Director Luc Besson's The Fifth Element has it all. Set in the 23rd century,
the 1997 summer blockbuster features an intriguing storyline about an ex-Special
Forces major and current cab driver Korben Dallas who, alongside the orange-haired humanoid Leeloo,
embarks on a mission to obtain stones needed to save Earth from certain doom. It touts
strong performances from its incredible cast, intense fight scenes, and great comedic lines.
"Every five minutes, there's something! A bomb or something! I'm leaving!"
Perhaps the most iconic scene of the film, though, is the one centered around the alien
Diva Plavalaguna's operatic performance. She sings a unique arrangement of Il Dolce Suono
from the opera Lucia di Lammermoor, performed by Inva Mula in the movie.
The blue-skinned Diva enraptures not only the scene's fictional audience,
but also the real-life audience watching the film. From the vocals to the visuals floating
around the Diva to the way she looks, it's hard not to be captivated by the sequence.
Looking back, a big question is raised: Who was the actual performer beneath the
unforgettable blue makeup, the tentacles sprouting from her head, and the intricate
black neckpiece and matching wristbands? It's not the singer, Mula. Her name is Maïwenn Le Besco.
Before she donned the blue face-and-body paint and elaborate alien costume to play the Diva
Plavalaguna in The Fifth Element, Maïwenn had been working as an actress for several years. She
appeared in her first credited role when she was just five years old, playing a character called
Prune in the 1981 film Next Year If All Goes Well. Maïwenn then played the Kid in director
Jean Becker's award-winning 1983 drama One Deadly Summer, which was a big hit in France at the time.
From there, Maïwenn appeared in several French films over the next decade,
including 1986's State of Grace. Luc Besson began a relationship with Maïwenn during this time, when
she was just 15 years old and he was in his early 30s. Maïwenn and Besson met when she was only 12.
Four years later, on January 3, 1993, Maïwenn gave birth to their daughter, Shanna Besson.
In 1994, Maïwenn portrayed "the Blond Babe" in Besson's film Léon: The Professional,
starring Jean Reno as the titular French assassin and Natalie Portman as 12-year-old Mathilda Lando,
whom Léon hesitantly takes in after her family is killed. Maïwenn's call girl character isn't
in the movie for long. She appears for a brief moment near the beginning of the movie.
Maïwenn was only 21 years old when The Fifth Element hit theaters in May 1997. At the time,
she was married to Luc Besson, who asked her to play the part of the Diva. Surprisingly enough,
Maïwenn initially declined, as she believed that working together wouldn't be great
for their marriage. Maïwenn explained in an interview that she gave Besson an ultimatum:
"Either you choose, you are with me, and we don't work together.
Either we are not together, and okay, I will do the Diva."
In the same interview, Maïwenn explained that Besson accepted the rejection and cast a German
model in the role. However, the model never showed up for a scheduled costume fitting
and makeup test in London, and no one could reach her or her agent. Seeing Besson's stress,
Maïwenn offered to step in, and she began filming two days later.
It seems that Maïwenn's worries about how working together might impact her and her husband's
marriage were well-founded. She and Besson ultimately ended their marriage during production,
a time in which Besson had left Maïwenn for Milla Jovovich, who played Leeloo in the film.
Besson and Jovovich married in 1997, later divorcing in 1999 after she
famously appeared in the title role of his film The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc.
In positive news, Maïwenn's career has soared since playing the Diva. From 1997 to 2020,
she notched over 20 roles in film and television. Maïwenn has appeared in
short films like Coquillettes and 8 rue Charlot. She was featured in the TV movie L'oiseau Rare,
various films including High Tension, Love Is the Perfect Crime, The Price of Success,
All Inclusive, and The Man in the Hat. And also in several series like Nestor Burma and Caméra Café.
Maïwenn began directing, writing, and producing in 2004. Her first project as a director was the 2004
short film I'm an Actrice, in which she played Isabelle. From there, she directed, produced, and
starred in 2006's Pardonnez-moi. She then directed and appeared in 2009's All About Actresses.
Maïwenn's third full-length feature Polisse, which she wrote, directed, and starred in, was nominated
for 13 César Awards, which are considered the French Oscars, including Best Original Screenplay,
Best Director, and Best Film. She received similar accolades for her next film, Mon Roi.
Maïwenn's most recent original project was DNA, which she directed, co-wrote with Mathieu Demy,
and starred in as the character Neige. It premiered in French cinemas on May 19, 2021,
after debuting at the Deauville Film Festival in September 2020.
Beyond her professional career, Maïwenn is also mother to daughter Shanna, who's now
a photographer and actress, and son Diego, whom she had with her second husband Jean-Yves Le Fur.
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