“I’ve never fought harder for my community”
Caprice has made a Christmas film, but says she has never felt more Jewish
Brigit Grant is the Jewish News Supplements Editor
Being vertically challenged (5ft 2in) is seldom an issue unless I’m at the back of a standing-only concert or crowded lift. Both can be handled with dignity and even top shelves in supermarkets are conquerable, but walking beside a glamorous 5ft 7 blonde triggers height envy in a short brunette.
That was my experience 25 years ago, when I was doing four steps for every one Caprice took, as her head-turning beauty left Soho spinning. As flawless in person as she was on the covers of Vogue, FHM and countless other titles, an appreciative builder craned his neck so far he almost fell out a window.
If we took that stroll today, the reaction would be the same – I haven’t grown and she still looks incredible, but wolf whistles of admiration? Totally off-limits. But we should admire Caprice Bourret – the LA-born model known by her first name alone – as her reinvention is nothing short of impressive. From darling of the lads’ mags to Hollywood bit-parts, reality TV star, then founder of her own successful homeware range and a lingerie brand (she models herself) at 53.Caprice is a survivor. Overused in recent years, the term truly resonates with Caprice, as seven years ago she survived gruelling surgery to remove a brain tumour.
The shocking diagnosis and her subsequent recovery made the mother of two re-evaluate her life, which led to more family time, more charitable work and, now, producing as well as starring in the film A European Christmas. So even though we’ve not spoken for two decades, my first question had to be: “Why would a nice Jewish girl as first-time producer make a Christmas movie?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” she laughs. “Christmas sells. I wanted to be a producer and I love all the creativity of the job, but it’s also about making money, and who doesn’t love a Christmas film? Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon as it’s not just Hallmark making those films anymore. Channel Five has been showing Christmas movies every day since November.”
Channel Five is where to find A European Christmas, in which Caprice plays Ivy, a failing director of festive films who, while searching for a new star, finds romance in snowy Serbia.
Appearing briefly in Hollyoaks and a Roger Moore thriller, Caprice always longed for meatier acting roles. “But I was stereotyped or never asked, and I’d be the first to admit I did some really crap reality shows.”
Sheepishly, I tell her I rather enjoyed the catfighting in Bravo TV’s Ladies of London, which she quit in season one.
“Poor you!” she sympathises with a frown. “Isn’t the world we’re living in toxic enough? I don’t want to do toxic programming and I’m fortunate enough to be able to pick and choose. I choose to deliver feel-good movies.”
I tell her my late mother was all about feel-good films, only watching musicals and classic romance. “She was right,” smiles Caprice. “They are good for the soul.” “Like chicken soup?” I volunteer, as we are getting on so famously, and she feels comfortable enough to confess that she can’t make chicken soup and is a terrible cook, but her mum’s brisket is so good. “It’s not even normal. All my family are great cooks except for me, so I simply tell my kids you’ve got to take the good with the bad.”
And there’s a lot of good this month as Jett and Jax, her sons with financier husband Ty Comfort, get to celebrate Chanukah and Christmas in equal measure. “Which we didn’t do until three years ago when the boys were older and felt they were missing out. Now we have Santa stuff everywhere, but they still get more excited about Chanukah – sadly for the presents only.”
Shooting starts on Caprice’s next Christmas film – “it’s a slam dunk” – in January in Scotland, which she hopes will be snowy as she doesn’t have the budget for the fake kind. But after so much Chanukah chat, has she not considered producing and being the Jewish star in a menorah-laden movie?
“I did look into it, but it’s a bit risky for someone as green to this as me, so I’m doing it slowly and the next film has a scene in a room decked out with Christmas trees, but there also a menorah and it’s not hidden.” Not content with only a chanukiah among the ferns, when filming begins in Scotland there will be a mezuzah on the door of every house on the set.
These admirable and somewhat brave prop additions are what the producer wants, and are very much in keeping with the schleps she makes her family do on Shabbat from their home in Notting Hill to the Jewish Leadership Exchange (JLE) in Golders Green. That’s where Caprice has found the services she likes, as do her sons and where she calls the CEO ‘Rabbi Babes’. “He makes fun of me because I call everyone ‘babes’ but I love the JLE as it’s small but growing and attracts young people who don’t want to go to shul.”
‘Rabbi Babes’, aka Rabbi Benjy Morgan, does know about the Christmas film and is excited, according to Caprice. “He’s very cool, very modern, and I told him it’s about business for goodness sake and he said ‘I get it.’ But it’s also my small way of unifying people. So many Christians have stuck up for us since the war began.”
As a proud Jew and equally proud Zionist, Caprice also wants to see Israel promoted more – “like Dubai is,” she says. “Promote the fact that Israel is the most amazing place to visit and welcomes everyone.” On a visit to Israel four months ago, Caprice went to Kibbutz Be’eri, which was attacked on October 7. “I saw what those freakin’ monsters did and met with some of the families. I also watched the 47-minute movie of the Hamas atrocities and have horrible dreams about what I saw.”
At a dinner with President Isaac Herzog, Douglas Murray was also a guest. “And I was struck by his answer when someone asked him, as a non-Jew, to recommend what we should do? He said we need to stop being so silent as he has spoken up more for us than we do ourselves.”
Conversations with ‘Rabbi Babes’ have also convinced Caprice that from something so bad has come good. “I’ve never felt closer to my community, appreciated it more or fought for it more and that’s true for a lot of my friends. We need to let people in to see how wonderful our community is and, if they want to join us, invite them, as we’re very closed off and make it so difficult. But I guess that’s what makes us special.”
‘Special’ is another overused word, but feels true of Caprice, who tells me as we reach the end of our chat: “Whatever happened is what Hashem wanted for us. It teaches us resilience. We are survivors.” To this short brunette she had never looked taller.
A European Christmas is available to view on Channel 5
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