Cara Delevingne ‘shaking like a leaf’ as she stuns at Valerian premiere with Rihanna and Dane DeHaan
Cara Delevingne may have the leading role in her latest film – but she admitted to struggling with nerves.
The model-turned-actress, 24, told fans she was “shaking like a leaf” as she stepped out for the European premiere of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
Delevingne – who plays Sergeant Laureline – looked stunning in a black trouser suit which she teamed with heels and a black Alice band as she arrived to hundreds of screaming fans in London’s Leicester Square.
Speaking on the blue carpet she said: “I’m shaking like a leaf right now, but it’s good.”
Delevingne described director Luc Besson as her “hero” adding: “I don’t know what made me cry and drop my jaw to the floor more, watching this film or being asked by Luc Besson to star. I don’t know what’s going on.”
The actress came close to tears after she spotted three generations of her family waving down at her from a balcony above the cinema, telling Edith Bowman: “I’m actually going to cry.”
Delevingne was praised by Besson who compared her to fellow thespian Natalie Portman and encouraged the UK to throw their support behind her burgeoning acting career.
“Cara, she’s a kangaroo,” he said. “She’s jumping all the time and I was honestly amazed by her ability and capacity to play this role. I know some people have doubts about it, but believe me I’ve worked with Natalie Portman, with Milla Jovovich with Scarlett [Johansson] and Cara is on the team.
“She’s one of the best. And I’m very super proud and I hope people in the UK will support her because she’s amazing.”
Her co-star Rihanna – who plays Bubble in the sci-fi flick – also praised Delevingne, and joked that she was nervous to see herself on screen alongside her.
The singer – who looked stunning in a plunging red gown – said: “It was interesting to see her in this actress mould. Cara was so focused and so great in this. It blew me away.
“It made me nervous because I was like ‘woah my part’s coming up next I have to deal with that’.”
Dane DeHaan – who plays the films titular character – was also in attendance and described working with Besson as a “dream come true”.
Speaking to Bowman he joked that he’s lost the ‘figure’ he gained through the intense training for the role.
“There was a lot of training involved,” he said. “I trained for three months before hand and for two hours a day while we were shooting. I was in the shape of my life… back then a year ago.”
Set in the 28th Century, Valerian follows special operatives Valerian and Laureline as they race to identify a menace in a desperate bid to safeguard Alpha.
It is based on the French science fiction comics series, Valérian and Laureline.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is slated for UK cinema release on August 2.
