Oliver Mommsen can be seen in the new ARD series “School by the Sea”. In an interview, the former “Tatort” star talks about his school days.
The new “Endlich Freitag im Erste” series “School by the Sea” starts today, Friday (May 20th), at 8:15 p.m. The focus of the story is the director of the Flensburg vocational school, Katharina Hendriks (Anja Kling, 52). In the opening episode “Fresh Wind” she deals with guest lecturer Erik Olsen (Oliver Mommsen, 53). The school dropout has traveled the world for years and made a name for himself as a food blogger. However, his unconventional teaching methods and thirst for adventure are less well received by Hendriks – but by his students, they are.
Actor Oliver Mommsen, who worked as a commissioner in Bremen’s “crime scene” for a few years, sees himself less as a globetrotter. “I still lack the courage and above all the time for the really big adventure,” explains the native of Düsseldorf. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, Mommsen reveals what the 53-year-old has in common with his school days and what qualities he has to “smile” about himself.
You play the guest lecturer Erik Olsen in the film premiere of the new series “The School by the Sea”. What drew you to the role and the script?
Oliver Mommsen: Anja Kling and I have quite a long journey behind us with this project. The fact that a beautiful film has finally come out of it is pure joy! The starting point was that we had a lot of fun banging our heads in front of the camera. Our characters fight for great principles of life. The principle of chaos meets the principle of order. And the fact that the future of young people is at stake ensures that everyone chooses their weapons carefully. Sometimes the foil, like the refined feint, and sometimes the morning star.
Would teaching have been a professional alternative for you?
Momsen: No. I am quite capable of passing on my fascination and passion for my job to others. But I don’t think I would have had enough patience with pubescent brain construction sites like I was in the long run. I find it all the more exciting that our films are set at a vocational school. The young people have already decided on their own path. Or believe that they have chosen a path. This sets the stage for big feelings: big expectations, passions, failure, sense of achievement and more. It is an important phase of life.
What memories do you associate with your school days?
Mommsen: I had a great time from the start! I don’t know if those around me had that much fun with me. Sometimes I confused school with an adventure playground. Finally, at drama school, I felt more comfortable, seen and challenged than ever before.
Erik is not only a guest lecturer at the vocational school, but also a successful blogger. What do you think of social media? What do you particularly enjoy and what annoys you?
Mommsen: During my time at drama school I did a lot of off-theatre. In order to draw attention to our pieces, we plastered the city with self-made posters in night and fog campaigns. Today you post a broadcast date and at best a hell of a lot of people see it. I think social media is great as a promotional tool. Otherwise, they can become antisocial very quickly.
Cooking is your character’s passion. Do you like to stand at the stove yourself? If yes, what is your favorite dish?
Mommsen: Working with the character Erik made my curiosity about good food even more passionate. I had an excuse to buy more cookbooks. I’ve looked the internet and its cooking documentaries empty. I’m completely mesmerized by these incredible characters discovering food from around the world. But even standing at the stove is still a small challenge for me.
Erik is an adventurer and globetrotter. How are you similar to your character in these ways?
Mommsen: I still lack the courage and above all the time for the really big adventure. But I love the little adventure. Getting up in the morning with the birds and discovering the city while it’s still asleep immediately puts you in a good mood. Or just go for a walk in the pouring rain. These are adventures that don’t require much planning or a visa
Could you imagine packing your bags and emigrating one day?
Mommsen: If the world doesn’t suddenly turn completely the other way around, as it is in many places at the moment, I don’t have to emigrate. I’m on the road a lot because of my job – not only physically, but also mentally. I can let off steam on all levels. i am free and safe It took a while, but now I like our weird Germany.
Would you also describe yourself as a spontaneous person?
Mommsen: Sometimes I stand on my own feet and can watch myself walking on well-trodden paths. But now I can smile more and more often about this stubbornness and get the curve into the little adventure more and more often.
How was working with Anja Kling? Were you able to spend time outside of the set?
Mommsen: Anja Kling is one of the main reasons why I love working on this project so much. She’s hilarious – both in front of and behind the camera. She’s a great actress, a wonderful colleague. She knows almost all the blunders and traps that one can step into while filming and has an incredibly beautiful eye for people. In addition, she is deeply relaxed in the most beautiful sense.
The film was shot in Flensburg. Did you enjoy the time in the north?
Mommsen: I even stayed with a friend near Eckernförde throughout the shooting. I never thought that the north could do me so much good. Sky, fields and water – so clear, so simple and so beautiful.
To what extent did old memories of your Bremen “crime scene” times come up?
Mommsen: North is definitely not north. In Flensburg and the surrounding area, the clocks tick a little differently than in the village with the tram, as Bremen affectionately calls itself. Nature, the vastness and the water characterize the people of Flensburg in their very own way. You endure a moment or two in silence and just look. But to really allow myself to judge, I urgently need to go again.
