Director Anne Fontaine was so desperate to get Audrey Tautou to play fashion icon COCO CHANEL in her upcoming movie, she threatened to quit if the French star refused.
Tautou takes the title role in forthcoming biopic Coco avant Chanel, which details the legendary designer's rise to the top of the fashion world.
And Fontaine was so convinced Tautou was perfect for the part, she told the actress she would walk away from the film unless Tautou signed up.
Fontaine says, "It couldn't be another French actress for me. It was so obvious, as she was so close physically. In the pictures, sometimes, it's incredible. She's so thin and fragile, but also strong in her personality. I couldn't imagine it as anybody else.
"Many could play the part, but you have to be different... She has to be really special, and Audrey is very special, with these two big eyes and this little boy body. I had the conviction when I saw her that she was the reincarnation of a young Chanel."