Interview with Fanny Magier, Actress of French Cinema (September 2020)

I’m excited to present this interview with the actress who incarnated one of the most memorable characters in the whole filmography of Jean Rollin — Fanny Magier. Fanny played Hélène in Fascination, my favorite film. Remember the elegant chief of the bloodthirsty perverse ladies’ company who appears slightly after the middle of the film? That’s Fanny Magier.

Apart from that, Fanny is also known for such roles as Françoise Blanchard’s victim in The Living Dead Girl by Jean Rollin, Messalina's mother in Caligula and Messalina and Agrippina in Nero and Poppea by Bruno Mattei & Antonio Passalia, and about twenty other European cult classic exploitation films released between 1978 and 1983.

In the interview, Fanny shared a few memories about her cinematographic career, why she ended it, what she did afterwards, as well as what she does now.

Now, let’s get down to business.

How did you start your career in the cinema?

When I was very young, I lived at my nanny’s house in a village, north from Paris (I am from Paris). And a crew came to shoot a film. Looking at the process and everything that was going on, I told myself “When I grow up, I will become an actress”.

From the age of 20 to 25, I worked in industrial design (I had studied industrial design in general mechanics). Then I met a French engineer who worked in the Emirates. I followed him. After living with him for 2 years in Sharjah near Dubai, I decided to start my career as an actress.

My motto is “It’s never too late to succeed!”. I had a roof, food — this was sufficient for me.

I took classes at Florent and another course (I forgot its name). I started to do extras on TV and then played in my first film — Utopia with Laurent Terzieff and Dominique Sanda.

Which of your roles and films are your favorite?

Like many actors, I did many films the results of which I often didn’t like! I like Utopia — my first film. Working and spending time with Laurent Terzieff was impressive.

Fanny Magier's debut in the cinema — Utopia (1978) by Iradj Azimi.

As for me, I like your character in Jean Rollin's Fascination — an aristocratic woman, elegant, serious. Much in contrast with the characters of Brigitte Lahaie et Franca Maï who are mostly coquettes. What do you remember about the filming of Fascination and Jean Rollin himself?

The camera disappeared! I don’t really have memories. I don’t even remember if Jean-Marie Lemaire [who played the main character in Fascination] was already my lover or it was after the film.

The camera disappeared? Véronique D-Travers, a close friend and assistant of Jean Rollin since the end of the 80’s, told me in an interview that Jean Rollin had a habit of losing things. Once upon a time he lost a check for € 90 000 (60 000 Francs) for one of his films! Fortunately, it was found in the basement of his apartment building in the garbage chute. And there were multiple theft cases during filmings as well.

Do you remember a bit more detail about this incident with the camera?

The only thing I remember of is that one morning we found out that the camera had disappeared. I don’t remember anymore if it was found or they had to find another one!

I liked Jean Rollin. I think that his vision of cinema was quite special. He seemed to like me, as he invited me for one of his other films.

Fanny Magier plays Hélène in Fascination (1979) by Jean Rollin.

For those who like the film Fascination, I created these T-shirt designs. T-shirts (as well as many other clothing types) with these designs printed on them are available at my online B-movie shirt store.

Yes, Jean Rollin also shot you in The Living Dead Girl. I watched this scene again before the interview. My God, how terrifying it is! : ) Maybe you have a few memories about this filming as well?

What I remember about the scene from The Living Dead Girl, where the actress Francoise Blanchard is killing me, that I was totally exhausted at the end of the day.

Interestingly, bizarre things used to happen during shootings of horror films. I played in a film in Belgium with Roger Van Hool — Lock, a film by Maxime Debest. And there, the filming crew was having a financial problem with the producer. The production hadn’t paid the crew. So they stopped working!

You were friends with Françoise Blanchard, weren’t you? I see you together in at least three films: The Living Dead Girl, Nero and Poppea, Caligula and Messalina. What do you remember about Francoise?

We were friends for a very long time. I presented her for multiple films. She was actually my best friend. And then we lost each other out of sight when I returned to live in the United States in 1994.

What I remember about Francoise is that she always had a bottle of the best champagne in her fridge. She had very beautiful hands. Long and thin fingers.

Francoise really impressed me when she revealed at the very beginning of our meeting that she had been a drug addict before: she used to take heroin many years before, and she quit all by herself. One must have an enormous willpower to be able to quit on her own.

One day, for my birthday, she surprised me by offering me a perfume that was perfect for me when I have a big problem with finding one that suits me!

