It’s back to school for the students of St Jude and Constance Billiard! Warner TV broadcasts the new series this Tuesday at 8:55 p.m. Gossip Girl, which is set in the same universe as the original cult series, namely the Upper East Side, but ten years later, with all new characters. Among them, the perfectionist and sophisticated Audrey Hope, whom the American media describe as
the new Blair Waldorf.
What does actress Emily Alyn Lind (revenge), with who 20 minutes exchanged on video, who lends her features to the heroine?
You were a kid when “Gossip Girl” aired. Have you seen the original series? How do you relate to her?
Yes, I saw her! But I tried to put the original series a bit at a distance. Joshua Safran really wanted to create a new entity.
This version does share the DNA of the original series, however, right?
Yeah, I say it like it’s a different entity, but it’s set in the same world and a lot of these kids are replicas. They are the product of their upbringing and their life on the Upper East Side. These children of wealthy entrepreneurs or fashion industry tycoons are interesting because the relationship dynamics with their parents are so complicated. There was this in the original series. There is this Freudian dimension in the way of “you are what you eat”, “you are raised to become what you are”. These young people are the product of the same environment as ten years ago. It’s about sitting on the same steps, going to the same places … Gossip Girl said goodbye ten years ago, she reappears ten years later. It’s all going to affect them differently because of social media, and this new generation. But there are similarities in the way they were brought up.
And how do you think social media has changed things?
I don’t really know because I’m not as involved in social media as I should be in our time! I try to stick to a healthy limit because it can be tough. I am happy like that. It would be a lot harder for me to show myself and work with all of these comments. I just want to do what I’m doing, and when people can receive it, they do… I’m not the right person to ask!
What do you like about Audrey, your character?
When you make a movie, you know the whole trajectory of your character. When it comes to TV, each storyline you receive each week has new sides to play with. You approach your character maybe differently than when you started, much like in life. The reason I fell in love with Audrey was that I got to experience new things, just like young people do when they grow up. I really like Audrey’s humor. At first, she hid a lot behind the irony. She also has this sweet side, and lacks confidence. It is very pleasant to discover the different aspects of his personality as we would with anyone
How would you describe the relationship with her mother, a fashion designer?
Audrey lives with her mother, Kiki. Her husband cheated on her with his assistant and they are getting a divorce. Their mother / daughter bond is very interesting. They can be awful to each other, shoot each other at each other, push each other to the limit, but also be connected in a beautiful way as if there was no stronger bond. I am very fortunate to work with Laura Benanti. She’s a wonderful actress and some of my favorite scenes are with her.
Audrey is in some kind of love triangle with her boyfriend Aki and Max?
Yes. After going through quarantine, trouble in paradise? Something happens when Audrey and Aki see Max for the first time on the first day of school. And they don’t know what it is. But they both feel it. Let’s say there is great tension between them!
In the American media, Audrey is presented as the new Blair Waldorf, what do you think of this comparison?
The idea was not to have characters linked to the original series. Nobody wants a new Blair Waldorf and nobody can play a new Blair Waldorf… There would be too much pressure to do that. There have also been a lot of comparisons between Chuck and Max. There are some similarities, related to their background and the way they were brought up. But there is no comparison in terms of intrigue.
Are you a big fan of fashion, tell us a bit about Audrey’s wardrobe? Did you have your say?
Our costume designer, Eric Daman, was the costume designer for the original version of Gossip Girl. He’s a genius. I’ve been doing this job since I was five and he’s one of the favorite costume designers. He’s so good at what he does. He has no difficulty collaborating with the actors. He makes sure we are comfortable. These costumes help us to know our character. It affects the way we play. I like clothes that are marked by history and time. This is how I feel good. Some brands like Gucci, Dior or Saint Laurent have an incredible history. Even though I hate that word, they are iconic and bring another form of art. This is what I experienced with Eric and I am very grateful to him.
What are your future projects?
I am adapting a book called Chocolates for Breakfast by Pamela Moore. It’s a book written in the 1950s, very reminiscent of Sylvia Plath and that no one has heard of. I’m going to adapt it and make it happen, it’s my baby. I put the music aside for a bit! And above all I will soon be shooting season 2 of Gossip Girl.