resonate both in history and in the hearts of viewers.