Ep 23: Léa Seydoux

People don’t come much more chic or more soothing (it’s the French accent isn’t it?!) than this week’s guest on Reign with Josh Smith, it’s the Bond Girl herself, Léa Seydoux! I am BEY-BOND excited for the release of the latest James Bond film 'No Time To Die', so it was epic to talk to the ONLY Bond Girl in history to return to the film franchise, after starring in the last movie, Spectre. We got into how Léa broke down the outdated ‘Bond Girl’ stereotypes with her character, Madeleine Swann and why she refuses to ‘play the game’ of sexualising herself or her characters anymore - yas queen! Léa also spoke about how Phoebe Waller Bridge joining the writing team brought Bond into a post Me-Too era, how she was in a very ‘vulnerable’ place whilst filming, and how taking on such a physical role made her reflect on her body image. Elsewhere in the episode Léa opens up about her mental health and how Imposter Syndrome affects her - it’s pretty reassuring that even a Bond Girl feels like an imposter sometimes, right? I can totally relate to Léa's words. Léa also reflects back on her career and respecting her inner voice. You might remember Lea’s career-changing role in the queer coming-of-age movie, 'Blue is The Warmest Colour', where she made history at the Cannes Film Festival winning the top prize, the Palme d’Or as the first actor to do so! And off screen, as the Time’s Up movement was born, Léa talked about her own experiences of sexual harassment in a very powerful article in The Guardian. This is an actress who is just as powerful off-screen as she is on-screen, and is an important role model for making sure YOUR voice is always valued. You will next see Léa in the new Wes Anderson movie, The French Dispatch starring alongside Timothée Chalamet, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton and given that stunning cast list I couldn't resist getting a little tea on that movie, too! I really hope you continue to listen and find the power to Reign in your own lives, too. Until next time, WEAR THOSE CROWNS WITH PRIDE and get in touch (follow me across social media @joshsmithhosts), I love hearing from you. Love, Josh xxxP.S I am so proud that this episode of Reign with Josh Smith is brought to you thanks to my friends at Pandora because their new collection, Pandora Me, is all about embracing who you are and celebrating self expression - just like this very podcast! There are NO RULES when it comes to expressing who you are and how you feel as Pandora Me is a completely customisable collection which features rings that can be connected together, mix’n’match links to create unique bracelets, and pendants that can be added to necklaces or earrings. With prices ranging from £15-£200 it’s affordable luxury at its best. The new Pandora Me collection is available to shop now – just head over to uk.pandora.net to check it out or pop into your nearest store. I have my eye on a silver chain necklace and a stunning link spelling out FREEDOM that feels VERY me - so I’ll see you there! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices