Her face fair, her voice young, and her fine silhouette covered by a loose tee-shirt, Vanessa Paradis, today in the office of her producer, Christian Fechner, promotes the new film of Rene Manzor, Witch Way Love. A magical comedy where she is billed alongside Jean Reno, Gil Bellows, Jeanne Moreau. At 25, she's kept an adolescent allure. Secret, willing, her head on her shoulders, she always went her own way, leaving a trail of people talking. What has forged her character has just as well hardened her. Three years after the success of her Jean Becker film, Elisa, she returns to cinema in the role of a seductive witch which must defend her 11-month-old baby against the evil-doings of one certain Molok, alias Jean Reno...

After serious films, like Noce Blanche and Elisa, you do comedy for the first time, by playing a good witch, the mom of little Arthur. A big change, right?

Frankly, I believe life is more enjoyable when you do different things. I wanted to change genre, to amuse myself. This time, the character I play is not an aggressive teenager who must defend herself against everything. It's a woman, a mother, full of life, and is good deep down in her soul. A difficult role. Reading the script, it seemed easy to me, but during filming, I was a little lost. When you go overboard you are not credible, when you play down the role you become tedious.

This new role announces your crossing from adolescent to woman?

Yes, the role requires it, but that doesn't mean that I will stop playing girl roles. Not yet.

You feel at ease playing comedy?

At ease, no. It's much more difficult to make people laugh than to express suffering, violence, tears, aggression. Like for everything, you have to dive in. And for my whimsical character of a witch, I had the impression of balancing on a tightrope, that I was likely to sound false or insipid.

Jeanne Moreau, who plays the part of your grand-mother, did she keep you going?

She definitely kept me going, because to do comedy with her was a true gift. I didn't need somebody to attract me to comedic roles, but with her, the idea was even more attractive.

You are a singer and actress at the same time. Would you like to follow in the same footsteps as Jeanne Moreau? Do you want to do many things at the same time?

Certainly, that's my thing. Success lets me. Initially, I didn't need to choose between music and film, and I will definitely try theater one day. It's horrible to say the word "profession" because it's as if one goes to the office without pleasure or passion. I feel much more like a professional when I have to do promotion for a film. That's, it's business, it's work. But before that happens it's all pleasure and a great opportunity to make films and music at the same time, and to be able to choose from two.

Jean Reno plays the part of an evil wizard. Is he your kind of actor?

He's someone I already knew before working on a film with him, who changes many things. He is a deep thinker, but relaxed, and he is a force. He is very natural. I like him very much.

You live a very discreet life, far from the people columns. Is that your choice?

I live a completely normal life, far from the view of others. It's a question of character. Once upon a time, between the ages of 16 and 20, I used to go out a lot to nightclubs, restaurants; today, that's in the past. I still love to dance. But I'd have to dance with bodyguards. That's out of the question.

A way of keeping your head on your shoulders...

Yes, thanks to my entourage, who always supported me. I don't know who I'd've become if my parents, my family, my friends were not there. I bitched about it in the beginning, but they've done me a huge favor, because I didn't have time to let it go to my head. In fact, when certain people completely hate you, you don't have any time to lose, if you want to prove to them that they can like you.

It's very hurtful all the same...

Yes, it's terrible. Especially at the age of 14 or 15.

Is all forgiven?

"Forgiven," that's not the word, but I thank them for what they've done for me. It's difficult to start working at 14, to find quick success when you're not fully formed, when you don't know who you are, when people expect you to be "on" every day, in the school, in the street, on the television. Thus, when all this is put on your shoulders, there are not many solutions, and you become a victim, that is to say a victim of a beating.

Apparently, for you this film is a truly magical tale...

Yes, a truly magical tale. You can call it a romantic comedy. I love this story. It's difficult to to say why eight months later... I really liked playing a mother. I just did.

Next May, you start filming a Patrice Leconte comedy, with Belmondo and Delon, two stars that could be your grandfathers. Does that strike you as amusing?

I don't think they'd like to hear that. I don't think about the actors' age, but rather their character, their talent, and especially what we will share together. I've met them each once. To me, they seem to be young souls and were very charming.

But aside from that?

It annoys me a bit to talk about it. I am just so in a hurry to film with Patrice Leconte, because he seems to know what he wants. He's nice, funny, and he must be a joy to work with. I have seen him all of three or four times, but there's already a very friendly feeling between us, without having to know each other, without having to speak. I feel we both really want to do this film.

And when will you return to singing?

It's still up in the air. At the moment, I'm looking for songs and for someone to produce them, because I can't produce or write an album all by myself. I need ideas, new sounds.

To be in this profession, you need to follow your lucky star, to believe you have a chance, to work hard?

I believe you shouldn't think too hard. You need to live in the moment, which is what I do. I like the surprises life offers, and when something comes up, I don't ask too many questions, I just dive in. I believe in God and in the luck I've been granted. I have talent, I work hard, but most certainly I have a huge, huge, huge amount of luck. I also tell myself that this can all end tomorrow. I don't think too hard. It's not the future I'm concerned with, but the present and the projects I'm working on.