Photo Credit: Jeremy Barniaud
“Born in France, Elisa LE HIR first chose a scientific field by joining the French “Classes préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles” and then successfully passed to integrate the “Ecole Nationale Supérieure Maritime” in France, where she graduated at 25 years old as Captain and Chief Engineer of the French Merchant Marine. She was also Officer in the French Navy.
She spent 10 years in this field and travelled all around the world sailing across the oceans where she did rich encounters and cultural discoveries.
In 2017, she decided to complete a two-year intensive course at Cours Florent Paris then at the Giles Foreman Centre for Acting between London and Paris. She also graduated from an ATCL of the London Drama Centre. She has her sights set on performing in foreign productions such as US/UK/Scotish/Irish/AUS/NZ as an actress in sci-fi, legal drama, a political thriller, action, supernatural, western, comedy movie/series.” She is represented by JACK AND JILL INTERNATIONAL TALENT AGENCY.
FWM: You graduated at 25 years old as Captain and Chief Engineer of the French Merchant Marine. How did this lead to your love to act?
I wanted to study acting since my childhood, but I think this project was still in a “dream state”!I did it when I was ready because it is quite a lottery!
This job is like every job: we need to work hard on different skills, develop the network.
The only difference is that we need a lot of luck!
I must say that we can only prepare the ground for it! 🙂
My parents had constraining jobs, in terms of location, so I was responsible very young, and I think the TV and my dog was my landmark!
And, to compensate for that situation, they enrolled me in different activities which are now strength for acting: piano, horse riding, swimming, UNSS (different kinds of sports).
I was passionate about music, singing, Art in general, Egypt, and Greek Mythologies.
My father was a model engraving teacher at The Ecole Boulle of PARIS and my mother traveled a lot so both gave me this passion for doing things with my hands and travels!
For acting, you need to do and be in the moment not being in your head, and my background helps me a lot for acting.
I came from a family where education, culture, and studies are very important.
I didn’t know what I wanted to do at school and I chose the “Scientific Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles”.
I was thinking a lot about being on set and I think I was not ready yet to take the step!
My educational path is not something that I regret today because it allowed me to have a different background, skills, be more confident and open-minded.
It is something that helps me on screen!
FWM: During your career you traveled all around the world sailing across the oceans where you found rich encounters and cultural discoveries. Did these experiences shape the way you perform as an Actress?
Yes certainly!
When I was Cadet Officer, I chose to test different maritime companies because I wanted to discover the world and cultures while working on different vessels.
I mostly traveled a lot with cruise ships and yachting because we were in a different port almost every day.
I find it difficult to put these trips into words because it is something very strong to experience and these feelings are different from one person to another. For me, each place was magical, despite increasing fatigue as the months went by (my longest embarkment was about 8 months long). We sailed from SVALBARD to the Amazon River, then from the islands of COIBA NORTH with the blue of the Pacific Ocean which remains one of my favorite oceans, with a crossing of the PANAMA Canal worthy of science fiction films! We were going back to Europe, with the Greek Cyclades then Turkey, Corsica, … Each time different people, luminosities, smells, nature, monuments, foods, philosophies, …
I still have trouble understanding that there can be so much war today because we have so much to learn from each other with this wonderful diversity around us.
I still have this memory at the North Pole where I was guarding a zodiac on a pontoon while the ship was at anchor offshore. It was necessary to wait a quarter (4 hours) at this same place until the passengers returned from their journey and to accompany them back to the ship. I couldn’t feel my extremities or my mouth much anymore, I was so cold, and a native family came to bring me dried fish and hot soup. The grandmother had even knitted me little mittens for my wrists! It is a gesture that I will never forget.
During my acting studies, I used it a lot as an emotional trigger.
The Merchant Marine is a wonderful life school because it is a place where “Everyone is on the same boat!”! You are conditioned to adapt quickly and effectively to your surroundings. It is like military service, but I think less formal because the Merchant Marine is civil. No matter your ethnicity, your education, if you come from a rich or poor family, your background, your way of thinking: everyone must do the job and respect each other. And I must say that there are beautiful values for me .If there is a problem, we must solve it and put ourselves in the place of others to better understand situations. As a sea women, we learn to endure life and criticism, which will be useful for this industry! 🙂
Photo Credit: Jeremy Barniaud
Onset is quite the same thing because a movie set is set by the minute. Everyone must do their job and it is like a family where good relations are the base to move in the same direction.
FWM: When was your first break?
