Paprika Steen - meeting with a Danish movie star

Paprika Steen is a true artist. When she arrives for our
meeting, she brings a creative energy that makes me think ‘this is what
early-mid 1900s Hollywood movie stars must have radiated...’

She talks passionately about her craft. Paprika combines
acting and directing and loves both forms of creativity. She speaks Danish,
Swedish, English, French and Russian and has the world as her workplace. You
get the picture – this is a true movie star!

“The most important thing is intuition,” Paprika says when I
ask her about preparation for a part. “It’s important to learn techniques,
especially in the beginning. You have to learn what works for you and what
doesn’t. But then you have to learn to trust and let go! Be in the moment.”

This is great advice for a fellow actress, and I take in
every word of wisdom she has to offer.

“Everybody works differently, but for me it’s important not
to over prepare,” she says.

For the part of Thea Barfoed, the troubled actress and
out-of-rehab mother in “Applause,” Paprika didn’t have to do much research.

“I see many actresses like her,” she says. “And I also take
people in very easily, I observe life naturally.”

So she mostly trusted her intuition. And simply acted. And
she brought whatever emotion she was feeling each day in to the scenes.

Our discussion leads to working in film vs. theater, and
Paprika offers a refreshing standpoint on this subject.

“For me it’s all acting,” she says. “Musical, theater, film…
for me it’s not that different. Film and theater are very different media, but
when it comes down to my work, it’s acting!”

Well, the result speaks for itself. And I want to thank
Paprika for inspiring me to trust my own intuition as an artist!

Solveig Haugen

Correspondent for Filmfestivals.com