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Lindenstrasse? No, thank you. – Interview with up-and-coming actor Jonathan Berlin
Things are going well for Berlin! At the start of the year, the actor with the capital’s name appeared at the Berlinale with the comedy “Feierabendbier”. He showcased himself at the Munich Film Festival with the East German drama “Kruso”. In autumn, Jonathan Berlin, 24, was awarded both the German Actors’ Prize and the New Faces Award as Best Newcomer for the war drama “Die Freibadclique”.
Soon, the actor will appear alongside Nicolette Krebitz and Nadja Uhl in the ZDF three-parter “The Wall”. But first, he’ll hit cinemas with comedian Christian Tramitz in the comedy “Feierabendbier”. [030] staff member Dieter Oßwald spoke with the actor.
Mr Berlin, congratulations on your stage name – it’s easy to remember.
Thank you, but it’s not actually a stage name, even though many people believe it is. Berlin is genuinely my family name.
You originally wanted to become a puppeteer. If you come from near Augsburg, that seems obvious. Why didn’t things work out with the strings?
I’ve always been fascinated by puppetry; at seven, I built my own marionette, but a year later, I was electrified by theatre. I was able to try things out at the municipal theatre in Ulm, which had excellent youth work. Well, and then, naïvely, at sixteen, I auditioned at the Ernst Busch Drama School in Berlin – but I was clearly too young for the tutors, so I was immediately rejected. A year later, though, things worked out at the Falckenberg School in Munich.
There’s not much left of the Swabian dialect from your home region…
I dropped the Swabian as early as twelve. Understandably, people in the industry advised it, since speaking without an accent is crucial for the job. All the nicer, then, that I got to bring it out again for “Die Freibadclique”.
“Feierabendbier” was shown at the Berlinale. What was that experience like?
It was my first Berlinale, so I was pretty nervous. It was impressive to see all the personalities appearing and what actually goes on there. Also kind of odd, because it’s such an exceptional state.
Contacts can make careers. How big was your stash of business cards at the festival?
I didn’t have my own business cards at all, only those from my agency. For me, meaningful conversations at festivals are far more important than small talk. I’m fairly relaxed about it all, as I’ve no real desire to ingratiate myself. I always try to keep the focus on the work in performance.
How fierce do you find the competition among your peers?
There are so many brilliant colleagues whom I really value. Naturally, if you like, there is a certain level of competition, but that’s a normal, healthy kind of motivation. I think you have to focus on your own work and trust that the right roles and projects will come if you keep uncovering your own unique core and work on yourself consistently.
What is it that fascinates you about the profession? What are the three most important qualities for this job?
The fascination: acting connects people, universally, through empathy. It creates shared moments for audiences to experience together where words become unnecessary. A theatre director once called it “creating memories”. The three most important qualities? Off the top of my head: diligence, discipline, and honesty.
If “Lindenstraße” called you with a role – would you consider it, or is TV not your career aim?
At the moment, I don’t really think I would consider it, though I have great respect for that fast-paced way of working – I couldn’t do it; I need too much time. I’m trying right now to trust my gut. Which characters, which stories do I really want to tell? And then I hope the projects will come that give me that feeling. I love cinema as a medium, but what’s happening in TV and streaming is incredibly exciting as well. I think you have to look at each project individually.
Do you need to have common ground with your characters, or can you play anything?
Common ground isn’t a strict requirement. Sometimes it’s great, but equally, if a character is far removed from you, that’s a huge challenge as well.
Do you like seeing yourself on screen?
That really depends on the day for me. There have been times I’ve left the cinema because I just couldn’t watch myself that day. You never watch yourself and think: ‘Wow, what a great guy!’ Instead, you’re constantly aware of all your mistakes. I think it’s probably much the same for footballers.
What’s your career plan? Do you have role models?
There isn’t a concrete plan, but I hope I can make special films that people remember. I hope for nuanced, distinctive stories that still reach a big audience. With everything that’s happening politically and socially, I’m also focusing on a certain amount of engagement in that direction. I’d like to direct myself at some stage. There are many role models, but right now I’m particularly impressed by Timothée Chalamet. His acting style is incredibly precise, subtle, and moving.
Chalamet is rather uninhibited in “Call Me by Your Name”. Would you dare to do the same?
As long as it happens in a protected setting and the story and character require it, I have no big issue with it. In “Die Freibadclique”, for instance, we had several scenes where that nudity was absolutely crucial. But when filming, they really looked after us. It always depends how it’s shown. You have to portray bodies well. You have to film them beautifully because it’s all about sensuality. Besides, you often make yourself emotionally ‘naked’ too, which I sometimes find even more intimate.
With Christian Tramitz, a comedy veteran is at your side. Do you ever compete over the best punchlines?
Absolutely not. This job only works as a team; it’s never about who gets the better punchlines. They say: An actor is only as good as their scene partner. Christian, in any case, is a really wonderful colleague – you get so much energy from him when acting together.
What do the awards you’ve recently won mean to you?
It’s fantastic recognition of your own work, and as a young actor – when things are still quite uncertain – it’s great to get a sense you’re on the right path. It focuses your mind on the roles you’ve played and you feel seen – I’m grateful for that, but then it’s straight back to work, searching for new colours for the next characters.
Photo: © Promo