Paradise on Earth
DS magazine interview # 42 (november 2000)
Vanessa Paradis la vie en Lilly Rose (Vanessa Paradis, life in Lilly Rose)
Interview by Gaillac Morgue
Translation by Corinne

The Lolita from the charts has gone and now comes a woman with a delicious maturity. The birth of Lilly Rose Melody, life with her " amoureux " (boyfriend), Johnny Depp and the release of her new LP " Bliss " : three happiness to share in Vanessa Paradis' company.

DS : Through some songs, like "Firmaman" or "la ballade de Lilly Rose", signed by Depp and Paradis, we found a new Vanessa. A mum moved by his "bout de chou" (darling, dear … honey) ! Gone for ever the Paradis who used to sing the very subversive "Talk a walk on the wide side" or "Waiting for my man" ?
VP : Having a child changes your life in many ways. I think all the mummies will find something for her in these lyrics written for my little daughter. The birth of Lilly Rose is the most beautiful thing that happened in my life, I've waited for that for a very long time and I would never have imagined it could be something so powerful !

DS : Johnny Depp once declared he suffered a lot from his parents' disunion and divorce. Was he kind of scared by the thought of becoming himself a dad, for he had never known this so called familial harmony home ?
VP : His parents are great even if they had a rather complicated story together, in this case the children are the ones who suffered from this kind of situation. I didn't have to comfort him. From the minute Lilly Rose was born, he already was a great father.

DS : Nowadays, many young women complain about their partner immaturity who do not dare to face their responsibilities in couple's life as father.
VP : I happened to meet people of 40 or 50 years old totally immature and not responsible ! It's much more a matter of temper and education rather than a matter of generation. The key of all of this is love, respect and dialogue.

DS : On one of the songs from your LP we can hear Lilly Rose's voice. Already an artist, that small Lilly … Already exposed !
VP : That is something totally selfish. In this "family LP", Johnny and I wanted to have our daughter voiced engraved on this record for the rest of our life, to have a souvenir from all these happy moments we shared altogether. It's really a personal pleasure and not something we did to introduce her to the world.

DS : Your companion declared "For a long time I've been my own worst enemy !". Did you reconcile him with himself ?
VP : My "amoureux" already had solid bases, there was not a lot for me to do. I only tried in being his friend, saying his best friend would be to much pretentious. A friend you can tell anything, someone who doesn't say Amen to whatever you say or do and someone who does not lie to you. Friendship is also accepting the other in what he really is. Friendship is listening, to be open minded, generous, loving and trustful…

DS : Love and trust, is this the fairy Paradis talking ? Do you believe these single simple magic words are formulas enough to give a total happiness in a couple ?
VP : No, I'm not that fairy who says "You only need some love and trust to succeed in being happy", I know there are some days you feel like sending everything or everyone to Hell and you simply do it ! That's also life. But trust is something helping you out to find a balance, not calm and in a sort of routine but serene and Zen. It's always a matter of exchange you can't live long with someone too selfish. You can't be jealous with someone who is giving you the opportunity. If there is a liar in the story, understanding is impossible. Even if the other one is someone over generous there will always be a time when he or she wouldn't stand anymore; anyway the more the person is generous, the more the other one is taking advantage on this person, and at last he is not sure to be happy with this situation, he'll be fed up with it… You can't act or decide by your own in a couple. It takes two.

DS : What did you change about him for we love his rebel personality ?
VP : (Vanessa is rolling a cigarette and gives us a smile) Anyway, he will always be a rebel. He is not this kind of person who follows the leader, but he always stays in the right direction. And then there is always what they say.

DS : For instance
VP : You know that story (I love Johnny Depp telling it in an interview for a TV appearance - Corinne) about a picture you can see him with a piece of wood in his hand. He was said to have ruined everything in a restaurant because he and I had a dispute … That's not true. Actually, we were going out of a restaurant, around two in the morning, when these British paparazzi chased us for I was that pregnant ! Johnny went to them and talked to them quietly. He tried to make them understand that he didn't want to be picture at this specific moment but they wouldn't listen and decided not to give him a chance so there he became a rebel, not to hit them, for he didn't hit anyone, he just wanted to scare them. He is not that kind of person looking for a certain image to give to the others so you won't forget him, all this comes out naturally; He is a genuine "rebel with a cause". And believe me, the fact he is now a dad won't change anything of that.

DS : What about you ? Did love make you a different person ?
VP : I'm always the same me, except that before knowing him I was always sad… Though I had everything to be happy : health, a true passion for my job, success and my family's love. But I missed something.

DS : Or someone … only one misses you and … (quote from a famous French writer "Un seul être vous manque et tout est dépeuplé " : only one misses you and everything seems empty - Corinne)
VP : I didn't have a lot of love affair before him, I actually had quite a few. I do not feel like having been the best fiancée in the world… I'm not saying that I'm the best now, but I must say all becomes natural. If I'm better now it's just because he is in front of me. Acting : you are a better actress when you play with such a very good actor opposite to you.

DS : Until now, you sentimental life was in a certain way similar to the one of Adèle the character you played in "Girl on the bridge", who just screwed up all her love stories.
VP : I just gave back my "amoureux" the trust he gave me. Before him, I was always sad but I didn't have a reason to complain about, people would have tell me "With all that luck you have !". But you know I didn't feel like being satisfied of me or telling myself "Great I have a golden record" and come home on my own. I need to share my emotions with someone. I need to think "Well, tonight I'm going to be on stage, playing live in Paris, and somewhere in this audience there is my man !" even if the audience is really important to me of course. It's so beautiful to be able to do what you like for someone you love. A woman becomes accomplished when she becomes a mum. Me, I met this accomplishment the day I met him and now with our Lilly Rose we are in Seventh Heaven!

DS : Are you still the godmother of the association Rêves (Dreams) *?
VP :Yes, this association gives ill and hospitalized children the opportunity to have one of their dreams come true. Their wishes are very different from one to another one : see a horse for real, meet and artist, have a game computer, a book, … These are not extraordinary things. Anyone can help this association by giving few hours of his time off, or going there and tell these children about your job or your passion. These small things can be enough to fulfill a child's dream. In this case we can all become fairies.

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