Oscar winner Juliette Binoche sees freedom, strength in aging

Lament a number? Forget it.

“French women bloom at 40!” the Paris native laughs.

“There’s a freedom that comes with aging because your values are changing and you’re more yourself. There’s a strength in it. It’s not the age or the number you’re facing. You’re facing your fears … the fear of not being enough, the fear of not being loved,” says the star of “Chocolat,” “The English Patient” and “Clouds of Sils Maria.”

“And when you come out on the other side of your fears — lessons only experience can teach — then you’re open, you’re skilled, you’re honed as a person,” she continues. “You realize that this life has shaped you, but you have evolved. Isn’t evolving the most beautiful thing?”

Even the roles are sweeter for Binoche. These days, she is the heart of the critically acclaimed “The New Look,” a 10-episode Apple TV+ series about the lives of Coco Chanel and Christian Dior.

In “The New Look,” set during the Nazi occupation of Paris, Binoche portrays fashion icon Coco Chanel — the creative genius of a brand known for luxury goods and haute couture. Chanel also had clear ties to the Nazi occupation, including operating as an intelligence operative for the Nazis while in a romantic relationship with a high-ranking German officer.

“I didn’t know very much about Coco. That’s why I wanted to do the show,” Binoche says. “I was interested in digging into her lives because she had so many. It was the complexity of the character I found so fascinating.”

Binoche pondered those issues from her family home in France. Famously never married despite four proposals that she “never answered,” she’s the mother of Raphael, 22, and Hana, 17. Binoche’s good life tips:

Face the challenge

The series is ultimately one that focuses on survival. For Chanel, this included her personal survival, plus her legacy, which was under attack from upstart designer Dior (Ben Mendelsohn) “This was a woman who was just about surviving every second,” Binoche says. “Every minute, you feel the danger lurking around her. The series asks, ‘What would you do?’ … She basically shut down her business when the Germans invaded Paris. She had 4,000 seamstresses working for her and quit everything. She didn’t want to dress the Nazis.”

Channeling Chanel

Binoche admits that she wasn’t a Chanel aficionado. “I knew very little about her,” she says. “It was a matter of trying to get hold of the people who knew Coco.”

What surprised her? “Coco Chanel came from such a poor background,” she says. “There was so little chance that she could create a business with her background, but she did. She also hid that her mother committed suicide in front of her and her father abandoned the family. She hid that she had no education. Yet she found her niche, which was dressing in this sophisticated way that was so elegant. … Underneath it all, there was a vulnerability that was within Coco. She was a strong woman with a big will, but a little girl in her.”

Choose everything

Binoche believes in a life with few limits. She remembers at age 14 being asked to choose between her love of painting and her love of acting. “My mother had a friend who was a painter. I told her my dilemma,” she shares. “She signed a poster to me which said, ‘Juliette, choose to do everything! That always stayed in my mind.”

Examine your spirit

In her own life, Binoche says that spirituality has been a guiding force. “My spiritual life gives me wings and another perspective on things,” she explains. “I’m not glued to any one matter. Spiritual means my heart needs to go to places where I feel free. … I’m very lucky that I’ve met people who inspire my life. They encourage me to put my heart into whatever I’m doing, which is what makes life so sweet.”

Explore creative options

“I do some dance. I’ve done painting as well,” says Binoche, who likes to dabble in various creative ventures. “The point is, why not try things? You don’t have to master them all. The joy is to remain curious and know that art is not just you but what comes through you.”

Routine maintenance

Binoche calls the periods when she’s not working “repair time.” What does she do? “Exercising is always good and necessary whether you’re in your 20s or 80s. It’s always important to be in touch with your body. Even more if you’re an actor, because your body is your tool.”

She says her down time also includes prayer. “Prayer is very important. It’s nourishment for your soul and heart. It lifts me into a place that opens my mind.”

And finally, her repair moments include hanging out with her kids. “I love cooking for my kids and taking care of my mother. In a nonstop life, it’s nice to actually stop for a moment.”

Make bold choices

Does she only take on roles that excite her? “Absolutely,” Binoche says. “If I don’t feel the thrill, I would not do the role. Life is too short.”