Europe is a very unique continent due to a wide mixture of culture and history which also makes it a very diverse place to visit or live. Two world wars and years of conflict seem to have made the continent and its residents stronger if anything. Today millions of tourists visit the various European countries every single year. So remember to apply for your EHIC when making your next holiday plans. The application is quick and easy, and once you’ve been approved you will be entitled to healthcare on the same grounds as the regular residents of the country. But of course, Europe would be nothing without the people, and here we take a look at few of the most iconic celebrities of this great continent.
Marion Cotillard
Born in Paris, Marion has been acting since 1993 where she played a number of roles throughout French cinema, but it was her move to Hollywood in 2003 that really put her on the map. First of all with Tim Burton’s Big Fish, she has since collaborated with Christopher Nolan on Inception and the Dark Knight Rises, Woody Allen’s Midnight In Paris and she has starred alongside Michael Fassbender in Macbeth and Assassin’s Creed. Outside of action, Miss Cotillard is also a keen musician who can play guitar, bass, keyboard and tambourine. A fine vocalist too, she has released 11 singles, most of which as part of film soundtracks and Lady Dior advertising campaigns.
Javier Bardem
Many film fans may recognise Javier Bardem best from his role of Raoul Silva in the 23rd Bond movie Skyfall. Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, Bardem was so committed to his role as a Bond villain that he had the entire script translated into his mother tongue of Spanish in order to help him learn the part quicker. He also made himself to a household name after playing Anton Chigurh in the Coen brother’s movie No Country For Old Men. Javier starred alongside Penélope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona where they started dating before tying the knot in 2010 and having two children. Bardem also recently played Capitán Salazar in the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film, Dead Men Tell No Tales is set for release in 2017.
Nicolas Winding Refn
His father, Anders Refn, is a director and editor while his mother, Vibeke Winding, was a cinematographer, so Nicolas Winding Refn was somewhat destined for a career in film. Throughout his childhood he was brought up on French New Wave cinema as it was what his parents were interested in, but it was the Texas Chainsaw Massacre that made Nicolas want to make movies himself. It was his Pusher trilogy that gained him worldwide attention, since then he may be best known for his movies Bronson (a biopic of Charles Bronson starring Tom Hardy), Drive, Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon. Winding Refn has also expressed interest in directing Wonder Woman, Batgirl and Doctor Who, so watch this space.
