Is Jenna speaking the language of love with her handsome French accent coach?
HE IS the ‘amazing’ accent coach who helped Jenna Coleman master the French-Canadian tones she needed for her role in the hit BBC drama The Serpent.
But when Fabien Enjalric stepped out with his latest star client, it was their body language that was doing all the talking.
Ms Coleman flashed a winning smile at the handsome Parisian, as he gallantly shielded her from the rain with his umbrella, returning her intense gaze.
Filming on The Serpent finished six months ago, but it was clear from their stroll in Primrose Hill, North London, that the pair’s closeness has endured.
In the drama, Ms Coleman, 34, plays Marie-Andrée Leclerc, the girlfriend of serial killer Charles
Sobhraj. Based on real crimes, the show required her to don a 1970s wardrobe of flares, kaftans and oversized sunglasses – although a long grey houndstooth overcoat and £5,000 Chanel 19 handbag made for a more appropriate wardrobe when grabbing a coffee during the British winter last week.
Ms Coleman was initially reluctant to take the bilingual role, believing a native French speaker would be more authentic. But she has been full of praise for the way Mr Enjalric helped her master the language.
‘The last French lesson I had I was seven,’ she said. ‘It was pretty terrifying. When I read the script I was like, “There’s just no way, I can’t do it.” It was an absolute beast. Fabien, my amazing French teacher, taught me the lines phonetically.’ Now based in London, Mr Enjalric, 39, has also been an accent coach to stars including Dame Helen Mirren, Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan. He speaks Italian, Spanish, Chinese Mandarin, Russian and Japanese. Ms Coleman last year split from Tom Hughes, who played Prince Albert opposite her in ITV’s Victoria.
Sources close to the actress played down her closeness to Mr Enjalric yesterday, saying: ‘They are continuing to work together during this time and were taking some exercise.’