When actress Stacy Martin received the offer to star in Bonnard, Pierre and Martha, a film that would require nudity, she accepted without hesitation. Martin, who rose to fame in Lars von Trier’s provocative 2013 title Nymphomaniac, feels at ease with onscreen nudity, believing it should be “appropriate, justified and not manipulative.” In this case, portraying Renée, the model for French painter Pierre Bonnard, felt especially fitting.
“We didn’t use an intimacy coordinator on set,” Martin admitted when we met on one of the festival palace’s terraces overlooking Cannes’ harbor. “There was one scene, though, where we needed to coordinate physicality—when Renée realizes Bonnard is leaving her, we needed to convey that love still existed between the characters without creating anything artificial.
"Overall, filming involved plenty of open discussion and mutual respect between me, director Martin Provost, and actor Vincent Macaigne, who plays Bonnard. They’re wonderful people. We made sure to share our thoughts and ensure everyone felt at ease.
“This project didn’t require a coordinator, partly because Martin’s approach to sexuality is very different. He never works against the characters,” she added. “When we shot Nymphomaniac, we did use a sex coordinator, long before it was common. It was in my contract because Lars [von Trier] wanted the scenes done properly.”
Martin wasn’t nervous about Bonnard, Pierre and Martha's Cannes premiere, where she watched herself in a nude scene on the big screen surrounded by peers and a large audience. “It was the perfect moment to watch the film,” she said.
“I didn’t feel pressure—just joy, as it’s a beautiful movie I’m excited to share. I loved seeing it with an audience rather than in an editing room on a rainy day. Watching viewers’ reactions to my swimming scene, I felt free enough to bring Renée’s joy to life, and I think that joy resonated with them.”
The film, now showing in Israel, explores the complex relationships of French painter Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947) with the two most important women in his life: his wife and muse, Martha (played by Cécile de France), who appears frequently in his paintings, and Renée, the young model living at their countryside home, portrayed by Stacy Martin.
Bonnard, a co-founder of the Nabis movement—rooted in symbolism, religion, myths and folklore—was often called the "painter of happiness." Yet his relationships with these two women were not without complications.
"Although it’s a period film, the relationship dynamics are very modern," Martin explains. “While it’s a love triangle of sorts, the story goes beyond that; the director examines what it means to be a painter, what influences us, and how complex love can be. Bonnard conveyed these elements in his work—his love for a tree, a cat, and, of course, these women. It’s not simply about a painter creating art but about understanding the emotions and relationships shared by Bonnard, Martha, and Renée and the tensions between them. It’s ultimately a tragic story.”
How would you describe the complex relationship between the three?
"Renée enters Bonnard’s world as a very young woman, full of potential and possibilities. She studies art, wants to become an artist, and paints here and there. Bonnard is a huge inspiration for her, an incredible foundation for a young life. But sadly, her dreams don’t lead where she’d hoped. Renée is deeply in love with Bonnard and aware of the differences between them. She’s much younger, and Bonnard and Martha share a unique bond that not everyone can grasp. Renée’s presence reminds Bonnard just how important Martha is to him, which becomes clear when he realizes his art no longer holds its original quality. He’s lost his inspiration.”
Can you understand people like Renée, who love so intensely they’re willing to die for it?
“Yes, can’t you?”
When I was younger, yes, but now, in my older years, I wouldn’t want to die for anyone’s love.
"I think love is an amazing, powerful force that we all long to experience,” says Martin, who is dating British-Jewish musician Daniel Blumberg. “Renée is, in a sad way, a woman heavily pressured by society. If you’re asking if I’d die for love, the answer is probably no. But there are people I love every day and will continue to love until I die. Pierre and Martha is a celebration of life’s complexities, of how we grapple with those complexities within ourselves and with each other.”
