Dangerous Liaisons Star Kosar Ali Talks Camille & Victoire's Deep Bond (2024)

Dangerous Liaisons is following in the footsteps of STARZ's successful period dramas, such as has been on a roll with historical dramas, such as Becoming Elizabeth and The Serpent Queen. Though the version of 1700s France depicted is fictional, Harriet Warner's new series pulls from historical records to lay the groundwork for its story. As a prequel to Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' infamous epistolary novel of the same name, Dangerous Liaisons explores who the Marquise de Mertreuil and the Vicomte de Valmont were before they became the scandal makers of the season.

Alice Englert (The Power of the Dog) and Nicholas Denton play young lovers Camille and Pascal, whose affair gone wrong sets the scene for Dangerous Liaisons. There will be plenty of time to delve into the twists and turns of their romance, as STARZ has already renewed the series for a second season. Such a wide breadth also allows the creative team to peel back the layers of supporting characters who are not given as much spotlight in the novel. One such character is Victoire (portrayed by Kosar Ali, Rocks), who is revealed to be a longtime companion of Camille before she was known as the Marquise de Mertreuil's maidservant.

Related: 10 Best Romantic Period Dramas, According to IMDb

Screen Rant spoke to Ali about what drew her into the world of Dangerous Liaisons, how she views the long-lasting friendship between Victoire and Camille, and how her character is partially responsible for the events that unfold in the series.

Kosar Ali on Dangerous Liaisons

Screen Rant: Whether it's Dangerous Liaisons or Cruel Intentions, this is one of my favorite stories. I've watched every iteration of it that I can get my hands on. What was your first engagement with the story, if there was one before this, and what drew you to this version?

Kosar Ali: Before I auditioned for Dangerous Liaisons, I actually had no other connections with it. I hadn't watched it or [read] the book, so I had a very fresh take on it. I've heard about it, but I never actually watched it.

When I was asked to audition for Dangerous Liaisons, to be honest, I think I was just drawn by the world of it. It was very different; it was a period piece and, at that time, I was watching Bridgerton. So, I was just very much interested in all of that. Then I met Leonora Lonsdale, the first block director, and she just had such a passion and love for the show and the character. I think that's just what got me in.

See Also

Kosar Ali: ‘Immigrants are the sauce and seasoning of Britain’Meet Kosar Ali – the BAFTA-nominated teen star of 'Rocks'"'Rocks' is for young Black women who go through hardship – and still boss it": inside 2020's best teen dramaUnknown east London schoolgirl actresses on 'life-changing' film Rocks

Victoire is a character who might often be overlooked in the original material, and someone that doesn't necessarily make it into other versions, so I love that this one really highlights her. What did you want to bring to that character and her dynamic with Camille?

Kosar Ali: I just wanted that character to feel real, if that makes sense; human. I wanted people to have a human connection with her, and to really feel her—to hate her sometimes and love her sometimes. I wanted to bring all of that.

With the relationship with Camille, me and Alice felt like that relationship was the most honest one in the series; the most honest love. And we just really wanted to show that

I also love how Victoire sets the story in motion without necessarily meaning to, and then she's watching as it gets away from her. Can you talk about her arc through the season?

Kosar Ali: Yeah, I think that's her biggest outcome, because it's such a funny thing. We were saying how that one decision caused all of this madness, essentially. It wasn't from a malicious point, but I guess she was just being protective to the people she loves. And that was a really interesting process for me as an actor.

We were really talking, me and Leonora, about how much guilt she carries after making that choice and actively watching destruction happen to someone she loves because of the choice she made. So, it was a really interesting thing. But there's a lot of guilt, bless her heart.

How much did you discuss, either with the directors or with Alice, the backstory between the two of you? Because we see bits and pieces of it throughout the season, but there's like so much more that's untold.

Kosar Ali: Yeah, we had a lot of long discussions about that. Me and Alice got a book, and we just started writing a bunch of ideas about how their story came to be; all the bits and pieces they had when they were in the house together, what they used to get up to, what their favorite food was. Just to understand this relationship and build that with each other.

I think that was a really important thing to do because, even though it's not said, I think their physicality with each other and the looks that they share show that relationship and how long they've been friends.

You received a BAFTA nomination for your debut performance, which is incredible. But Dangerous Liaisons is your longest and most intensive work yet. What have you learned from the experience that you hope to take with you?

Kosar Ali: I learned a lot. The series is a long, long time. We were filming for nine months, and I was being someone for nine months. I think that's a very long time, so to be able to hold that longevity and do it well was a very big thing to learn. I'm very happy I learned that, and I learned a lot about myself as an actor. I found a sense of freedom in letting loose and believing in myself a bit more, and that's really fun. I can't wait to bring that into what I do next.

I love the costumes and the setting. You're really immersed in this world of 1700s France. What is it like to step into that world, and what was the most challenging or fun part?

Kosar Ali: Honestly, it's incredible. I think that always amazed me because every day we came to set, it was a new set. Even when we visited the ones we've been to before, it never fails to mesmerize you; all the details they put into it from hand-painting the walls to just making these actual chairs. It's so impressive. You're literally transported back into a world, and that just elevates your acting even more so. I'm very privileged to have a team that does that. They don't get their thanks enough because they literally built the world. It's really amazing.

About Dangerous Liaisons

Dangerous Liaisons is a bold prelude of Laclos’ classic 18th-century novel focusing on the origin story of how his iconic characters, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, met as passionate young lovers in Paris on the eve of the revolution. This modern take on a classic story takes audiences through wonder and terror, beauty and degradation, seduction and deception in pre-revolutionary Paris.

Driven to right the wrongs of their past, the young couple’s survival depends on their skills of seduction and manipulation of not only the French nobility but of each other. Alice Englert and Nicholas Denton portray the notorious lovers: Camille who is taken in by the current Marquise de Merteuil (played by Lesley Manville) navigates her own path in a world of men, using the power of secrets to take back control, and Valmont who will stop at nothing to regain the title that was recently taken from him. Their on-again, off-again love story is the heart of the series. It’s not love… it’s war.

Read our other Dangerous Liaisons interviews here:

• Carice van Houten
• Colette Dalal Tchantcho

Next: 10 Upcoming Period Dramas Releasing After Bridgerton

Dangerous Liaisons premieres November 6 at midnight on the STARZ app, and all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms.