After suffering amnesia, Gilles is told in “Small Marriage Crimes” that he loves dogs. What would be similarly absurd with actor Philipp Hochmair?
The Austrian actor Philipp Hochmair (49) was one of the stars of the popular black humor TV series “Vorstadtweiber” (2015-2022). Since 2018 he has played the title role in the crime series “Blind Investigated”. Most recently, he and the film team from “Die Wannseekonferenz” (2022) won numerous prizes. On Sunday, Hochmair can now be seen in the relationship comedy “Kleine Eheverrechte” (May 21, 8:15 p.m., ZDF).
In it, Emily Cox (38) and he play the artist couple Lisa and Gilles Sobiri. In a fall, the writer is injured so badly that he loses his memory. As dramatic as it is from a medical point of view, this gives the couple a chance to get to know each other again. After the hospital stay back in the beautiful house by the lake, there are funny scenes when Lisa Gilles tells us, for example, that he was a dog fan and vegan before the memory loss – which he wasn’t, but she was.
In an interview with spot on news, Viennese television and theater star Philipp Hochmair reveals what would be similarly absurd in his case. He also tells of a wondrous fan experience with the German-Turkish series star Wilma Elles (36) at Istanbul Airport.
You are a passionate and popular theater actor. This scene was badly hit by Corona for a few years. Has she recovered a bit?
Philipp Hochmair: I really hope so. Theater is an essential art in our society. Personally, I was lucky that I was allowed to continue performing during the pandemic because I found flexible forms of theater that were able to adapt well to the demands of the pandemic. For example, we played a lot in the open air: “Jedermann” in the Hohe Tauern National Park or in drive-in cinemas. Those were very impressive experiences. It’s really bad that the theater industry has been hit so hard. But I firmly believe that if we fight for it, she will recover.
Were you able to gain something professionally from the pandemic phase that might not have been possible without it?
Hochmair: Yes, thanks to the pandemic, I’ve even had really crazy, completely new experiences. Luckily we recorded all of that too and with the footage we were able to complete the TV documentary Eine Reise mit Jedermann, which can be found on the Pantaflix streaming platform. Without the pandemic, the film probably would not have been made. I probably never would have had time to comb through and organize my archive material.
You are also known for your extroverted performances with your band “Die Elektrohand Gottes”. On the other hand, you shoot films like “Small Marriage Crimes” on a classic set. What do you like better?
Hochmair: For me, the combination of both is the best: absolute control on the film set and freedom on the theater stage, they mutually enrich each other.
You play one of the two main roles in “Small Marriage Crimes”. What particularly appealed to you about the film?
Hochmair: My film partner, the great Emily Cox, was definitely an incentive. I was also curious about working with director Christian Werner. And after I had previously played the Nazi functionary Reinhard Heydrich in the film “The Wannsee Conference”, I was happy to be able to shoot a relationship comedy as a follow-up project. It’s an invigorating contrast.
The idea of using amnesia to rebuild a strained relationship is tragic, but also inspiring. What do you think of the idea of being able to press the reset button in a relationship?
Hochmair: That is definitely a very creative idea. We were able to play through that in the film. I would be surprised if one or the other viewer didn’t take something away from it.
Two fun ideas related to this are that after the memory loss, your character Gilles is told that he was a dog fanatic and vegan – which he absolutely wasn’t. What would be similarly absurd for you?
Hochmair: Well, I love dogs more than anything and a vegan lifestyle is certainly not unhealthy. It might be just as absurd for me if, after amnesia, I was told that I lived a settled, orderly life. I would certainly be able to do something like that for a few days, but in the long run I would miss my current life, out of the suitcase, very much.
At one point in the film, a detective comes into the couple’s home. When the investigator realizes that he is dealing with a famous writer, he comes out as a fan and suddenly there is special treatment. Do you remember a similarly pleasing case involving a fan of your own?
Hochmair: Yes, it’s always happened that people who know me from television are more friendly towards me. I can think of a completely different story: about ten years ago I was invited to Wilma Elles’ New Year’s Eve party in Istanbul. As a German actress, she became a big series star in Turkey. When I landed, I realized that I had forgotten my passport. And not even the Austrian ambassador, who after tedious phone calls had a replacement passport sent to the airport, was able to obtain entry. But when Wilma arrived at the airport to speak personally with the officials, a kind of miracle happened: suddenly everything was possible. The replacement passport was accepted and we were treated to tea and biscuits at the airport police station. Everyone was suddenly happy. The customs officials who were previously so difficult and uncooperative suddenly became very different people. At that time, Wilma was so incredibly well-known and popular in Turkey that her appearance alone dissolved all resistance and I was able to enter the country without any further problems.
In “Little Marriage Crimes” it says: “In every happiness there must also be a place for a little bit of unhappiness”. What do you make of it?
Hochmair: For me it works the other way around: finding happiness in misfortune. An example for me is the French painter Henri Matisse (1869-1954), who first studied law in Paris. He started painting because he was bedridden for a year after an appendix operation. What a genius artist would have been lost to us if there hadn’t been any complications from the surgery?! I think we are in the world to evolve. And if the development is triggered by a situation that may seem unpleasant at first glance, you have to learn to recognize what positive things you can draw from it.
A milestone birthday is coming up in October. Are you already a little scared of midlife crises?
Hochmair: I don’t see why a number should trigger a crisis? I think I’m the same person I was before with or without this number.
Already know how you’re going to celebrate?
Hochmair: I’m going to throw a big party with the film team from “Kleine Eheverrechte” and definitely also with our great film dog in this beautiful house in Brandenburg am See that we lived in in the film.