Diane Kruger has revealed how research for her role as a kidnapped journalist forced her to take a fresh look at her life.
The actress admitted that she considered herself to have lived a ‘pretty accomplished’ life until she began filming Special Forces in which she plays a French journalist who is kidnapped by the Taliban.
In preparation for the film, she interviewed several female journalists who had fallen victim to the same fate.
‘I researched the role for four months, interviewing journalists who were kidnap victims, and I think it’s changed me as a person,’ she told Gotham magazine.
‘It’s as though I felt quite ignorant before this, or maybe it’s just part of growing up. I always thought I had a pretty accomplished life: a famous model who speaks three languages and keeps a place in Paris. This role has certainly put me in my place a little bit.’
The 34-year-old, who is dating actor Joshua Jackson, said that she found living in on location the Himalayas difficult to adapt to.
‘It was a lot harder than I anticipated,’ she said. ‘Eighteen-hour car rides, dirt roads that are not really roads, freezing cold at night, everyone is sleep deprived, and everything is incredibly difficult and hard. I’ve broken down crying sometimes, but so have many of the boys.
‘It was also truly breathtaking – a once-in-a-lifetime experience.’