In 2017 when I entered the Paris / London GFCA, where I studied The Method for 2 years.
This school was based on the learning of different technics:
Stanislavsky / Laban / Meisner / Strasberg / Batson / Hagen / Jung / Julia Cameron / Eckhart Tolle / Campbell / Michael Chekhov / Peter Brook, …
But most of all it was based on Christopher Fettes’ book (“A people Labyrinth”) which was my bible!
I then read Larry Moss’ book “The Intent of Live” which I found amazing and useful for developing my technic!
We did a lot of public plays:
Six characters in search of an author – Luigi Pirandello
Angelo, Tyrant of Padua – Victor Hugo
Ainsi Soit Benoite Groult – Catel – Catel – Devised play
Dom Juan – Molière
Oncle Vania – Anton Chekhov
The Crucible – Arthur Miller
The Cid – Pierre Corneille
and a lot of scenes from films/series were adapted for training and Showcase!
We used to do a lot of “trans dance” that allows your spirit and your body to be ready to play or act!
This moment was magical and allowed each actor/actress to connect through each character’s essence music.
But as an actor/actress we constantly need to question ourselves and study the characters (his life context / his habits / his most precious objects / his way of thinking,)
FWM: You mentioned in the press that you are interested in sci-fi, legal drama, a political thriller, action, supernatural. Why do these genres appeal to you?
I think that my background conditioned me to these kinds of series!
I love when things are efficient, logical, and very athletic that’s why I talk about sci-fi, legal drama, a political thriller, and action.
The operation of a shuttle is not so different from that of a ship!
We are traveling with a small town where there are people / bridge / engine control /catering, …
I think I am also destined to live in the action: For a time, I wanted to be a fighter pilot, motivated by the JAG serie! J
In addition to my merchant marine school, I entered the French Navy as a volunteer.
This would be a good background to dig in for action movies performances.
FWM: Tell us about your martial art training.
I used to practice a lot of martial arts for my pleasure (karate) but also fighting techniques like Krav Maga / Light-boxing / K-training.
I love the values brought by martial arts.
More than a sport, it is a philosophy.
I think for me it is like meditation or being alone in nature!
It feels refreshing and is good for the mental!
FWM: Who would you like to work with?
Actresses:
Hilary SWANK / Catherine BELL / Julia Roberts / Kathryn Winnick / Robin Wright / Jodie Foster / Jennifer CONNELLY / Sigourney WEAVER / Meryl STREEP
Actors:
Keanu REEVES / Denzel WASHINGTON / Hugh JACKMAN / Leonardo DI CAPRIO / Clint EASTWOOD / Samuel Lee JACKSON / Christian BALE / Tom HANKS / Kevin COSTNER
Filmmakers-Directors:
Ridley SCOTT /James CAMERON / Steven SPIELBERG / Georges LUCAS /Lee Jung-Hyo / Kim Hee-won / Jeff WOOLNOUGH / Andrew HINDERACKER / Scott FRANK / Ronald D. MOORE / Scott FRANK and Allan SCOTT
FWM: Would comedy appeal to you?
I love comedy!
Even if I did a job with « serious responsibilities”, I never lost my sense of humor!
I have a great penchant for puns even lame!
I need to laugh a lot every day.
I thought I understood that you had to laugh at least 15 minutes a day to be healthy and well if with what I laugh I fell ill, it is that this advice does not work at all! J
Comedy as an actor/actress is not something easy, because most of the time, it is a question of rhythm.
Of course, some don’t need to have rhythm because they have already what I call the look of the golden retriever!
I did a comedy improvisation during my acting school I had chosen the raving rabbit and during my improvisation, I was so into the character that I forgot the wall in front of me, and the wall remembers it! 🙂
FWM: Where do you see your career in the next 2 years?
I am not too used to doing things by halves so it’s sure that ideally, I would like to be spotted and have the chance to be able to further develop my acting as an actress with great directors but for which actor is this not the case?
It’s a job where you don’t have to let go and not sit on your reputation by constantly questioning yourself legitimately for the role.
All I know is that I won’t give up and I will always do my best to honor the character!
Website: https://www.elisa-lehir.com/
IMDbPRO: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm11467240?ref_=hm_nv_usr_profile
Spotlight: https://www.spotlight.com/6694-9080-4770
Reel: https://youtu.be/0TKpXFrWPIY
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/le-hir-elisa-54927220
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elisa.lehir
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisa_le_hir
