IT MUST have been an awkward moment for all parties concerned when around 50 of Keira Knightley's fans mistook fellow best actress nominee Marion Cotillard for the pouty British starlet at the Bafta awards last night.
After screaming "Keira! We love you!" at the 32-year-old Parisian actress – who was wearing a pale, sparkly Chanel dress with tousled hair, very similar to Knightley's Valentino column dress and similarly tousled hair – Cotillard retorted with "I'm F
rench", thereby putting the matter to rest.
There was no sign of any rivalry between the two actresses as they schmoozed in joint interviews on the red carpet, but Knightley (of the "it's all in the lips" school of acting) must have felt a little stung when Cotillard scooped the best actress gong from underneath her nose.
Julie Christie had been odds-on favourite to win best actress for Away From Her, with Knightley close behind for her role in Atonement. Cotillard was the surprise winner for her role as legendary 1940s and 50s singer Edith Piaf in the French-made film La Vie En Rose, which has already earned her a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination.
The first Frenchwoman to win the best actress Bafta, Cotillard responded to the announcement with the usual wide-eyed face gripping and exclamations of "Wow, wow, wow, wow" when she arrived at the podium. Managing to pull off the "This was so unexpected that I didn't even prepare a speech" performance impeccably, she seemed genuinely shocked to have won, perhaps because she is relatively unknown outside her native France.
"It has been the most incredible adventure," she said in an emotional speech. "I loved every single second."
Clearly her fellow actors thought that the award was well-deserved, with Knightley perfecting the gracious loser clap and smile routine, and fellow winner Daniel Day-Lewis – who picked up the award for best actor for his role in There Will be Blood – paying his own tribute to the French star when he collected his prize.
"Never mind all the other qualities in her astonishing performance," he said. "For sheer balls alone, I feel Marion should have this award as well."
