Annabelle Mandeng’s book “Detours are also ways” will be published on September 3rd. She has a lot to tell, as the interview makes clear.
Annabelle Mandeng (50) is a true all-rounder: actress, presenter, voice actress, entrepreneur … and now also a book author. Her first autobiographical work “Detours are also ways: From being black and other adventures” will be published on September 3rd. Mandeng has a lot to tell: As the daughter of a German mother and a Cameroonian father, she spent her childhood and teenage years partly in the tranquil Bad Zwischenahn (Lower Saxony) and partly in Togo and Pakistan. She later built a successful career in film and television. In 1994 she became the first German black television presenter in this country, and last year she was celebrated as an actress at the Berlinale for her performance in “Berlin Alexanderplatz”.
However, the path to success was not easy, as the 50-year-old, who describes herself as a “professional self-taught woman”, makes clear in her book and in an interview with the news agency spot on news. She survived several serious accidents and subsequently had to undergo a total of twelve operations, and Mandeng is not unfamiliar with discrimination based on the color of her skin. From the setbacks she has learned to “take nothing for granted”, says the new author. In an interview, she also reveals to what extent they have shaped different cultures, how she deals with hostility and what she is already allowed to reveal about her role in the upcoming Netflix series “Vikings: Valhalla”.
Presenter, actress, painter, voice actress … you are versatile. How do you get all your talents under one roof?
Annabelle Mandeng: I just do one thing at a time, go from the stage to the recording studio and then to the set. And in between I paint. Everything can be coordinated and I really enjoy the variety.
You call yourself a professional, self-taught woman. What do you mean by this term?
Mandeng: Exactly that. I taught myself everything, learned through experience and work, but apart from my American high school degree and the German Abitur, I had no academic training. Learning by doing applies 100 percent to me.
In 1994 you were the first German black presenter on German television. Does that still make you proud?
Mandeng: Of course.
You have already had a total of twelve operations behind you. This not only requires physical, but also mental strength. How did you get through that?
Mandeng: There was no other alternative. At least not for me. Every time I was at the crossroads of choosing between a pain-free life, self-determined fitness, flexibility and health, or a life with pain and pain pills, immobility and poor condition, I have chosen the former path. This does not necessarily require mental strength, but rational action. Choosing differently just made no sense to me.
What did you learn from these setbacks?
Mandeng: A lot! A lot of good things above all. I am tough, full of joie de vivre and deep gratitude, do not take anything for granted and have developed a deep belief in my own strengths – which allows me to master my life with humor.
You are a sports enthusiast. How do you keep yourself so fit?
Mandeng: I run regularly and go to the gym to kickbox or do strength training. Then there is yoga and a healthy diet.
You spent your childhood in Germany, Togo and Pakistan. How did you shape the different cultures?
Mandeng: Of course, I am most closely connected with Germany. This is where I was born, mostly lived here and still do – and I really enjoy it, especially here in Berlin. The years in Togo as a child helped me better understand my West African origins, while Pakistan left a strong mark on me as a youth. I became extremely aware of the freedom in German society, but I also learned that there are differences in individual cultures that have to be respected without judging them. I think, all in all, I grew up on these stays abroad, became more attentive and developed a natural way of dealing with people of various origins.
Which discrimination have you already experienced in your life and how did you react to it?
Mandeng: I was discriminated against because of the color of my skin and was shocked and sad every time, but at some point I got angry. In the meantime, I sometimes even feel sorry for those stupid people who think they can rise above others. I am not a person who can be easily gotten down. So it didn’t leave any traces on me, at most a kind of tiredness.
You criticize structural racism in the film industry. What would have to be done to improve the situation?
Mandeng: The situation is already improving. The time for this is overripe and the industry knows that too and reacts accordingly. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Stories should be told in all their diversity – which is now also reflected in our society. By various people in front of and behind the camera. Little by little, that happens too. As long as we have to fight to ensure that men and women are treated equally in our society, it will unfortunately take some time before it is recognized that ethnic backgrounds, body shapes, physical and psychological restrictions or sexual preferences should also no longer be an issue.
How should you react when you experience racism in everyday life?
Mandeng: Talk about it, disclose it, possibly file a complaint. That has to stop.
You recently shot in Ireland for the Netflix series “Vikings: Valhalla”. What can you already reveal about it?
Mendeng: Unfortunately, nothing. Except that I play Altöra, the boss of the Shield Maidens, and fight with shield and sword.
How did the role come about? What is it about the Vikings that fascinates you?
Mendeng: We were looking for a tall, athletic woman, skin color did not matter. I convinced in the casting and got the role. The Vikings were a combative people of discovery with strong female figures. This is exactly the part that fascinates me the most – in contrast to the raids – and which is also emphasized in “Vikings: Valhalla” by my role and the other female roles.
What are your hopes for the future?
Mendeng: Above all, I would like more and more people to embrace and celebrate diversity. And I want to be able to experience that in a healthy and fit.
Is there a life wisdom that you would like to pass on?
Mandeng: You don’t have to give up.