Nymphomaniac changed everything
Martin was born in Paris to a French hairdresser father and a British mother, giving her fluency in both languages—a valuable skill in her career. At seven, she moved with her family to Japan, then returned to Paris at 13, later settling in London to study media and culture while working part-time as a model.
“Modeling paid my rent and gave me the freedom to try different things, but it wasn’t particularly enjoyable. It felt restrictive; I found myself trapped in male-driven ideals—designers, stylists, photographers—all shaping a vision of what a woman ‘should be.’ It was frightening,” she shared.
Her life took a dramatic turn when Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier cast her in Nymphomaniac, a film that challenged norms and brought her fame. “I actually went in for an audition for a soap commercial when the casting director suggested I try for Nymphomaniac,” she recalls.
Originally, von Trier announced it would be an explicit film with unsimulated sex scenes, casting Charlotte Gainsbourg in the lead, while Martin portrayed her character’s younger self. Ultimately, both actresses used prosthetic body doubles for certain scenes, along with professional adult performers.
Martin only has praise for von Trier: “Nymphomaniac changed everything for me. I never imagined this would be my life—that I’d meet so many incredible people and be offered roles. Lars gave me the freedom to remind myself of my admiration for great directors. He’s my favorite—a unique visionary in both his working style and artistic approach.”
Martin enjoys collaborating with American actor-turned-director Brady Corbet, who notably also worked with Lars von Trier in Melancholia. Corbet has directed Martin in three films to date: The Childhood of a Leader (2015), Vox Lux (2018), a polarizing film where Natalie Portman plays a rock star, and most recently, The Brutalist (2024), which premiered this month at the Venice Film Festival. The film earned rave reviews, hailed as a masterpiece, and won Corbet the Best Director award.
The story follows a Hungarian-Jewish architect (Adrien Brody) and Holocaust survivor who immigrates to the United States in the late 1940s and attempts to reunite with his wife still in Europe. After facing hardships, addiction, and survival challenges, he is taken under the wing of a powerful, racist millionaire (Guy Pearce) and designs a unique brutalist cultural center for him.
“I play the daughter of the American family that welcomes the architect, and, naturally, things unravel,” Martin shared when we met recently in Venice. “It’s always a joy to return to the Venice Festival, especially with Brady’s films. This is our third time here together, and it feels like a strange, exhilarating home. The Italian passion for cinema is palpable—it’s a real buzz.”
What draws you to work with Corbet? And how do you choose your roles?
“Brady challenges me,” Martin said. “He offers different, unconventional roles. Working with him is always something special—he’s persistent and incredibly talented, and it’s inspiring. It’s an honor to be part of his world and to create alongside him. He’s also a dear friend.”
As for how she selects her roles, Martin explains, “I don’t want to feel bored, and if a role seems outside my comfort zone, I immediately want to try it. In society, we’re programmed to ‘do the big films, be good, play the dutiful daughter, and get it right.’ There are so many expectations, but when there’s a chance to let loose—to shout, be angry, be messy, to act raw—those are things society usually doesn’t permit. It’s nonsense, in my opinion. I’m always seeking imperfection, that vulnerable, unsteady core that drives emotions.”
Following Nymphomaniac, Martin turned down roles that required nudity without artistic purpose, choosing instead to work with respected filmmakers like Michel Hazanavicius (Redoubtable) and Italy’s Matteo Garrone (Tale of Tales) on projects that weren’t necessarily big-budget. To support herself, she also represents major fashion brands. A decade ago, she starred in campaigns for Miu Miu and is now a “Louis Vuitton girl,” wearing the brand’s designs on red carpets and sitting front-row at fashion shows, including the Met Gala.
“I’m usually pretty low-key day to day, but Nicolas Ghesquière, Vuitton’s brilliant designer and creative director, gives me confidence and freedom to enjoy fashion,” she says. “He’s redefined the fashion codes and always makes pieces feel empowering. Now, in my 30s, I’m definitely more confident in what I wear. I don’t worry as much, I feel more relaxed.”
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