Merteuil: “I was very afraid that the series would make people think of Les Inconnus!”

Vincent Lacoste plays Valmont opposite Anamaria Vartolomei in the very beautiful period series HBO Max, replaying Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Encounter.

Interview in the boudoirs of Louis XV’s France. Vincent Lacoste and Anamaria Vartolomei exchange pleasantries in a lyrical and romantic Frenchman, in Merteuil, the HBO Max series which revisits the historical novel of 1782, with an emphasis on the social revenge of young Isabelle, a manipulated ingenue who has become a manipulator. The two actors to be Caesarized in 2022 tell us about their Liaisons really Dangerous.

FIRST: Why is Merteuil not entirely an adaptation of the book by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos?
Vincent Lacoste: It’s a rereading of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, from the point of view of Isabelle de Merteuil, with a little prequel aspect, since we start the story before. It’s really focused on her and her love story with Valmont. We describe his trajectory, his evolution in this society, starting from a deep initial wound. And from episode 3, we return to the book and the story we know.

By maintaining a feminine prism…
Vincent Lacoste: Exactly. Because often, in adaptations of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the point of view is that of Valmont. Until the film Valmont by Miloš Forman (1989) in fact… At the same time, the book is really told through him and Isabelle de Merteuil is almost presented as the villain of the story. Our series explains why she became like this.

There is the idea of ​​an exoneration of the character, who has this image of a devious manipulator?
Anamaria Vartolomei: Yes, we are a bit in the rehabilitation of Merteuil and her condition, she who is often seen as the villain. Her very feminine gaze is the common thread of the series. We show how she will reclaim her body to achieve a form of freedom and independence. There is a form of revenge, very destructive, but behind it there is this desire for emancipation.

How do you view her?
Anamaria Vartolomei: She’s a kid who starts from nothing, who doesn’t have the codes and who is educated by Rosemonde (Diane Kruger) in a form of initiatory story. To integrate into high society, Isabelle de Merteuil betrays herself to conform to these codes. But once she is alone in front of her mirror, the mask falls and we understand that she herself does not know who she is deep down. It’s complex. And it’s good that it’s a series, because over six episodes, we have time to develop this evolution, from the ingenue child to the wounded woman, to the manipulative, almost grotesque strategist that we all know.

How do you play in sustained French, that of the 18th century? Where each line sounds like a poem?
Vincent Lacoste: It’s true that it’s a bit of a challenge as an actor, because you have to find naturalness in this very polished language. It was a real desire of the director, Jessica Palud, and the screenwriter, Jean-Baptiste Delafon. But it’s not easy to understand, because we can quickly feel trapped by such dialogues. Or because we don’t understand them. Either because it sounds artificial. So we tried to make them more flexible. But at the same time, this is also what makes the charm of Les Liaisons Dangereuses: beneath their very chic appearances, in private, they are quite disgusting (laughs).

There have been quite a few adaptations of Les Liaisons Dangereuses over the past 30 years, for film or on television. Which one is your favorite?
Anamaria Vartolomei: That of Stephen Frears (1988) obviously. Besides, I haven’t seen Valmont (1989) or even the modern version, Sexe Intentions (1999). I obviously had in mind the masterful incarnation of Glenn Close. It was even a little intimidating, because she is so perfect that it’s complicated to compare yourself to such a performance. But since Merteuil is a prequel, I also allowed myself a little more freedom.

You haven’t thought too much about the sketch from Les Inconnus: “There goes your Merteuil fly!” during filming?
Vincent Lacoste: Yes! And I was very afraid of that at the time. May the series make you think of The Unknown! That’s still the risk of this kind of production. With such dialogues, it’s not easy, we flirt with caricature and if we’re off base, we quickly slip into Les Inconnus.

The series is very sensual. What was it like filming the many sex sequences?
Anamaria Vartolomei: We worked with intimacy coordinators, who came to open the dialogue about what Jessica (Palud) wanted from the sequence and what we were ready to do to bring it to life. We had to find a mutual agreement, because these are not easy moments to film. We can quickly feel vulnerable and this is where intimacy coordinators have an important role to play in making this comfortable. Afterwards, Jessica herself has modesty. She was careful not to fall into vulgarity. The sex scenes are never excessive and they all have a narrative stake.

You two had already crossed paths in Jacky in the Kingdom of Girls by Riad Sattouf, a little over 10 years ago. Do you remember this shoot together?
Vincent Lacoste: Of course! Even if it was a completely different atmosphere… Nothing to do with Merteuil (laughs). We were in Georgia and Anamaria was very young. She was 14 at the time. Me 19 years old. Our relationships were not necessarily the same. We’ve met several times since then, but it’s true that it was funny to meet again like that, ten years later.

Merteuil, in 6 episodes, to watch on HBO Max since November 14, 2025