Famke Janssen recently spoke to The Independent about being “super private.” Janssen played Xenia Onatopp in 1995’s GoldenEye opposite Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond. She said that after her breakout role in that film, she “felt like I was thrown to the wolves” with media attention as she “had to deal with the stereotype of” being a “model turned actress turned Bond Girl.”
Famke Janssen talks about being misunderstood
Janssen stated that she felt misunderstood due to her role in the movie. She had played a role of assassin. She revealed that while her friends and family know her real self, the audience think he is playing her real self in the movies. She then talked about being in the spotlight for good and bad reasons. She chose being low-key and focus on her craft:
“I feel incredibly misunderstood at times. It’s the dichotomy between the way I look and what is happening inside,” she said. “But that comes with being in a Bond movie and playing this crazy assassin. All of my friends and family know that I’m goofy and sensitive and that I play these characters who are so different from that. Other people probably think I’m just playing myself.”
“It was just an onslaught of attention, good and bad and everything in between. I realize every actor in the world thinks they can control the press, but ultimately the press always wins,” said Janssen. “I decided I’d rather be less famous and do things on my terms.”
She added:
“That means I don’t make as much money as other people do. I don’t date famous people. I’m not on social media…. But fame comes at a price, and it wasn’t one that I was willing to pay.”
Janssen explained to The Independent that she came “from nothing” and is “self-made” — “This whole notion that I’m some kind of glamorous movie star is not remotely true,” she said.
“It was a very conscious decision to take a different path. I had to create longevity for myself and work on my craft. I would have been much more famous and made much more money if I’d just gone with whatever was given to me in those moments. But that’s never been the way that I do things.”
