“I felt like I was on drugs”: Eva Green Had an Out-of-Body Experience in Film With Director Who She Called “a Master of Love and Eroticism”

The 2000s witnessed Eva Green starring in a number of classics, including 300, which skyrocketed Zack Snyder’s career, and Casino Royale, which kickstarted Daniel Craig’s ascend to the top. But it was 2003’s The Dreamers, in which the actress had one of her best working experiences, as she didn’t back away from singing praises about the late Italian icon Bernardo Bertolucci.

While the actress had her worries about taking on the project following its s-xually explicit subject, trusting the 1900 director worked out for Green, who deemed him a “Master of Love and Eroticism”.

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Trusting Bernardo Bertolucci Worked Out in Eva Green’s Favor

Although Eva Green has become well-known for her frequent n-de appearances onscreen, the actress was pretty nervous about tackling such roles before working alongside Bertolucci. Per IMDb, back in 2004, the Casino Royale Star revealed that even though she was “very shy”, she decided to trust the director following his previous acclaimed works. Fortunately, things worked out greatly for Green, who had nothing but admiration for the late Italian legend, as the 300 Star expressed that she felt like being on drugs while filming the erotic scenes. She said,

“I am a very shy person in life, very reserved, but you know, it’s Bernardo Bertolucci. I’ve seen Last Tango in Paris (1972) and it’s not p-rnographic, it’s not vulgar, it’s not sick, so I trusted him. He’s a master of love and eroticism, but it’s good because I stopped being self-conscious. I felt like I was on drugs or anesthetized, because you have to be. You have to let yourself slip away and forget everything, forget the sound guy and all that”

While The Dreamers wasn’t Bertolucci’s biggest hit, it did help launch a young Green’s career, as the following years witnessed her starring in several acclaimed classics.

Also read: “No, they don’t get undressed”: Daniel Craig Fought With James Bond Producers to Cut His S-x Scene With Eva Green That Risked His 007 Career

Eva Green’s Parents Were Worried About Her Role in The Dreamers

Unlike Eva Green, her parents weren’t quite on board with the Penny Dreadful Star working with Bernardo Bertolucci, following the controversies surrounding his 1972’s Last Tango in Paris.

She told The Hollywood Reporter:

“They thought I would be damaged because there were stories about what happened to Maria Schneider on The Last Tango. But I met Bernardo for a few screen tests and I liked his vibe,”

Also read: “I was crying, I didn’t know what was wrong”: Eva Green Luckily Had Daniel Craig By Her Side While James Bond Filmmakers Almost Rejected Her From ‘Casino Royale’

Although Green clarified she didn’t want to undermine Schneider’s experience, who alleged she was never consulted about the r-pe scene in the film, to Green, Bertolucci came across as a gentleman.

The Dreamers is available to stream on Max.