Fanny Magier with Francoise Blanchard in The Living Dead Girl / La Morte Vivante (1982) by Jean Rollin

Fanny Magier with Marina Pierro in The Living Dead Girl / La Morte Vivante (1982) by Jean Rollin

 

For those who love The Living Dead Girl, I made this print T-shirt design. Shirts (as well as hoodies, dresses, and other clothing) with this design on them are available at my online store.

You said that Jean-Marie Lemaire had been your lover. I see you together in at least two films: Fascination and East of Berlin (Convoi des filles, 1978). Can you remember anything about him?

Jean-Marie was an interesting and mysterious person. He came to my filming of Lock when I was filmed in Belgium (his native country). He came to take me to the cinema to watch the film Shining. He congratulated me for the scene that I was shooting. He made me feel like a star by the way he spoke to me. He made me feel really good. He knew how to make people feel happy about themselves. It’s a rare quality.

He had many qualities. He was respectful, gallant, a real gentleman, generous with his time, with his knowledge.

Jean-Marie Lemaire in Fascination

You also often met same notable actors in multiple films: Muriel Montossé (in Fascination, Contes de la Fontaine, Belles, blondes et bronzées, Trop au lit pour être honnête), also at least once Pamela Stanford, Claudine Beccarie, Monica Swinn… Can you recall anything about these actresses (or maybe others)?

I stayed friends with Muriel. By the way, she visited me last year in August, in Los Angeles, and we celebrated my 70th anniversary. I have much admiration for Muriel and for her courage, her tenacity. She had tough moments in her life. I take my hat off to her.

As for the other actresses, I was not really familiar with them.

 Fanny Magier with Muriel Montossé in Les contes de la Fontaine (1980) by Jose Benazeraf.

 

Can you recall anything about other directors with whom you also worked? To remind you a little:

Bruno Mattei and Antonio Passalia (in Caligula and Messalina and Nero and Poppea), Jesús Franco and Pierre Chevalier (in East of Berlin / Convoi de filles), Jose Benazeraf (in Les contes de la Fontaine), Claude Mulot (Le jour se lève et les conneries commencent), Jacques Marbeuf (Trop au lit pour être honnête), Joël Séria (San-Antonio ne pense qu'à ça), and others.

With whom of them did you like to work most (or least)?

Claude Mulot was my fellow, so it was nice to film with him. It was a terrific ambiance. But I only did a small thing in his film. Jacques Marbœuf was nice, he knew what he wanted. It was great to film with Ticky Holgado, for whom it was his first film.

As for the film Utopia, Iradj Azimi was a great director. And for the rest — too long ago to remember it, except for the dramas.  This period of my life was so long ago that I’ve lost a lot of memories.

I think that I’ve already said it previously, quite a lot of actors do bad films and very few that they are proud of. As for me, I think that I’ve done quite a lot of bad films. I must be honest with myself, I found myself not to be a good actress. Maybe I’m the only one who thinks like this.

Maybe there are not many great chefs d'œuvre in your filmography, but there are a few. Notable films such as Fascination, The Living Dead Girl, Nero and Poppea, Caligula and Messalina. There are many people who are passionate particularly about similar films (B-movies) who receive pleasure watching them, including myself. What I want to say is that you have a serious reason for being content about your contribution to the cinema. Cinephiles still watch your films, after decades, and get good emotions thanks to you.

I’m surprised, but thank you, it’s a pleasure to hear this.

I see that I criticize myself too much.

I’ve just looked in Google Keyword Planner — American web users search your name in Google at least 30 times per month. So, cinephiles know you and keep you in their memory.

They look me up 30 times per month? That’s interesting…

30 times per month is only for American users. But throughout the world, your name is searched in Google 320 times per month. Of which 110 searches per month are from French people.

I’m really surprised. Thank you for checking. I really appreciate this.

Maybe you could recall any stories, anecdotes, funny or simply interesting stories that happened during the filmings?

Either during the filming of Nero and Poppea or Caligula and Messalina, Françoise was choking me with a scarf, and she tightened it so strongly that I started to lose balance… And I think that they didn’t use this scene, as I was disappearing from the shot!

We were shooting both of these films at the same time at the Cinecittà studio in Rome. I fought with the actor on the set who played the main role, as he didn’t support me while it was an important scene for me…

I was in love with a French man who was supposed to visit me for a few days, in Rome. But after a few hours since his arrival, I asked him to leave. I was emotionally unstable. When a man talked to me about marriage, I panicked!

When starting the filming, I filled my decollete well, but in a few weeks we had to stuff my bra, as I was losing weight.

