Skip to content

Arthouse movie star Charlotte Rampling talks about her life

Actress and co-author of Who I Am

The acclaimed actress Charlotte Rampling talks to BBC Culture about her childhood, the swinging ‘60s, her edgy film roles, and her book, Who I Am

“I’ve always liked danger. I like risk, otherwise I tend not to do things as it’s too easy.”

Acclaimed British actress Charlotte Rampling has never shied away from challenging roles, having appeared in The Night Porter and 45 Years, along with numerous other arthouse films, acting in three languages, English, French and Italian.   

Now she has taken on a new challenge, and has co-written (with Christophe Bataille) a memoir, Who I Am, that tells the story of her childhood, her adolescence, and the loss of her beloved sister, Sarah. She spoke to BBC Culture at the Hay Festival about why she chose to write about “the years that actually make you into who you are.”

Elsewhere, she comments on life in the swinging ‘60s, being the muse of celebrated photographers and directors, and what acting means to her. “I’ve found in acting a way to live my life. . . I live my life through my films.”

This story is a part of BBC Britain – a series focused on exploring this extraordinary island, one story at a time. Readers outside of the UK can see every BBC Britain story by heading to the Britain homepage; you also can see our latest stories by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.

And if you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called “If You Only Read 6 Things This Week”. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Capital and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday.