Lauren Lee Smith, a well-known name in the world of acting, has shown her versatility across various roles. From her appearances in television shows like ‘Mutant X’ and ‘CSI’ to her film roles in ‘Lie with Me’ and ‘Cinemanovels,’ she has presented her ability to embody diverse characters. Still, Smith openly expressed her admiration for another respected figure in the entertainment industry.
When asked about the actor that inspired her creativity the most during an exclusive interview with Flavorwire in 2009, Lauren replied:
“Isabelle Huppert has always been my idol. She’s the reason why I wanted to become an actress. Jennifer Connelly. I saw her in ‘Labyrinth’ when I was, I don’t know, eight or something, and I was like, ‘Oh my god. You can do this?’ Cate Blanchett, Juliette Lewis, anyone who steps outside the box I think I admire.”
She added, further explaining why she chose to give the names of those actors:
“I tend to really appreciate performers where they sort of disguise themselves in everything they do. As opposed to sticking with one genre and doing that really well, I prefer the more sort of ‘take the chances’ route. I think it’s important to have those safe actresses of the world. But we also need the people who sort of go in there and take chances and disguise themselves.”
In a previous 2006 interview with John Goodman, Smith addressed her admiration for Huppert one more time, saying:
“She’s now my idol. After I saw Isabelle Huppert in ‘The Piano Teacher,’ I was hooked. To me, she’s one of the most beautifully striking women I’ve ever seen. She’s so interesting to watch, and she can do so much without doing a lot.”
Besides the actors she looks up to, Lauren also named the directors she would like to work with in other interviews before. Among them were household figures such as David Lynch, Michael Haneke, Tom Tykwer, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder.