His drag has changed too.
The show chronicles the rise ofLagerfeld(Daniel Bruhl) as his relationship with de Bascher becomes increasingly complex.
Vogue: What was the process of makingSololike?
Left: Daniel Brühl and Théodore Pellerin inBecoming Karl Lagerfeld. Right: Théodore Pellerin in Sophie Dupuis’sSolo.
Theodore Pellerin:It was a long process.
She started telling me about the idea ofSoloI think two years before we started shooting.
She brings everyone together, and theres almost a theater-like process.
Photo: Courtesy of Music Box
Im curious about the physicality of it all.
Had you done anything remotely near drag before?
Of course, it was completely different, but that was my first drag experience, per se.
Photo: Courtesy of Music Box
I dont have a past as a drag queen.
Well, you have a future.
Im curious about your research.
Photo: Caroline Dubois - Jour Premier - Disney
Did you watchDrag Racebeforehand, or where did you look for inspiration?
But I was following what Sophie wanted and what was needed for the part.
It also depended on who was going to play Oliver and what their drag would be like.
It was a completely liberating experience.
Simon undergoes an important emotional journey that is manifested in his drag but is not justaboutit.
The film is not only about drag; its a toxic relationship and a family story.
The heart of it really lies somewhere else, so my work was also a lot of that.
I think that what interested Sophie was bringing these two worlds together.
Theyre not separated, necessarily, but I think they were two ideas she wanted to explore.
It made sense for all of it to happen together.
What was it like to perform a performer?
Do you start with Simon and go into the drag or the other way around?
It was important to understand Simon before defining the drag aspect.
Doing it at a high level is so incredibly impressive to me.
You could not have the drag persona without knowing who Simon is for that reason.
His drag comes from him.
I do have to ask aboutBecoming Karl Lagerfeld, in which you play Jacques de Bascher.
As you’re able to imagine we are very excited about it here atVogue.
Yes, thats why Im here in Paris!
Were starting the press for it.
Im excited about it.
We worked so hard on this.
I dont think Ive ever worked so hard on something.
I just adore him, and I loved playing him, and I love Daniel [Bruhl].
Im just excited for people to see it, and I hope they like it.
De Bascher is such a mysterious figure.
A lot of people think they know about him, but theres not much out there.
It was very confusing but also very exciting because then it feels like everything is possible.
So you spoke to some peoplehow else did you research?
Have you readThe Beautiful Fallby Alicia Drake?
This conversation has been edited and condensed.
Solois playing in US theaters now and will be available digitally on June 25.
