"I don't know if you ever say to yourself that you want to be an actress. It eventually becomes a social function - you are an actress and you make a living out of it, but at the beginning it's more a matter of how to survive, or how to exist in a certain way"

In this quote, Isabelle Huppert is going over the journey of ending up being a starlet. She acknowledges that it may not constantly be a mindful decision to pursue acting, however rather it becomes a part of one's identity and a method of making a living. At the beginning, it may be more about survival and finding a method to exist in a particular way, rather than a desire to be a starlet. This highlights the obstacles and sacrifices that come with pursuing a profession in the carrying out arts. Huppert's words likewise suggest that being a starlet is not just a task, but a social function that brings a specific level of obligation and expectation.