Virginie Efira on Benedetta Controversy

Actress Virginie Efira has built a career on bold choices, but even she admits her latest project pushed things further than expected. In a new interview, the Belgian-French star opened up about signing on for Paul Verhoeven’s controversial religious drama Benedetta, revealing that her longtime admiration for the director’s most infamous work - 1995’s Showgirls - helped prepare her for what was to come.

Efira, who stars in the film as a 17th-century nun experiencing a passionate and explicitly sexual relationship with another sister, said she never flinched when Verhoeven first laid out his intentions. The director, known for pushing boundaries with films like Basic Instinct and RoboCop, reportedly warned her early on about the nature of the scenes she would be asked to perform. Her response was immediate and unbothered.

“When Verhoeven said there would be lesbian sex scenes, I just replied: ‘No problem,’” Efira recalled. The actress explained that her familiarity with Verhoeven’s oeuvre, particularly the polarizing Las Vegas stripper saga Showgirls, had already given her a clear picture of his fearless approach to on-screen sexuality. “I love Showgirls,” she said. “I think it’s misunderstood. So I knew exactly what kind of film I was getting into.”

The resulting movie, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, ignited exactly the kind of controversy Verhoeven has courted throughout his career. Religious groups condemned its depiction of erotic desire within a convent, while critics debated whether the film was a serious examination of faith and hypocrisy or simply provocation for its own sake. Efira says she enjoyed the heated response, viewing it as proof that the film was doing its job.

“Controversy is not something to be afraid of,” she said. “It means people are actually feeling something. With Paul, there’s never a middle ground. You either go all the way or you stay home.” The actress noted that Verhoeven approached the material with a mixture of scholarly seriousness and impish glee, treating the story’s religious setting with respect while simultaneously using it to explore repressed desire and institutional decay.

Efira pointed out that the director’s reputation for shock value often obscures his deeper interests. “People see the flesh and think that’s all it is,” she explained. “But Paul is really asking questions about power, about truth, about what people do when they believe they are chosen by God.” In Benedetta, her character claims to experience divine visions, including stigmata, which complicates whether her relationship with a fellow nun is a holy union or a blasphemous deception.

The role marks another dramatic turn for Efira, who has spent the past decade alternating between French romantic comedies and darker arthouse fare. Having previously worked with directors like Justine Triet and Catherine Corsini, she said Verhoeven’s energy felt uniquely electric. “He is 80 years old, and he still has the enthusiasm of a teenager,” she said. “He would laugh at the most outrageous moments on set and then suddenly become very serious about getting the lighting right.”

Efira also addressed the physical demands of the role, which required her to perform several graphic scenes with co-star Daphne Patakia. She credited the film’s intimacy coordinator for creating a safe environment, but insisted that the emotional preparation mattered more than the technical aspects. “You have to be completely trusting of the people around you,” she said. “If you bring any hesitation onto the set, it shows. Paul made sure we were all on the same page.”

The actress expressed particular affection for a sequence in which her character uses a carved wooden figure of the Virgin Mary for sexual gratification, a moment that drew gasps and laughter at Cannes. “That was the moment I knew the film would be talked about,” she said. “It’s absurd and sincere at the same time, which is very Verhoeven.”

Despite the film’s divisive reception, Efira remains proud of the finished product. She hopes audiences will look past the sensationalist headlines and engage with the story on its own terms. “This is a film about desire and isolation and the strange ways people find faith,” she said. “It just happens to have a lot of nudity.”

As for what’s next, Efira is keeping her options open, though she hinted she would gladly work with Verhoeven again. “He’s one of the few directors who truly loves actors,” she said. “He gives you freedom and then pushes you to go further. It’s rare, and it’s wonderful.”

With Benedetta now generating awards-season buzz alongside its scandal, Efira’s take on the controversy offers a refreshing perspective: sometimes the most provocative art is also the most honest. As she put it, “If you’re not making people uncomfortable, you’re probably not saying anything new.”

Source: Variety