MARION COTILLARD made history as the first – and so far only – winner of a best actress Oscar for a performance primarily in French, her native language, as Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose.

The daughter of a theatre director father and actress mother, she always wanted to be an actress, but admits she thought Hollywood was out of reach. But she’s worked in the US and Europe with top film-makers such as Christopher Nolan (on The Dark Knight Rises and Inception), Tim Burton and Michael Mann opposite Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio.

In Jacques Audiard’s drama Rust And Bone, she stars as a whale trainer who loses her legs following a workplace accident and learns to live as a paraplegic, with the help of a drifter (played by Matthias Schoenaerts). Off-screen, she and her director partner Guillaume Canet, with whom she starred in the 2003 romantic comedy film Love Me If You Dare, have a oneyear- old son, Marcel. They’ve split their time living in the US and France for the past couple of years.

How did you feel being in The Dark Knight Rises? AFRENCH actress being in a Batman movie, I never expected it. This is a dream you cannot have. When I was a kid, I watched a lot of American movies and even though I never thought I would have the opportunity to work in the US, the movies are part of my culture so I feel blessed.

What do you think of Rust And Bone’s director Jacques Audiard?

I really wanted to work with Jacques, and when I got the call that he wanted to meet with me, I totally went crazy. When I read the script, I realised it was something I had never done before. I don’t tell many love stories and this one is very unusual.

I totally fell in love with all the characters.

Did you research being a paraplegic?

I didn’t do any research about what it is to have lost a part of your body, because what was very important for me was that what she gained after the accident was much more than what she’d lost.

But you did research orcas?

I didn’t know many things about orca whales, so I looked at a lot of footage and images of them. I got to have a strong connection with them, even though I’m not very comfortable being in an environment where the animals are kept in captivity.

There is something very special because they are gigantic, beautiful and still wild. That was my biggest fear, actually.

I didn’t fear the animals, but the environment they are in. These big, magnificent animals in a swimming pool doesn’t make any sense for me.

How big a challenge was the role?

I never see a role as a challenge. It was powerful, one of the most powerful roles I’ve had. You learn a little more about the human soul with each movie you do, each character you take and each person you try to understand.

What about using CGI to make your legs disappear on screen?

We were lucky to work with amazing people – the special effects people were very talented, very discreet and very fast. So the fact that I had legs never was an issue. We had this first image one day when I was doing fittings, and I sat in the wheelchair with my legs folded and we had this image that was very strong and powerful, and that told us that it would work.

How was working with Belgian co-star Matthias Schoenaerts?

You know sometimes you meet someone and you feel like you’ve known them for a long time? It really happened with him. He’s an amazing actor.

When we did our first reading, it was beyond my expectations.

I really admire Matthias as a man and as an actor.

He’s everything I love about an actor and a beautiful person.

What about the Oscar buzz about your performance?

It makes me very happy that people like the movie and what I did in it – that is what’s important.

Awards are something you have to enjoy when people want to celebrate what you did, but the expectation is not part of my way of living.

Are you still in love with acting?

Every day is still magical. When it becomes like, Oh yeah, well it’s just another day, I think I would do something else. This job has to stay magical.