Fanny Magier and Betty Roland in Caligula and Messalina / Caligula et Messaline (1981) by Bruno Mattei and Antonio Passalia

In a few of your films your name is specified as Fanny Magieri, Fanny Magierie, Fanny Maggieri — in rather Italian fashion. Why did you decide to use these variations instead of Fanny Magier?

It’s when I was filmed in Italy — I got a call from the director Maxime Debest to shoot a film in Belgium — Lock, and he asked me to change my name to Maggieri to give it more weight in the eyes of the producer. I didn’t care. I liked it anyway.

When I made the decision to leave France, a year after having done the two films, I wanted to go and live in Italy, but I was looking too much like an Italian. I love Italy.

This reminds me that I’ve never been paid for this film — Lock.

Is Lock by Maxime Debest your last film? It was released in 1983. Why did you stop to play in the cinema?

Without doubt, Lock was my last film. I did TV after that.

At that time there were too few roles for women of my age. I found myself in a position where I had to compete with famous actresses.

First of all, I’ve always thought cinema would only be for a certain period. Not for all my life. I was looking to leave Paris. And my friend asked me if I wanted to go to live in the United States or Australia. I told her that I would follow her.

As it was super difficult to get a visa for Australia, we opted for America. So Los Angeles — for the sun and cinema.

I got my visa (it wasn’t obvious), but that’s another story! So I left, without my friend!. I had found an agent in the United States, but who wanted me to have the Green Card. Getting the Green Card takes a long time. The profession of an actress wasn’t a good option to qualify for a Green Card.

It’s another interesting story about my journey in the United States. At first, I did voice overs, then life turned me towards fashion. I must say, I didn’t think I was a good actress.

 

This is a collage with my French diploma when I returned to France (for two years). But the fashion was in America. 

 

Thank you very much for these photos, Madame. These are really beautiful and elegant designs. Not even routine clothes but real high fashion.

Thank you for the compliments. I love to create, whether clothes or objects.

You are saying that after a few years in America you returned to France to live there for two years. Why?

The reason why I returned to France is that I was attacked. And I was depressed and my family asked me to come back.

What do you do now? I know that you are an energy healer, you help people cure their stress. Could you, please, tell me about this in more detail?

Yes I am an energy healer: I help people reduce, even eliminate, anxiety and control stress. I also help to strengthen the immune system which is very important especially today with this virus [Fanny refers to the pandemic of COVID-19 of 2020 during which this interview was taken]. I help eliminate toxins from the body, and even radiation coming from the pollution, especially now from the 5G that is a true poison for our body. I also help eliminate physical pain.

My work is a unique program integrating a special form of breathing, awareness, guidance meditation, working with quantum energy, and in addition through other energy systems that we have in our body.

I can help people who live anywhere in the world as I can also work virtually. And now I’ve also added an excellent tool which is Hypnotherapy. It’s a great addition to my work as it’s also a quite quick process that helps improve yourself by transforming what is kept in the subconscious that contains too many limited beliefs, generally false, that can destroy our lives.

I’m passionate about this work. I’m so happy when people tell me that I’ve changed their lives, particularly people addicted to drugs or alcohol or having another form of addiction.

If I understand correctly, you can feel and/or see energies that most people can’t? How did you discover these capabilities in you and how did you start your career in this domain?

Concerning being an energy healer, I believe that everyone can be one. We just need to be in tune with our body, with our soul and feel connected with the universe and God.

I have been intuitive for a very long time. I can feel people very fast. Get to know them, who they really are.

I don’t see the energy, but I can feel it. I learned to work with quantum energy on my own 7 years ago, then I applied it to someone during their recovery from addiction at a treatment center, and I ended up offering my services as a volunteer 3 sessions a week at the treatment center during these last six years. I love to help people.

[Readers who would like to get help with the aforementioned health problems from the fascinating star of French cinema and professional energy healer — Fanny Magier — can learn more about Fanny’s expertise and get in touch with her via:

• Website: FannyEnergyHealer.com
• Instagram: @fannyenergyhealer ]
  

What interests do you have apart from the cinema and medicine?

I love playing pickleball and playing tarot. I play cards with French people here, in the United States. It’s a really nice game, a bit like bridge, but easier.

I also like deep conversations. I love to talk about spirituality, about who we really are, so I love to listen to spiritual teachers and even biologists such as Dr. Bruce Lipton or Dr. Joe Dispenza.

And I love to write — I write about my life [memoirs]. And to create — clothes or other items, but it’s been a while since I did it last time.

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