Jungle adventures in Brazil, everyday hippie life in Bali and sleeping under the open sky in Africa – actress Ruby O. Fee tells GALA how her nomadic past has shaped her.
Usually, Ruby O. Fee, 27, takes everyone’s breath away when she shines on the red carpet alongside Matthias Schweighöfer, 41, with whom she has been together for three years. She can also convince as an actress in “Tatort” or in the Netflix thriller “Army Of Thieves”. You wouldn’t guess that this elegant woman grew up in hippie villages in Asia and Brazil and never lived in one place for more than a few months.
Ruby O. Fee: The whole world is her home
GALA: You had an eventful childhood.
Ruby O. Fee: I was born in Costa Rica, went to kindergarten and pre-school in Bali and India and then lived in Brazil for a long time. We always traveled a lot because my mother made and sold her own clothes. We led a nomadic life.
What memories do you have?
There were a number of situations that were totally formative. It may sound cheesy, but waking up under a starry sky is an incredible experience. And the feeling of waking up in the middle of nature and hearing the animals first is unique. At some point we got lost in Africa and stood between giraffes in the morning.
How did you live otherwise?
Differing. Long in a bus that my mother had converted. Sometimes we camped at festivals, otherwise we stayed in huts or in the open air. We lived on a desert island in Greece for a while, where we lived on the beach, hung mosquito nets in the trees, put a mattress underneath and slept under the stars. But in Goa it was also an abandoned manorial villa.
Between mindfulness and dangerous animals
Have you never been afraid?
As a child I was afraid of waves and water. Or rather, I always had respect for nature and animals. I came into contact with spiders and snakes a lot and quickly learned that they can be very dangerous. I can still remember how I used to play hide and seek as a child, we lived in Brazil in a little house in the jungle at the time, and I hid behind the fridge. Suddenly I heard a hiss – a snake was lying in the grille behind the fridge, lashing out. I ran away immediately. It was black, red and yellow striped and very small – but as I then found out, one of the most poisonous snakes in the world.
Has nothing ever happened to you?
No, maybe because I had that mindfulness. I always threw out my shoes before I put them on. Or beat the covers out before I got into it. Small rituals that have become totally natural to me.
23 images
The eternal freedom
Do you associate certain things with the respective countries?
For example, I still remember this very special smell from Bali. There are small temples on every corner where people leave offerings such as biscuits or fruit to the gods. Everywhere it smelled of incense. The smell is ingrained in me.
Is there a place where you felt the most free?
Every country triggers a different feeling in me. But in Brazil we lived in a mini hippie village in Bahia for a long time, so I felt very safe there. I had many friends, was free to roam everywhere, and had a house number that I could remember for the first time in my life. The sea was only ten minutes away. It felt like home for the first time. When things got more civilized there, we moved away.
Did nomadic life also have its downsides?
I saw the world as a kind of commune. I saw many people in different places over and over again. I’m very grateful that I’ve learned that leaving doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Saying goodbye was never difficult for me, it was always easy: you hugged each other, shed a tear – but you knew you’d see each other again.
Ruby O. Fee: “Food was delivered once a month, otherwise we took care of ourselves.”
Do you know the book “Jungle Child” by Sabine Kuegler, who grew up in West New Guinea?
No, but I eventually discovered these Tippi books, a girl who lived with her parents in Africa surrounded by wild animals. She reminded me of myself, only differently.
Did you have animals?
I have always rescued animals from the streets and brought them home: a horse, chicks, turtles, cats and dogs. And when we had to go again, I found people to take care of them.
What was your wildest experience?
Certainly half the year on the lonely Greek island. There was nothing there, we slept under the trees. Food was delivered once a month, otherwise we took care of ourselves. I learned to fish and got completely occupied with myself. We built a kind of well and learned how to filter water so you can drink it.
Her past influences her relationship with Matthias Schweighöfer
How important is freedom to you in your relationship with Matthias?
We love each other very much, so we always want to support each other so that we can grow and become even better people. I’m really excited to see what happens. What will my wild nomadic life be like in ten years? Who knows, maybe we’ll live in nature again.
Happy together since 2019: Matthias Schweighöfer and Ruby O. Fee are currently commuting between Berlin and Los Angeles.
© Action Press
Do you miss being who you were as a kid?
I think I always carry little Ruby with me. To look at the world through children’s eyes, to be loving, open, freedom-loving and wild – I never want to lose that. On my travels I have learned not to judge things and people, but to accept them as they are. And: to be courageous, to be curious and to dare to do things, even if you might fall down.
Would you raise your children with similar freedom?
I would love to pass on everything I’ve learned to my child and support them in being open to everything and everyone and becoming a loving soul. I can definitely imagine becoming a mother. But right now I want to enjoy my life and my relationship as they are right now.