TV star Horst Lichter will be celebrating his 60th birthday next Saturday (January 15). In his honor, ZDF is showing the TV film "Horst Lichter - No time for assholes" this Sunday (January 9, 8:15 p.m.). In the film adaptation of Horst Lichter's bestseller biography of the same name, Oliver Stokowski (59, "Zeit der Helden") plays the popular "Bares for Rares" presenter and former TV chef. The film tells of the turning point in Lichter's life when his mother - played by Barbara Nuts (78) - fell seriously ill in 2014...
In an interview with the news agency spot on news, actor Oliver Stokowski explains how he prepared for this unusual role. He also explains what connects him personally with Horst Lichter and he reveals what it's like to eat, drink and kiss with this distinctive mustache.
What should you definitely know about the movie "No time for assholes"?
Oliver Stokowski: The film is not a funny Horst-Lichter comedy. It's about a time in his life that was very serious, got down to business, had a very high emotional level and that initially threw him off track. I found it very exciting that you get to know the other Horst Lichter with this film.
You've done a lot of research on the Human Host Lights. How would you describe him?
Stokowski: Horst Lichter is a great person and a dazzling figure and he leads an incredibly rich life. It's hard to imagine that so much can happen in a single lifetime.
What was it like playing a real, live character?
Stokowski: Of course I was very happy when I found out that I could play the role. As an actor, you only get such assignments every few years, or perhaps never in an actor's life. Especially when the person is still alive and known to so many. Of course, the latter in particular put a lot of pressure on me. Luckily I was able to prepare for the role for nine months before filming started.
How did you prepare?
Stokowski: With great respect and joy I absorbed everything I didn't already know. I already knew quite a lot about Horst Lichter because I had always found him interesting and had read the books about his life. He even gave me his latest book "I'll be quiet then - My search for peace within me" before the publication date in May 2021. The audio book "No time for assholes", which he read himself, also helped me a lot in the preparation. I listened to it very carefully in order to understand the essence of Horst Lichter. I studied how he pronounces words and emphasizes sentences. You could hear his emotions between the lines.
Have you watched any talk shows with him?
Stokowski: I'm a talk show fan in general and I could watch this all day because you learn so much about the people behind the artists. Sometimes I see colleagues there that I didn't know personally, but only because of their roles. And after such talk show appearances, I've seen quite a few people with completely different eyes. These formats are also fabulous for studying facial expressions and gestures.
At the time, I actually saw Horst Lichter on a talk show talking about his book "No time for assholes" (2016). In it he describes how he accompanied his mother when she died. And I saw how deeply it affected him, how tears came to his eyes, how difficult it was for this eloquent man to talk about it. At that time I also met a different person than the always funny and quick-witted Horst Lichter. He showed the serious and deep human being that is just as much in him. And that really fascinated me.
Did you also speak to him personally?
Stokowski: Yeah, we had a long pre-shoot talk where I asked him all the questions I needed to know how deep down he was and looks to get to the level he was at that time and to do justice to the person, the situation, this phase of life. During the conversation he opened up a lot, opened many soul doors. He let me look deep into his inner life and thus placed great trust in me. He gave that to me as an actor because he also wanted it to be as authentic as possible. And then I didn't want to disappoint him either.
Did he interfere later in the filming?
Stokowski: He didn't interfere at all. There was never a "don't do this or that or that like this" or anything like that. But he's far too clever for that to unsettle me. Instead, he said, "I was very happy when I heard you were going to play me." That calmed me down a lot.
Did you get any cooking tips during the conversation?
Stokowski: No. That wasn't an issue at all. But it doesn't appear in the film either. Horst said to me: "You know, I've cooked so much in my life that I don't want to cook anymore. I don't cook anymore either, my darling [wife Nada Lichter, born 1972, ed.] always cooks."
What's it like to eat, drink and kiss with that distinctive mustache?
Stokowski: You have to get used to that. If you always have that, you'll probably forget it eventually. Even I forgot about the beard at some point - although mine was glued. A glued beard presents different challenges than a real beard. For example, it often flakes off when you laugh heartily. You can't eat with it either. But the beard, the glasses and the vest helped me a lot to switch the lever in the mask to Horst Lichter. It's really a beautiful thing when you can let your figure emerge like that in the morning.
You and Horst Lichter are both celebrating your 60th birthday this year. Have you discovered other parallels?
Stokowski: Yeah, it's crazy that we're both born the same year. We have discovered many more parallels from the human side. For example, we are both built very close to water, so we are very emotional people and sensitive little plants. The fact that we quickly became familiar with each other also helped me to be able to understand the emotions in the film.
The film will be broadcast at the beginning of the new year. What is your biggest wish for 2022?
Stokowski: My greatest wish is that we all stay healthy and that we finally get this Corona over with. If we are all careful with each other, I hope that we can get a handle on it and finally be able to be carefree with each other again. Above all, I hope the same for our children, who are having a particularly difficult time at this time and are apparently the last link in the chain... SpotOnNews
