How do I find the right gift? Actor, philosopher and Christmas fan Manuel Cortez reveals a tip in an interview.
For an episode role in “The Perfect Man” (December 12th, 7:25 p.m., ZDF), Manuel Cortez (44) joined the long-standing and well-coordinated team of “Rosenheim Cops” (since 2002). The actor and philosopher explains how best to deal with such a situation in an interview with the news agency spot on news. He also talked about a forgiving moment this year, his funniest Christmas experience and how to find the perfect Christmas present.
As an actor you can be seen in “The Rosenheim Cops: The Perfect Man” on December 12th. What is it like as a newcomer to join a long-standing and well-coordinated team?
Manuel Cortez: You come into the team a bit like an observer, who is welcomed very friendly and warmly because the team is of course happy to receive new impulses. The well-rehearsed dynamics can also be clearly felt. It is comparable to inviting a long-term couple to dinner. That was very exciting, interesting – and a very, very nice shoot.
But you can also feel terribly frightened by such a situation. Do you have any tips on how to cope well with this?
Cortez: At the end of the day, you are always your own best companion. The more we stay with ourselves and are safe with ourselves, practice being happy with ourselves and build trust in who we are and what we can do, the less we need to be afraid of such situations. Because everyone is happy about new contacts. And at the end of the day, they’re all just people who go to the bathroom just like me. My experience is: If you approach others in a friendly and confident manner, they will always treat you that way.
In the story line that gives the title, a tax officer says: “A tax return says more about a person than any internet profile.” A funny idea. What tells you a lot about a person without you having spoken to him or her?
Cortez: For me, how a person dresses says a lot about their personality. I’m not only an actor – for whom the costume is an inseparable part of the role – but also an art director and stylist. I have looked after many big shows and worked as a hairdresser. I find it very exciting what styling and clothing say about people. Every piece of clothing tells something. Even if you try not to have any style at all and just wear the next best and most practical thing, it tells something about the person.
Your “Rosenheim Cops” episode will be broadcast in the middle of Advent. What does this phase mean to you this year?
Cortez: The run-up to Christmas is very important to me because I love Christmas. Sometimes it just saddens me a little that the Advent season goes by faster and faster as my professional responsibilities increase. I would like to enjoy it a lot more. But we try to take little breaks every now and then in which we turn on the fireplace, sit on the sofa with a cup of cocoa and watch Christmas and Disney films non-stop. I celebrate this because I really appreciate this time.
What is your favorite Christmas film?
Cortez: I don’t really watch Christmas films, but a film that I have watched every Christmas since I was a child is “Ronja the Robber’s Daughter”.
A question for the practical philosopher: How do I find the right gift if I really want to make someone happy?
Cortez: I find the right gift by looking at the other person’s wishes and needs. It’s not about what I like or what is practical or quick for me to get. And the premise of finding out what someone else really wants is a great human skill: listening. But most people don’t listen to each other. Rather, they ask something only to hear themselves speak. Real listening is also very important in the therapeutic and coaching areas. It’s not just about listening, but also about understanding what the other person means. So if I really want to find out what I can do to make the other person happy, I should try to speak the other person’s language and in this way find out what he or she is really happy about.
How do you celebrate Christmas?
Cortez: Christmas is always very traditional for us: we sing and eat together and open presents. We always celebrate in Portugal. The whole family then comes from all over the world. The coming Christmas will be my 45th – and apart from once, I have only celebrated it once without the whole family. At that time my brother couldn’t travel because he had Corona. We then made the best of it and set up several monitors in the living room so that my brother was digitally present the whole time, even though he was sick in Berlin with his girlfriend. That was kind of cool too.
What was your funniest Christmas experience?
Cortez: I remember our cat, who was still very young at the time, putting down our freshly decorated Christmas tree. Everything had just been finished and the cat came in, took a running start and jumped completely into this Christmas tree. For a few seconds she had fun with the balls hanging there, and then the whole tree was on the ground. Nothing happened to the cat or the tree, but a few balls have already broken. Since then, the cat is no longer allowed into the Christmas room (laughs).
What is your balance sheet for 2023?
Cortez: 2023 was a strange year for me. In 2021 I was seriously ill and almost died, 2022 was dedicated to recovery. This dragged on until the first half of 2023. From that summer onwards I was really fit again for the first time and was able to do my pilgrimage, among other things. Overall, the year was tough; it felt like the handbrake was on. Of course, nice things also happened, I had a lot of fun and great projects, but it was also the year of blatant separations, for example. It felt like everyone around me was disconnected.
Your wife Saina Bayatpour and your ex-partner Miyabi Kawai served a kind of opposite with a joint Instagram post at the beginning of November?
Cortez: Yes, it was a very nice step and a topic to work on that the two of them met. We hadn’t really seen each other since the separation, so it was a very reconciliatory moment in my life.
What can your fans look forward to next?
Cortez: I filmed a series that will air next year. I’m currently on the way to a casting… so there’s still a lot to come. My new book will also be published in March/April. It’s called “The Encourager” and is basically the answer to my last book “Fear in Luggage”. And on March 8th there will be a big Sheciety Summit for International Women’s Day.