Cara Delevingne may have the leading role in her latest film – but she admitted to struggling with nerves. The model-turned-actress, 24, told fans she was “shaking like a leaf” as she stepped out for the European premiere of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

Delevingne – who plays Sergeant Laureline – looked every inch like supermodel, except that the modelling career is something she was trying to break away from over the last few years. The lead actress looked regal in a black Custom Burberry trouser suit which she teamed with the statement crystal collar. Great choice – she definitely got our attention and the attention of her fans who came to Leicester Square.

Speaking on the blue carpet she said: “I’m shaking like a leaf right now, but it’s good.” In the meantime, things weren’t so good for her co-stars -Aymeline Valade, Sasha Luss, and Pauline Hoarau. The trio found themselves in the midst of some rather unpleasant confusion – their car seemingly wasn’t booked to enter the premiere ‘gates’ and so they were making their way to the blue carpet on foot, ‘pushing away dozens of fans’.

Back to the ‘blue carpet,’ Delevingne described director Luc Besson as her “hero” adding: “I don’t know what made me cry and drop my jaw to the floor more, watching this film or being asked by Luc Besson to star. I don’t know what’s going on.” The actress came close to tears after she spotted three generations of her family waving down at her from a balcony above the cinema, telling Edith Bowman: “I’m actually going to cry.”

Besson, was earlier recorded praising the lead actress: “Cara, she’s a kangaroo,” he said. “She’s jumping all the time and I was honestly amazed by her ability and capacity to play this role. I know some people have doubts about it, but believe me, I’ve worked with Natalie Portman, with Milla Jovovich with Scarlett [Johansson] and Cara is on the team.

“She’s one of the best. And I’m very super proud and I hope people in the UK will support her because she’s amazing.”

The singer-turned-film star Rihanna – who plays Bubble in the sci-fi flick – was also in attendance, wearing badly fitted kaftan-inspired Giambattista Valli Fall 2017 red dress with low shoulders and Chopard earrings. The fit was so tight and cleavage so low that everyone in attendance was worried she might reveal too much for the PG12 audience in attendance -despite looking pregnant. The pop singer had also only good things to say about Cara – we truly saw Cara’s appreciation society on the red carpet: “It was interesting to see her in this actress mould. Cara was so focused and so great in this. It blew me away. It made me nervous because I was like ‘woah my part’s coming up next I have to deal with that’.”

Dane DeHaan – who plays Valerian – described working with Besson as a “dream come true” and admitted that he was training hard for the role: “There was a lot of training involved,” he said. “I trained for three months beforehand and for two hours a day while we were shooting. I was in the shape of my life… back then a year ago.”

Set in the 28th Century, Valerian follows special operatives Valerian and Laureline as they race to identify a menace in a desperate bid to safeguard Alpha. The film is based on the French science fiction comics series, Valérian, and Laureline.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets will be released in UK cinemas on 2nd August.

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