Actor Christian Bayer embodies the suspicious husband in “Tatort” about domestic violence – his first episode leading role.
In “Tatort: The Cold House” (June 6, 8:15 p.m., the first), the influential Simon Fischer dominates the action. The choleric husband of the missing is embodied by Christian Bayer. For the theater star it is the first leading role in an episode in front of the camera.
From nurse to actor
The actor was born in Gotha, Thuringia, in 1977 and lives in Oberhausen. After training as a nurse, he studied from 2000 to 2004 at the drama school in Charlottenburg, Berlin. He was then engaged at the Thalia Theater in Halle until 2007. Engagements in Hanover, Leipzig, Zurich, Hamburg and Jena followed. He sings tenor, plays guitar and dances tango, as you can read about him at agencies.
Since the 2017/2018 season he has been a permanent – and celebrated – member of the ensemble at the Theater Oberhausen. “Crime and Punishment”, in which Christian Bayer embodies the central character Raskolnikov, was voted one of the most important plays by critics and the public on “nachtkritik.de”. It was also honored as the best production at the NRW Theatertreffen 2019. “Crime and Punishment” with Bayer is now in its third year.
Christian Bayer on his “Tatort” role Simon Fischer
The character Simon Fischer in “Tatort: The Cold House” is very ambivalent and fluctuates between love and violence. “It was important to us that we didn’t fall into clichés, but that we understood the psychology of the character,” Christian Bayer told the broadcaster. “Simon Fischer is a very sensitive man who quickly gets nervous in stressful situations. This irritation keeps the viewers aware that something is wrong with him,” Bayer continued.
The power-hungry businessman Fischer reacts to the investigation with extreme impulsiveness. Bayer explains why this is so: “As a businessman, Fischer sets the tone in the professional context. There is hardly anyone who is above him. In private, however, it is very different. He is insecure and unable to get along with his wife interact, but at the same time completely dependent on her.” What is exciting about this character is “the alternation between a superiority complex and a feeling of inferiority”. This is particularly evident in contact with the commissioners, because Fischer finds it difficult to accept other authorities.
Facts on domestic violence against women
Christian Bayer plays Simon Fischer in the crime thriller “Tatort: The Cold House”, a man who practices so-called “domestic violence against women”. The broadcaster has compiled a few facts about this.
“For women, the risk of experiencing violence from a relationship partner is far higher than being physically attacked by a stranger,” says MDR. Education, income, age and religious affiliation are completely irrelevant. “In Germany, every fourth woman is or has been a victim of domestic violence” and “Your own home is the most dangerous place for a woman,” the broadcaster quoted from the women’s rights organization Terre des Femmes.
In addition, the “Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Baden-Württemberg” reports: “Over the course of a year, a woman is murdered by her partner or ex-partner almost every day in Germany. This is shown by the figures from the Federal Statistical Office.” It can be assumed that the number of unreported cases is much higher.
