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The results of a casting forum: Athénaïs de Montespan
An overview of all previous candidates for Athénaïs de Montespan according to www.angelique.international
« back on Casting for the movie of dreams
Athénaïs de Montespan in the work by Anne Golon ... |
... & the real Athénaïs |
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(p. 54 - 55) The feelings that Madame de Montespan had aroused in her were somewhat mollified. She envied the flashing radiance of her charm and the brilliance of her conversation, even though her own beauty was quite comparable. Both of them were from good families in Poitou. Yet beside Athenais de Montespan Angélique felt inferior, in spite of her gift for easy repartee, and she was often silent in her company. She was aware of how alluring the young marquise's conversation was; no matter how she exaggerated anything, her voice was so trained and modulated that people believed her before they were appalled. This eloquence of hers, in which nature and art were so subtly combined that even a cynical observation drew admiration, was a talent in her family. (...) In the deep blue eyes of Madame de Montespan could be divined the proud and perhaps foolish motto of the family: Before the sea produced the earth. The waves of Rochechouart had birth. But none of those traditions had protected her from arriving in Paris poor as a churchmouse, without any possessions other than an old carriage, and from struggling before her marriage with all the hateful obstacles of poverty. Prouder and more sensitive than anyone believed, the girl had often been reduced to tears.
(p. 55) Angélique was not taken in by this protestation of virtue. There were certain dimensions of Athenais' character that astonished her, such as her ability to dissemble when she was torn between hypocrisy and sincerity. Her piety, for example: frivolous as she was, Madame de Montespan never missed Mass or any other devotion, and the Queen would repeat to anyone who cared to listen how pleased she was to have so devout a lady-in-waiting. (p. 159) She laughed with mad delight, rolling her blond head back and forth in the hay and writhing her arms with sensual abandon, as if she were reliving an all too recent moment of passion, that Angélique could hardly bear it. (p. 160) Under their long lashes Athenais' dark blue eyes surveyed Angélique with an evil glint. (p. 165) The King fell silent in astonishment, and since he was not quick-witted, his cheeks grew red. Madame de Montespan came to the rescue by laughing infectiously. She explained that the latest game was to answer direct questions as absurdly as possible. (p. 213) Madame de Montespan bravely carried her head high and pretended to laugh at the parrot to cover up her embarrassment. But when she saw Angélique, she burst into tears as she asked what had become of her husband. (p. 233) Madame de Montespan had indeed begun to mold the Court according to her own lights. At last in a position from which she could have her own way entirely, she was taking the Court in hand and stamping everything with the seal of her imagination and her fastidious taste. As she stood among the courtiers, Angélique observed her at the table of the royal princes, laughing and chatting, and giving everyone a chance to shine in turn. She was truly a great lady, with all the perfection associated with high rank. (...) Beside her everyone else looked second-rate. (p. 293 - 294) In the Queen's antechamber Angélique found Madame de Montespan completing her toilet with the help of all her suite. Her gown was of scarlet velvet embroidered with gold and silver and studded with precious stones, and she was preoccupied with arranging a long white silk stole so that it would hang as she wished. GOLON, Sergeanne. Angélique and the King. London: Pan Books, 1968. |
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The proposed faces for Athénaïs de Montespan |
The Poll |
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Athénaïs de Montespan• Emillie de Ravinborn 1981-12-27, Mount Eliza, Victoria, Australia height: 1.57 m TV series Roswell (Tess Harding), 2000-2002; TV series Lost (Claire Littleton), 2004-2008 • Elisha Cuthbert born 1982-11-30, Calgary, Alberta, Canada height: 1.59 m Love Actually (Carol-Anne, American Goddess), 2003; The Girl Next Door (Danielle), 2004 • Nicole Kidman born 1967-06-20, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA height: 1.79 m Moulin Rouge (Satine), 2001; Cold Mountain (Ada Monroe), 2003 • Charlize Theron born 1975-08-07, Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa height: 1.77 m The Devil's Advocate (Mary Ann Lomax), 1997; Monster (Aileen), 2003 • Dana Morávková born 1971-07-29, Písek, Czechoslovakia TV series Rodinná pouta and Velmi křehké vztahy (Andrea Rubešová), 2004-2007 • Helena Zeťová born 1980-11-07, Valašské Meziříčí, Czechoslovakia height: 1.79 m singer (hit Impossible) • Natasha Bedingfield born 1981-11-26, Haywards Heath, Sussex, England, UK height: 1.68 m singer (album Unwritten) • Michelle Williams born 1980-09-09, Kalispell, Montana, USA height: 1.63 m TV series Dawson's Creek (Jen Lindley), 1998-2003; Brokeback Mountain (Alma Beers), 2005 • Sarah Chalke born 1976-08-27, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada height: 1.73 m TV series Roseanne (Becky), 1993-1997; TV series How I Met Your Mother (Stella), 2008 • Cameron Diaz born 1972-08-30, San Diego, California, USA height: 1.74 m Charlie's Angels (Natalie Cook), 2000; Gangs of New York (Jenny Everdeane), 2002 • Kate Hudson born 1979-04-19, Los Angeles, California, USA height: 1.68 m How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Andie), 2003; The Skeleton Key (Caroline Ellis), 2005 • Jennie Garth born 1972-04-03, Urbana, Illinois, USA height: 1.65 m TV series Beverly Hills 90210 (Kelly Taylor), 1990-2000; Falling for You (Meg Crane), 1995 |
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