interview
Dieter Hallervorden
“I believe that I will live longer because of this woman”
© Photopress Müller / imago images
Dieter Hallervorden explains why he has concerns about his private island – and how love keeps him young.
It looks like a pirate fortress. The Atlantic rages on one side and a beach stretches on the other. And in the middle, hidden between trees, is a castle with a gate and towers. This romantic island in Brittany called “Costaérès” has belonged to Dieter Hallervorden, 88, since 1988. Since then, the comedian has been coming here regularly to relax.
Dieter Hallervorden: It’s not always quiet on the island
But what normally promises idyll and peace is currently causing him a lot of trouble: “A storm severely damaged the island,” Dieter Hallervorden tells GALA. And even more problematic: the insurance company is reluctant to cover the damage. A love castle in France – actually a retirement dream for many. Hallervorden and his wife Christiane, 58, are only on site for a maximum of three weeks per year. Why? “The world is so big, there is still so much to discover,” explains the cabaret artist. “We don’t want to always go to the same place.” Instead, the busy “Didi” has long since set his sights on a new vacation destination: “I dream of a trip to New Zealand with my wife.”
This is how he keeps himself young
Incredible when you consider that the humorist will be 89 years old in September. So what is his fountain of youth secret? Hallervorden, who is also the head of Berlin’s Schlossparktheater, swears by a routine: an hour of exercise is on the agenda before breakfast – every day. But much more important than jogging, stretching, etc. is her: wife Christiane. Hallervorden found late happiness with the stuntwoman, thirty years his junior, after two marriages that resulted in four children.
© Gerald Matzka/Getty Images
She is the very great love
In 2022, they both said yes to each other in a civil wedding, just celebrating their ninth anniversary. “She takes care of me and is a source of joy in life,” enthuses the actor (“Honey in the Head”) to GALA. “I believe that because of this woman I will live longer than originally intended.” They both love dancing and traveling the world and have just returned from a delayed honeymoon in Oman. And who knows, maybe Hallervorden will recharge his batteries along the way to take care of his island. Before the next storm comes.