Julia Stiles and Poppy Delevingne talk success, social media and working together on 'Riviera'
“It is ridiculous to be working with Julia, who was literally like my hero,” Poppy Delevingne says of Julia Stiles, her co-star in Sky’s Riviera. We caught up with the two actresses at a beautiful art deco townhouse in West London, where we recreated the glamour of the French Riviera that is depicted in their show.
Delevingne is joining the glitzy TV drama in season two, where she plays Daphne Eltham, part of a new family arriving in Cote d’Azur, bringing a touch of Bohemian glamour and no doubt even more trouble for Stiles’ Georgina Clios.
Riviera is one of Sky’s biggest success stories, with series one drawing in 2.3 million people an episode and racking up more than 20 million downloads, making it the most-watched original series on Sky. The fan base is big – and includes Delevingne, who couldn’t help watching it all in one sitting.
“I saw the first season on a plane trip to Los Angeles where I thought I would just watch one episode and I ended up binging on all 10 on the flight,” she says. “It meant that when I landed and went to work I was cross-eyed, but it also meant that I was completely hooked.”
Due to the show’s success, Riviera was quickly commissioned for a second season (and, since then, a third) and Delevingne was met with an opportunity to be a part of something she already loved.
“When the audition came up, I worked so hard to get it because I really felt like this part was mine.”
As a relative newcomer to the acting world, Delevingne says she was “completely dumbfounded” when she first met Stiles, someone who she grew up watching in films like 10 Things I Hate About You and Save The Last Dance. With her, alongside the likes of Juliet Stevens and Jack Fox (who also join the cast this season), she says that she became like a “sponge” on set.
“I am very early into my acting career and so I had the opportunity to learn such a tremendous amount because of the amazing actors I was working with. I was like a sponge, I just wanted to learn as much as I could and take it in.”
Dresses, jewellery and rings, all Saint Laurent; Hats, Eliurpi
Stiles – who spent much of her twenties working as a movie star – joins a long list of respected actors making their way back to the small screen. She says that this is quite a welcome movement happening in the industry.
“I think so many film actors are moving back to TV because the quality is just so high. I think for an actor to have the opportunity to tell a story that is so much longer and requires this thread from start to finish, to depict this journey, that is really quite satisfying. It used to be very much either or – if you did TV, you couldn’t really cross over into film and vice versa, but that has completely changed.”
Of course, her decision to work on a series was also down to how she felt about Riviera and about her character, Georgina – an American art dealer who tries to uncover the truth about her billionaire husband’s death. The complex nature of her story drew Stiles to the part.
“I felt like I hadn’t really seen anything like Riviera on TV and the character of Georgina really struck me because she seemed really strong and had this backbone – and so you want to know, why is she staying in this situation after such tragedy?
“I thought she was sort of reckless and that’s why I was drawn to her. I feel really lucky to get to play her – she is so complex and I think you see that because of how long the audience gets to see her develop.”
Dress, Dior; Earrings, Vanda Jacintho; Ring, Dior Joaillerie
Aside from the thrilling drama that takes place on screen, one of the most striking things about Riviera that really makes it stand out is the glamour. Set on the French Riviera and following the lives of a billionaire family, it's positively dripping in luxury. From the designer clothes to fast cars, yachts, palaces and private planes, the series is, as Delevingne describes it, “complete escapism”.
“The glamour and the fashion of the show was one of the things I fell most in love with,” she says. “You are on the beach, under the stars, in the sunshine. It is full of fast cars, beautiful clothes, dresses, shoes – I think that kind of complete escapism really appeals to people.”
Dress, Osman; Earrings, Jessica McCormack; Ring, Dior
Stiles admits that she too has learnt so much about the worlds of luxury and fashion simply by being on the show. And, in fact, being a part of it lets the cast and crew have a real taste of the high life as they spend months on end filming in a glorious, picturesque location, surrounded by luxury.
“One of the toughest things about being an actor is the re-entry into normal life,” Delevingne says. “After finishing six months on the French Riviera, suddenly real life can be a bit tough to come back to.”
Stiles, however, finds the opportunity to sink into such a long period of time in one location one of the biggest bonuses about working in TV over film.
“TV gives you the opportunity to work with the same people for so much longer. Being in this profession, sometimes you feel like a bit of a nomad, jumping from job to job. I feel like being able to have this consistency with the people you work with is really comforting.”
Top and skirt, Stella McCartney; Shoes, Aquazzura; Earrings, Scho; Rings, Cartier
Stiles knows a thing or two about the difficulties of working in Hollywood. The actress made her first on-screen appearance aged just 11 and was catapulted to fame as a teenager when she appeared in numerous cult teen films. The actress is quick to admit that life in the spotlight has changed dramatically since the ‘90s and this is, in part, down to social media, which of course has both positives and negatives.
“It is absolutely different now compared with when I was younger," she says. "The advent of social media is crucial for actors in particular – you have to be a lot more cautious, so much more is recorded now but then at the same time, with Instagram and Twitter, you have an opportunity to have a more direct platform and I am trying to navigate that, just like everyone else is. I try to just have fun with it and have it not occupy too much of my time, but not completely check out either.”
Dresses and shoes, all Saint Laurent; Julia's rings, Cartier; Poppy's earrings, Jessica McCormack
Delevingne too tries to find this balance with social media, still learning the best way to use it as a person in the spotlight.
“I feel like social media is such a crazy place right now. I find it exhausting, if you want my honest opinion. But I think that in this current climate, it is what it is and if you choose to not accept it, you get left behind.
“I really do enjoy Instagram because I love taking photographs and I like my social media space to be something very positive. I don’t welcome any negativity and I just like to keep it at a happy medium, but yes, it gives me anxiety when I wake up in the morning. I think everyone feels like that.”
Both Delevingne and Stiles spend our day with them gamely embracing the glamour of dressing up, channelling their inner billionaires and wafting around in Saint Laurent gowns; something which they are both clearly very comfortable with, but still find a novelty, taking pictures and funny videos of one another to share with their fans. Getting back to reality might be a challenge, but who doesn't love a bit of escapism now and then?
The second season of 'Riviera' is available on Sky now.
Julia wears dress, Valentino; Shoes, Malone Souliers; Earrings, Vanda Jacintho; Ring, Annoushka. Poppy wears top and trousers, both Valentino; Shoes, Charlotte Olympia; Earrings, Vanda Jacintho; Ring, Anoushka; Ring, Jessica McCormack.
Video by Rise Media. Styling by Georgia Medley. Hair by Earl Simms at Caren using BaByliss. Make-up by Clare Read at Caren using Chanel Vision d’Asie: Lumière et Contraste and Chanel Hydra Beauty Camellia Water Cream.
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