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Oscar winner Marion Cotillard says AI actors 'act like potatoes', but is scared of being 'moved' by one someday

French actor Marion Cotillard has said that AI actors ‘acting like potatoes’ reassures her for now.

Updated on: Sep 25, 2026, 08:43:07 IST
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French actor Marion Cotillard has shared her dim view on ‘AI actors’, saying most ‘actors’ created by artificial intelligence still ‘act like potatoes’. However, she admitted to being fearful of a time in future when one could fool or ‘move’ her.

French actor Marion Cotillard poses during a photocall to promote the film 7H40 Ce Matin-La / Milo during the 74th San Sebastian International Film Festival in the northern Spanish Basque city of San Sebastian on September 24, 2026. (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA / AFP) (AFP)
French actor Marion Cotillard poses during a photocall to promote the film 7H40 Ce Matin-La / Milo during the 74th San Sebastian International Film Festival in the northern Spanish Basque city of San Sebastian on September 24, 2026. (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA / AFP) (AFP)

Marion Cotillard slams AI actors

On Thursday, the 50-year-old actor attended the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain, where she is promoting her new film 7h40 ce jour-là. Speaking to reporters there ahead of the film's screening, the actor spoke about AI actors as the debate over AI's impact on film and the wider creative industries grows.

"I think I would be very afraid the day I was moved by an AI actor. For now, I find that they act like potatoes, and that reassures me," the 50-year-old Oscar winner said. Marion won the Best Actress Oscar in 2008 for her portrayal of French singer Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.

She added that often she wondered whether AI actors could eventually become convincing enough to fool audiences. “I wonder if one day that will happen, if one day I would be fooled by an actor. I have to admit that it's something that makes me think and that can frighten me.”

The debate around AI actors

There has been considerable debate about the ethical considerations of using AI-created actors. The most prominent AI actor in the world is Tilly Norwood, whose recent appearance on a talk show further sparked this debate and the efficacy of the so-called AI stars.

Tilly Norwood went viral for abruptly switching to speaking Chinese in the middle of an interview. The incident happened during ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ when Norwood was answering a question posed by actor Tom Conti about her upcoming feature film Misaligned.

Marion Cotillard at San Sebastian

Marion Cotillard is in San Sebastian for the world premiere of Nicole Garcia's 7h40 ce jour-là, which is competing for the festival's top prize.

In the film, she plays Alice, a former revolutionary activist who is released after 20 years in prison and attempts to reconnect with her son. "After spending 20 years in prison, the only thing she really has left is not her desire for revolution, but the fact that she is a mother," Cotillard said.

A total of 17 films are vying for the top awards in the official section of festival, which wraps up on Saturday.

(With AFP inputs)

  • Abhimanyu Mathur
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Abhimanyu Mathur

    Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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