Acting legend Jacqueline Bisset shares thoughts on fame, her legacy and her love for powerful men

Quick, name an actress working today who’s shared a movie set with legends including Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra and Paul Newman. How about one who’s also been directed by iconic filmmakers such as John Huston, Sidney Lumet and François Truffaut.

The answer is Britain’s Jacqueline Bisset. Known for films including Bullitt, Murder on the Orient Express and Casino Royale, her illustrious Hollywood career has spanned six decades.

In Bisset’s latest film, the drama Loren & Rose, she stars as Rose Martin, a legendary actress who meets with a promising young filmmaker in hopes of reviving her career. During their interactions, the pair form a profound friendship and address topics, including art, grief and spirituality.

During a recent interview with the Current, Bisset, 80, discussed the aspects of Martin’s character she loves, what inspires her to continue acting and the kinds of films that spoke to her when she first discovered cinema. She also shared the names of co-stars she’s enjoyed working alongside and one in particular who was less than pleasant.

Loren & Rose is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime.

What resonated with you about Loren & Rose and made you want to be a part of it?

Well, I’m very much open to good writing. That’s what I look for — scenes of real stuff [and] things I can relate to; the story of acting [and] the desire to reach artistic heights and the realities of the world. [Rose] has confidence in herself. She wants to build [Loren] up. She thinks he has talent. I know what it feels like to boost somebody [and] to give them the power that you know they have. Sometimes it’s buried because people are frightened. We’re all so intimidated in so many ways.

Did you see yourself in your character?

The character is not me, but there’s aspects of her that I really like — her forthrightness and her humor and her energy. I loved that. There’s a lot of pathos [and] sadness [to her]. [Today], there’s a sort of mass love of fame … that sidesteps the real stuff. It’s a sort of obsessive time. I think the world is going completely bonkers with social media. Everybody’s pumping their egos up in a rather vulgar way. I find it kind of pathetic.

How do you avoid sidestepping what’s real and important?

You’ve got to do the work to get through the process. You’ve got to take a lot of the tumbles. You’ve got to have a sense of humor.

What has inspired you to continue acting for all these years?

I’ve always rooted for a certain standard of acting that I’ve seen in other actors. I’ve been inspired by certain people’s work. It’s affected my life. In my own mind, I’ve also been inspired by not wanting to do rubbish. I try to choose [roles] carefully. You’re usually paid much less money to do good projects than you are to do commercial stuff. But [smaller films] are so rewarding if you can get it together and find some good ones.

Have you ever felt any of your work has been reflective of what’s going on in your life at that moment?

You don’t want [a role] to be so relatable that you’re bored to do it. I need walls to climb. I need things that I haven’t done that make me scared [and] that give me a challenge. I’m that kind of a person. You don’t want to [do something] you’ve seen before.

When did film start making an impact in your life?

Well, I came very late to film. I didn’t have a television at home. My parents used to go on Thursdays to the local cinema, which usually had foreign films. When I was about 15 or 16, my mother said to me one day, “Would you like to come with us?” I said yes. I started to see some really good French and Italian films. I was completely under the magic. Then, I went to a French school for two years in London [and] met other people who were crazy about films.

What actors and filmmakers did you watch?

Well, on one hand, there was Natalie Wood. Everybody thought she was brilliant. Then, there was Jeanne Moreau. I was in the Jeanne Moreau group. I thought Natalie Wood was divine and lovely, but it didn’t interest me to be that kind of an actor. I remember all the guys would be sitting in a row in the cinema saying, “Oh, my God, [Natalie’s] … completely irresistible.” [But] I wanted to see Jean Moreau and Ingmar Bergman films and [Pier Paolo] Pasolini films. I wanted all this underbelly stuff. I didn’t really understand any of that world because I was still quite young and unsophisticated. But those are the films that pulled me in.

And then you ended up getting to work with François Truffaut.

Yes, but I couldn’t even imagine that that could ever happen. It was so far from any possibility. The fact that it happened was absolutely stunning. It would not have happened if I hadn’t been seen dancing late at night in some club. Somebody must have followed me home. I was staying in a hotel I’d never stayed before. I was there for just one night, and his agent found me. I found out later that [François] had written to my agents and inquired about me before, but they didn’t think it was worth telling me about. Can you imagine?

Which actor did you have the most natural chemistry with?

I feel like I got on pretty well with everybody. I loved working with Anthony Quinn because he was tough. He wasn’t fragile. So, when I had to get angry with him in The Greek Tycoon, I really just let off. I thought, “This is great! I don’t have to protect him!” Sometimes I worked with actors who were lovely, but they were fragile.

Is there anyone you didn’t enjoy working with?

I did not enjoy working with Peter Sellers [in 1967’s Casino Royale], because he wasn’t very nice to me. I was a very young actress, and he was not helpful. Apart from that, I really got on quite well. You know, you hear stuff about people, and you think, “Oh, what’s this going to be like?” I remember hearing some bad tales about Jim Brown, who I personally thought was absolutely gorgeous. I thought he was wonderful in the film The Grasshopper. I’m not saying he was an angel. He had his personal problems in his life, but in terms of working with him, he was a real macho guy. He was a magnificent athlete. A powerful man is an awesome thing.

When you think about your legacy, how would you like to be remembered?

I think of the films that I’ve done, which I’m really proud of. There was a movie [I did] called Forbidden. It was about a German situation. That was a very good film. There was The Grasshopper, which was a great part. There was Day for Night and Le Magnifique and Under the Volcano and Welcome to New York and The Sleepy Time Gal and a bunch of others. I’ve had the chance to do really good work. I’ve always been very moved by certain things like the looks I get from people when they see my films. It’s always an incredible thing to feel.

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This article appears in Feb 5-18, 2025.