"Of course it's difficult to top a box office success like Emmanuelle, so it will always be my most important work. But that's nothing to be ashamed of"
About this Quote
She’s doing something rare for an actor: refusing to apologize for the role that made her famous, while still admitting it boxed her in. Kristel’s line carries a double awareness. On the surface, it’s pragmatic show business math: a phenomenon like Emmanuelle is hard to outrun. Underneath, it’s a small act of self-defense against an industry that loves to profit off erotic notoriety and then punish the performer for it.
The first sentence is a tight negotiation with cultural hierarchy. “Of course” anticipates the listener’s skepticism, as if she’s already heard the condescending version of the story: you did that movie, then what? By calling it her “most important work,” she reclaims the language usually reserved for “serious” prestige roles. Important doesn’t mean best; it means consequential. It changed her life, it stamped her image onto a decade, it became shorthand for a whole strain of European softcore glamour that mainstream audiences could pretend was “art.”
Then comes the pivot: “But that’s nothing to be ashamed of.” That’s the real target. Not critics, but shame as a management tool. The line pushes back on the idea that sexual visibility disqualifies you from respect, that a woman’s success in erotic material must be framed as a mistake to outgrow. Kristel isn’t romanticizing the trap; she’s asserting ownership of the outcome. She’s telling you the scandal wasn’t the work. The scandal was how comfortable everyone was consuming it while insisting she should feel smaller for having made it.
The first sentence is a tight negotiation with cultural hierarchy. “Of course” anticipates the listener’s skepticism, as if she’s already heard the condescending version of the story: you did that movie, then what? By calling it her “most important work,” she reclaims the language usually reserved for “serious” prestige roles. Important doesn’t mean best; it means consequential. It changed her life, it stamped her image onto a decade, it became shorthand for a whole strain of European softcore glamour that mainstream audiences could pretend was “art.”
Then comes the pivot: “But that’s nothing to be ashamed of.” That’s the real target. Not critics, but shame as a management tool. The line pushes back on the idea that sexual visibility disqualifies you from respect, that a woman’s success in erotic material must be framed as a mistake to outgrow. Kristel isn’t romanticizing the trap; she’s asserting ownership of the outcome. She’s telling you the scandal wasn’t the work. The scandal was how comfortable everyone was consuming it while insisting she should feel smaller for having made it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Movie |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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