We would say that Vincent Cassel has that je ne sais quoi that makes him a star. One, because he's French, and two, because, well, that's just what folks say about stars. But F that. We know exactly what makes Cassel a star: He's a badass motherfucker. The Paris bred son of actor Jean-Pierre, Cassel has made his name popping up in flicks on both sides of the pond. From his breakout role as Vinz in the gritty 1995 French 'hood classic La Haine (Hate), to his face-mauling performance in the disturbing Irreversible (2002), to his most recent appearance, raping Jennifer Aniston, of all people, in the disappointing Derailed (2005), whenever his chiseled grill leers into the screen you almost always get that Juelz Santana moment, as in, "A! Say hello to the bad guy!"

"I really enjoy doing bad guys," says Cassel, 39, from the apartment in Paris he shares with his stunning wife, Italian actress Monica Bellucci. "I like to be mean and nasty and I have a lot of fun playing those roles. I do think I'm going to have to stop it, though. In France I can do anything, but I realize people don't know me in America, so I don't want that to be the only thing I can do." Fair enough. But just because Cassel says he's moving away from cinema's seedier side, don't expect the change to come overnight.

In an effort to control the final product, Cassel is focusing on his production company, 120 Films (Cent Vingt in French is an inversion of his name). His next project? Le Sheitan, a-surprise-surprise-dark film that he co-produced and starred in as an old shepherd preparing to give his soul to the devil. "This is exactly the kind of movie I enjoy," he says. "It's wicked and strange." Well, one thing's for sure, French Kiss it ain't.

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