"La Vie en Rose" star and Oscars best-actress contender Marion Cotillard described the tragic superstar she portrays in the film, Edith Piaf, as "an extreme character who attracted extreme events in her life" when Cotillard and I chatted recently in New York City.

The daughter of a circus contortionist, Piaf performed on the streets of Paris as a child and was even raised for a time in a cathouse, but "she was really happy in the brothel with all of those prostitutes who took care of her," Cotillard said. "It was a period of joy for her.

"I think she was one of the greatest artists," she added. "The way she loved to share emotions with people was very unique and she had a very unique voice. I would describe her voice as the balance of joy and tragedy, like her life was. She really used her talent and her joy and her failure — she put all of that in her singing."

Cotillard has been vigorously promoting "La Vie en Rose" for a year, but "I can't complain about all of the travel and answering the same questions all of the time," she said. "I love Edith Piaf."

Camerawork by Darren Levine - Video courtesy of Picturehouse