The comedy “It’s just a phase, rabbit” is in theaters from Thursday. Christoph Maria Herbst in an interview about his new role, wigs and emotionalism
Christoph Maria Herbst can be seen twice on the big screen these days. From October 28th he will be an arrogant professor in Sönke Wortmann’s “Contra” who, after accusations of racism, has to take a Muslim student under his wing. And in the comedy “It’s just a phase, rabbit” – from tomorrow Thursday in the cinema – he plays a long-unsuccessful writer whose marriage is nearing its end. On the occasion of the world premiere of Florian Gallenberger’s film at the Zurich Film Festival, we sat in the sunshine on a hotel balcony with a view of Lake Zurich to talk to the 55-year-old.
Mr. Herbst, let’s start with a silly question, because in your new film “It’s Just a Phase, Rabbit” you see you with remarkably full hair. Does a wig like that irritate you sometimes while playing?
This is really a silly question. But I understand that they can be faced. You could of course have asked me the same question about my huge, almost obese, affluent belly in the film. And the whole thing is based on the incredible thesis that both the stomach is a jockstrap and that the hairstyle is not real. But because it is you, I reveal myself: in fact, both are art. Of course I have often worked with wigs and hairpieces in the theater and in front of the camera. You have to learn very quickly to accept them as something normal and natural. At first, when you wear a wig, you move like a stick in your bum and try not to make excessively fast movements. Because you are always afraid that the thing will go down in a moment. But that can’t happen at all, and the wig actually lives from the moment I accept it as belonging to me – and sometimes play with my hair.
In what sense do you mean that – playing with hair?
Wiping a strand off my face or reaching into my hair, these are things that I normally don’t know. And such wigs are real hair. It only comes back to life the moment I breathe life into it. I’m pretty good at that now. But quite normally, without hair, I honestly still find it more pleasant. The worst is, by the way, when a bald head is glued, which also happens. The make-up artist can’t keep up with fiddling with you because this latex thing always bursts open somewhere. Simply because of the facial expressions, after all, there are no more muscles on any part of the body than on the face. The mask has to be used again after every take. In that sense, I was actually quite happy with Fiffi.
The film tells of getting older, of ideas about masculinity and of a marriage drifting apart. Which aspect appealed to you the most?
This broad list of topics, all of which are at least touched upon, was exactly what attracted me. That not only a monothematic story is told here, but much is negotiated that at least seems familiar to men and women of my age. Even if I don’t even know everything that Paul Mann experiences in the film from my life and therefore cannot necessarily understand. After all, I am now 55 years old and the midlife crisis has long been history for me.
But was there one? Have you ever struggled with your own age?
I’m sure I had a crisis like that, everyone probably has it. However, I did not perceive it as consciously, but only recognized it in retrospect. Twelve or thirteen years ago I got a paraglider pilot’s license in South Tyrol and became a paraglider. It’s still a nice hobby of mine to this day, but I think that was actually my midlife crisis. Fortunately, because that was fun. On the other hand, I would not have been in the mood for such an old age, as it is called a bit awkward in our film – that is, that one suddenly no longer feels comfortable in one’s own body.
Christoph Maria Herbst in an interview on “It’s just a phase, rabbit”
On top of that, of course, you were lucky that, unlike your film character, you are consistently successful and well employed at work …
Let’s leave it that way. But of course, Paul Mann is blocked and lets himself hang and walk a bit – that’s why I liked this tummy so much. Quite different from his wife, played by Christiane Paul, where you can see that she comes from sports, does yoga and is much livelier. Together with their children, it is in the river, while Paul is more of a stagnant body of water. And we know what happens to stagnant water: at some point they start to smell. So to stay in this picture, Paul stank his wife quite a bit over time.
To person
Christoph Maria Herbst , born in 1966, is an actor, audio book and dubbing speaker. At the side of Anke Engelke, he achieved his breakthrough as a comedian in the early 2000s with the multiple award-winning comedy series “Ladykracher”. For his portrayal of the head of the insurance department Bernd Stromberg in the TV series “Stromberg”, he received the Adolf Grimme Prize in 2006 and the German Comedy Prize for “Best Actor” three times in a row. He has long been one of the top ranks in German cinema; He will probably never have to synchronize porn again – that was how he earned extra income in his younger years.
Herbst attracted particular attention with his audio book interpretation of Timur Vermes’ bestseller “Er ist wieder da” – a satire in which Adolf Hitler was brought back to life in 2011 in the middle of Berlin. Already in the Edgar Wallace parody “Der Wixxer” – based on a script by Oliver Kalkofe, Oliver Welke and Bastian Pastewka – autumn 2004 shone with a Hitler parody in the role of the butler Alfons Hatler. osk
After all, Paul has his two best friends in the film who stand by his side during this time. Do you also maintain friendships in which crises can be discussed and feelings discussed?
Not in this archaic way, with the common bar visits, as a good old regulars’ table, so to speak. But that’s only because my best friends don’t live in Cologne like me. Due to the theater engagements that I had and my very busy life, I have my friends widely scattered in German-speaking countries due to work. So when in doubt I have to drink alone.
As an actor, do you have to be good at being able to talk about your feelings?
I don’t think so. You just have to be able to play them well. For example, I have never misused my job for therapeutic purposes, which many of my colleagues do. They are then often world champions in bringing their sensitivities to the market, especially on set, and they also need constant feedback. There can be no question of that with me. But even so, in dealing with feelings, I am ultimately closer to someone like Paul Mann than to the figure I can now see in Sönke Wortmann’s “Contra”. He actually invented unempathy, cynicism and misogyne. Paul Mann, on the other hand, howls like a castle dog, fights for his family and is touched by his own children.
“It’s just a phase, rabbit” – actor Christoph Maria Herbst on his new film
Speaking of being moved: Do you share the nostalgia with your husband? This joy in looking back and remembering the good old days?
I’m not yet rummaging through old photos with inspiration. I’m still too anchored in the present for that. The here and now is good for me. After all, we no longer have the past in our hands, and the future cannot yet be shaped. That’s how I’ve always worked. I am more familiar with this romanticized sentiment based on the motto “Everything used to be better” from my grandparents. So maybe that’ll come when I’m a little older. However: Mixtapes like this, with Sade and the first Madonna hits on them, are actually still in my basement.
You didn’t throw them away?
No, they are still waiting to be digitized at some point. Because of course I no longer have a player for it.
The game evenings, which play an important role in the Manns’ circle of friends, also seem a bit like from another time. Is that your thing?
For God’s sake, no, game nights were never mine. Not even before, which went so far that I didn’t want to celebrate my birthdays when I was young and my parents always wanted to persuade me. I am so much in the center of attention willy-nilly that I want to have my peace on February 9th of all times. That’s why it’s always the one of 365 days when I pull the rip cord.
You probably hardly come to celebrate either. Or is the impression that you really enjoy working a lot and is misleading?
No, you are basically right. Actually, I agree with Thomas Mann: For me, work is the main driving force in life. What I don’t tend to do and what I’ve never had before is burnout. For that I have mastered this famous work-life balance too well or have learned better and better over the years. And in fact, I would actually be more afraid of a bore-out, which also exists. I can deal with myself quite well, but after a while that’s enough again. Because I don’t find myself so entertaining in the long run.
Interview: Patrick Heidmann
