By Donna Freydkin, USA TODAY
NEW YORK � Benjamin Millepied has pirouetted into the spotlight.
By Charles Sykes, AP
Dancing in the streets: Benjamin Millepied films a commercial in New York for Yves Saint Laurent's new men's fragrance.
By Charles Sykes, AP
Dancing in the streets: Benjamin Millepied films a commercial in New York for Yves Saint Laurent's new men's fragrance.
The French-born principal dancer and choreographer at the New York City Ballet first garnered the attention of the entertainment world as the fianc� of pregnant actress Natalie Portman. Their baby ? gender unknown, says Millepied ? is due in a few weeks.
The topic of fatherhood makes the reserved Millepied more effusive.
"I'm going to take a lot of time off to enjoy this new stage of life that I'm really looking forward to. It's the unknown, and there's something so exciting when you know life one way and you can do all kinds of projects and exciting things, but this is going to be so different and new, and I love that idea," he says.
Millepied, 33, also emerges as the face of Yves Saint Laurent's new men's fragrance L'homme Libre, out in September.
The dapper dancer, dressed in a dark suit, his face sporting just the right amount of stubble during a chat the Soho Grand hotel, says he was honored when YSL asked him to star in the brand's new campaign ? mostly because of having his "art form recognized."
Plus, says Millepied, he's not much of a product guy. "I have some, but I'm not somebody who spends a lot of time putting himself together in the morning. No, no. I pay attention to what I put on, but I'm not very into that," he says, with a hint of smile.
"There's something French that way, to keep things simple and dress as the situation and daily life changes. Simple elegance, if possible. You don't want to be put together that much."
In person, Millepied is elegantly casual. His life, he says, hasn't changed very much since he first met Portman while shooting last year's ballet psycho-drama Black Swan, which he choreographed and which netted the actress an Oscar.
Yes, he accompanied her to various awards shows and earned a heartfelt shoutout during her Golden Globes acceptance speech. But, says Millepied, his dance community isn't particularly impressed with his foray into Hollywood.
"They're not treating me any differently. The ballet world doesn't care about that stuff. The celebrity aspect of things isn't going to get me more new ballets," says Millepied.
He and Portman split their time between New York, where Millepied dances and choreographs, and Los Angeles, where she has a home. He's left alone in both cities.
"At this point, I'm not recognized. You can make a choice of where you live and how you live your life. Those things make a difference in regards to your privacy," he says. "It's incredibly important for mental health and also to be able to live as a human being and as an artist to feel free. The privacy aspect is a matter of choice."
It's also why he clams up when Portman is mentioned, silencing you with a cool look. "Staying private is a good thing," he says, explaining why he doesn't discuss his fianc�e.
Next year, Millepied is creating a new ballet for the NYCB. And he'd like work behind the camera as well. "I'm interested in films, in directing. I'm going to see what happens. Little by little," he says.
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