Paul Verhoeven on Isabelle Huppert: “One of the most brilliant actors I’ve ever met”
“People love seeing violence and horrible things”. That’s the mantra of Paul Verhoeven, a filmmaker known for pushing boundaries and creating provocative cinema. However, this gaudy outlook never comes at the cost of craft. He has worked with numerous talented actors throughout his career, including frequent collaborations with Rutger Hauer. However, he has singled out one as “one of the most brilliant actors I’ve ever met in my life”.
Paul Verhoeven is a Dutch director whose films are known for their graphic violence and sexual content, including Basic Instinct, The Hollowman, and Verhoeven’s science fiction masterpiece RoboCop. He has always maintained, however, that “people seem to have this strange idea that films can influence people to be violent, but in my sincere opinion film only reflects the violence of society”. This adds a philosophical layer to his movies.
In 2016, Verhoeven directed the French psychological thriller Elle, which was met by widespread acclaim. The film starred Isabelle Huppert as Michèle Leblanc, a businesswoman determined to hunt down the man who sexually assaulted her. Huppert’s performance was critically lauded, earning numerous accolades, including an Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Actress’. Verhoeven himself praised her portrayal, as it perfectly aligned with his vision of pairing psychological thrills with a deeper, more complex narrative.
Reflecting on the work during an interview with the University Press of Mississippi, Verhoeven described Huppert as “brilliant”. He explained that he never had to direct her on how to perform while filming Elle, allowing her to naturally flourish in the role. The director praised her ability to find a unique perspective in her performance, suggesting that her deep understanding of the character and intuitive approach made her portrayal even more captivating and layered. He said: “She’s so extremely special and is able to avoid any cliché in any situation, always finding a different way of doing things”.
“She comes up with all kinds of extra details that you wouldn’t even dream of, that I would never come up with on my own,” Verhoeven added, emphasising that Huppert brought an added dimension to the role that elevated the entire film. Huppert does not simply play a role but explores it in ways that even the director cannot. Verhoeven continued: “She’s not only a great actress but she is also especially imaginative and creative in her approach to the character”.
The director further praised her audacity and tenacity in handling such delicate and disturbing subject matter. “She really had no problem with anything that was in the script, so I have an enormous respect for her,” Verhoeven said.
Indeed, Huppert has built a career on these kinds of fearless performances, often playing characters who defy conventional moral boundaries or are deeply flawed. Whether in films like The Piano Teacher or The Ceremony, Huppert never shies away from exploring the darker aspects of the human psyche. Much like Verhoeven himself, who frequently handled controversial material, such as the anti-fascist satire Starship Troopers.
This talent is one of the reasons why Verhoeven found working with Huppert on Elle to be such a rewarding experience. He didn’t need to explain much to her about the character because Huppert instinctively knew how she would react in every situation. “I didn’t have to tell her anything about Michèle because it was clear from the first shot that she knew exactly what her character would do and how she would behave in whatever circumstance,” Verhoeven explained.
The fact that Paul Verhoeven thinks so highly of Isabelle Huppert is a testament to her extraordinary brilliance. Huppert is still a major player in the film industry thanks to her audacious decisions and creative style. She gave a performance in Elle that pushed the boundaries of what fans could expect from a courageous actor. Her continuing brilliance is attested to by Verhoeven, who called her “one of the most brilliant actors I’ve ever met”.
