Sauvage is about wide-open spaces. Where do you feel most yourself in the world?

Well, that is an interesting question for me because obviously my life is a little bit different than other people’s, in the sense that I long to be able to go out into the world and experience stuff, see stuff, go to a store, bookstores. But it does not work that way for me any more. So the things that we have done together with Dior – Jean-Baptiste Mondino and myself – represent these “wide open spaces”, these “possibilities”, every possibility that is out in front of you. There’s a sense of solitude, but not a lonely solitude. It’s a kind of Zen-like solitude that I feel in those little films. You do not quite understand the reason behind certain things, but it makes perfect sense if you just accept what is happening – like the wolves [for the 2021 campaign], for instance. That was magic, I thought.

Where I feel the most myself in this world, and where I go to feel absolutely normal, I suppose, is my place in the Bahamas, because it’s an island and nobody’s looking at me. You’ve got to have some sanctuary, a safe place where you can escape the scrutiny and the interest of others, a place where you can just sit on a beach, read, paint, meditate or whatever, that’s freedom to me. That’s the only real freedom.

What about your feelings about the ocean?

The idea of being under, just free in the ocean, with the wind pounding against you, the sun pounding down on you, and the shimmery ripples across the water, sparkles everywhere … It cleanses your mind. The thing that intrigues me most is the most basic, the simplest way of living. I don’t have a decadent lifestyle. Yes, everything boils down to real simplicity for me. When you’re on the island, you’re not at some swanky hotel. It doesn’t look like the Four Seasons or anything. It should look like what it is. It should look like a simple island house. Nothing grand, nothing. Just simplicity.

Sauvage portrays a man unaffected by the passing of time – how do you feel about that idea?

Everyone is going to be affected by the passing of time, but I understand that in terms of the idea behind it, which is to say that I’ve always felt better in myself by sticking to my guns about choices that I’ve made. The racket that I’ve been in for all these years is quite a competitive racket, and I’ve never felt the need to be competitive with anyone. I hate the idea. It’s about who wins what, who gets what, who’s better and who’s worse, and who makes more, and all that … I don’t care about any of that stuff. If you care about any of that stuff, man, I just think it’s counterproductive to the actual work that you’re doing as an actor.

An actor should do his best, be conscious of the things around him, very conscious of the available things that are around. When I finish a film I say goodbye to the character, and I don’t watch other people. Most of the time – not out of disrespect to the filmmaker – the less I’m aware of any “who’s hot, who’s not, who’s f***ed up, who’s this” … the better it is. I prefer ignorance to knowledge in that field. (Laughs) I feel that I’ve been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to present some characters over the years – characters and scripts that I felt really had something, and I felt like I had something to add to them.

Do you have a beauty routine?

No real beauty “routine” (laughs). But, when you grow older and you gain a bit of knowledge, you understand the way things work. It’s like you should take care of your body at least as well as you take care of your car [laughs]. Have some respect for this mortal coil!

How did you enjoy directing Modi?

I directed a film before [The Brave, 1997], but the experience wasn’t the same, it was a very dark film, and the problem was I’d written it with my brother and I’d also had to act in it because that was the only way that anyone would give us the money. That’s not something I would recommend to anyone.

So, I thought after that film, I’m never directing again. That was dumb. With this new project Modi, Al Pacino – when we did Donnie Brasco together, we got tight and have been very close, to this day – had this as a project he was going to direct back in the Nebraska days, then everything went other ways.

Maybe a year and a half ago, Al called and just said, “Hey, John, remember that Modigliani thing? You know what I was thinking, man? What about you direct it? I would like for you to direct the thing. I’ll play a part!” And I just thought, “Great. I don’t have to be in it … if I don’t have to be in it, sure!” All I have to do is put together a cast that can deliver and just capture the moments that they give me and put it together in a cutting room. It’s a lot easier when you don’t have to look at yourself, your own mug on the screen.

What are you passionate about?

Since I was a little kid, my escape from reality was a piece of paper and a pencil. So I was always drawing, getting in trouble for it, even in school, and getting yelled at by the teacher in first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, for just drawing: drawing Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and Wolf Man. And weirdly, dark things, like sort of universal monsters. So drawing has always been a part of my life and painting as well – I started painting a long time ago now, but never thinking that I was going to display paintings or anything. It was just something for me to do and keep my brain occupied really. It still doesn’t make me any good, but it’s a nice outlet.