SAG Awards: ‘Artist’ star Bérénice Bejo on hectic awards season
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‘The Artist’s’ Bérénice Bejo received a SAG Award nomination for outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role for the black-and-white silent film ‘The Artist.’ But she wasn’t the only person from the critically acclaimed film to be recognized. Bejo’s co-star, Jean Dujardin, was also nominated in the lead actor category, as was the entire cast, which includes James Cromwell, John Goodman and Penelope Ann Miller.
‘I’m so happy for the cast nomination because I think the movie owes so much to everybody,’ said Bejo, a French actress who plays rising chorus girl Peppy Miller in the melodrama about an actor’s difficulty transitioning to talkies.
With Dujardin and their director Michel Hazanavicius, Bejo has been on a steady march through film festivals, publicity and awards events in recent months, as ‘The Artist’ has emerged as an Oscar frontrunner. ‘It’s very different from how we do it in France,’ said Bejo. ‘It’s a lot of work. There’s a lot of festivals. It’s really funny. Every day there’s a new thing — Las Vegas, Chicago.’
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Calling from a Los Angeles hotel room Wednesday morning, Bejo said she, Dujardin and Hazanavicius have developed a predictable patter for their media appearances. ‘I can answer for both of them,’ she said. ‘Sometimes I laugh before Michel delivers his jokes. He says, ‘You can’t laugh before I say my joke.’’’
Bejo had just spoken by phone with Hazanavicius, who is also the father of her 2-month-old daughter and 3-year-old son, and was taking his two older daughters to a dance class.
‘I could hear the music playing in the background,’ Bejo said. ‘We’re running everywhere and it never stops. We’ll sleep in March.’
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— Rebecca Keegan