TV
The all-rounder: Thomas Holländer is a professional for “Tatort” supporting roles
When there’s a need to cast supporting roles in “Tatort”, ex-firefighter Thomas Holländer is there. The Palatinate native has already appeared as an extra in Sunday crime dramas more than 20 times. photo
© Uwe Anspach/dpa
When there’s a need to cast supporting roles in “Tatort”, ex-firefighter Thomas Holländer is there. The Palatinate native has already appeared as an extra in Sunday crime dramas more than 20 times. A visit.
Many know his face, few know his name. Not all of the actors in Germany’s long-running TV hit “Tatort” were seen as often as he was – even some of the investigators. Thomas Holländer was a bodyguard, firefighter, LKA officer and film corpse; he filmed with Ulrike Folkerts, Heike Makatsch and Robert Atzorn. The man from the Palatinate appeared in Sunday thrillers more than 20 times – as an extra. “If I look angry, that’s what the director wants,” says the 61-year-old. “In my private life, I’m as harmless as a butterfly.”
It all started more than 20 years ago with the Ludwigshafen “Crime Scene: The President”. Holländer, then with the local professional fire department, has a mini-role as a firefighter. “I saw it as a nice excursion into the film world and said to the director: Please don’t cut out the fire department. Later they asked if I could come to Baden-Baden for four days – the director wanted me for a role as a police officer.”
Holly goes to Hollywood?
Further shoots followed, including for the Otto Waalkes film “Otto’s Eleven”, the series “Bloch” and “The Abduction” with Heiner Lauterbach. Striking face, shaved head, well-trained stature – that’s what the production companies like, says Holländer – nicknamed “Holly”, role model Bruce Willis. He had to take vacation for the days of filming in Mainz, Stuttgart or the Black Forest until he retired the year before last. “I never thought it would turn out like this. I even get recognized on the street sometimes.”
Holly goes to Hollywood? No – he never thought about switching to the film industry, says Holländer. “If you have children, you have to weigh it carefully. Will it work or not?” He also has respect for acting. “During several film rehearsals of a fight, my partner cried every time. Continuously. On command. That was fascinating. When someone says they can just play along – it’s not that easy. It’s something you have to learn hard.”
When writing a script, does an author already have a specific person in mind for a specific role? “Not me, of course I can only speak for myself,” says Harald Göckeritz, who wrote several “Tatort” scripts. Of course it could be that you are inspired by someone you know. “But then more unconsciously, I would say.” On the other hand, in a script he would describe what the character should be like. “It has a dramaturgical function.” Göckeritz received the Adolf Grimme Prize for the script of “Greetings from Kashmir”. The Udo Jürgens two-part series “The Man with the Bassoon” was awarded the German Television Prize, among other awards.
If smoking is in the script
You don’t get rich as an extra, says Holländer, who spent 8 years in the Bundeswehr and 33 years in the professional fire department. “It’s more of an expense allowance and I see it as fun.” You meet a lot of interesting people. “For example, I’m still in contact with Otto Waalkes and with Andreas Hoppe, who used to play alongside Ulrike Folkerts in the Ludwigshafen “Tatort”. Most of them are very collegial. And if someone needs some peace and quiet, you quickly notice it .”
You also experience strange situations. “In the Mainz “crime scene” I had to smoke in a gas station – as a firefighter. After all, the gas pumps were turned off. I knew that if this was broadcast, I would hear something from my colleagues. That’s how it was,” says Dutchman and laughs. Basically, the difficult thing about filming is not learning texts. “The difficult thing is getting the text across in such a way that people believe what you’re saying.” He gets good practice from his roles in the Deidesheim amateur theater, where he plays regularly.
However, Holländer admits that his career has one disadvantage. “I almost can’t watch a film without paying attention to the actors’ behavior. For example, when someone runs in a scene, I say to my wife: In order to shoot that perfectly, the poor guy must have run 25 times.”