“Mother’s Day – A Taunus thriller”
Annika Kuhl celebrates her debut as the new commissioner
“Mother’s Day – A Taunus Crime”: The two commissioners Oliver von Bodenstein (Tim Bergmann) and Pia Sander (Annika Kuhl) interrogate Joachim Vogt (Andreas Lust, M.), an IT specialist who works at the airport.
© ZDF / Hagen Keller
Annika Kuhl is the new “Taunus crime” inspector in the film “Mother’s Day” on Valentine’s Day. This is how the actress thinks about these holidays.
Actress Annika Kuhl (46, “Legal Affairs”) celebrates her debut as Commissioner Pia Sander in the “Taunus Crime” series with the two-part series “Mother’s Day – A Taunus Crime” (February 14/16, 8:15 p.m., ZDF). The films are based on the bestselling novels by Nele Neuhaus (54). Nine of these novels have been filmed since 2013, most recently always as a two-parter. In “Mother’s Day” the two Taunus investigators Count Oliver von Bodenstein (Tim Bergmann, 49) and Pia Sander are confronted with a serial killer who always kills women on Mother’s Day…
In an interview with spot on news, Annika Kuhl reveals how she was accepted as a new member of the team, what she thinks of Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day – on which part one is broadcast.
You are the newcomer to the “Taunus Crime” team. How were you received?
Annika Kuhl: I was received very warmly. Even the casting was very pleasant. That’s where I met the director and the producer. My fellow actor Tim Bergmann was also there, but we already knew each other from previous projects. And when I got the role, the reading samples followed. So we weren’t total strangers when we started shooting. But of course every first day of shooting is something very special when you slip into your new role for the first time. Sometimes it’s surprising how the role ultimately feels.
What distinguishes the “Taunus Crime” series from other crime series?
Kuhl: The main investigative team is on friendly terms with one another and treats one another almost affectionately. You may be a bit gentler than other TV inspectors and not as frustrated by the obviously very stressful job. The landscape is certainly special in the “Taunus crime” series. I’ve acted in theaters and filmed in Frankfurt am Main before, but I hadn’t been to the surrounding area before shooting these thrillers. I only got to know that now and I really liked it, these apple orchards are just beautiful.
The film will be shown on Valentine’s Day. What does this day mean to you?
Kuhl: To be honest, I’ve never noticed it so consciously. My children sometimes tell me that they got something from a friend at school. But other than that, Valentine’s Day has never had much meaning in my life. And neither is Mother’s Day… (laughs)
… Mother’s Day doesn’t matter to you either?
Kuhl: When I was a child, it wasn’t customary in my family to celebrate Mother’s Day. My mother didn’t like it at all. She found it rather outrageous, because you shouldn’t just celebrate your mother on one day. For them it was mendacious and pure money making. And I took that from her as a non-tradition, so to speak.
You are a working mother. How do you manage the balancing act?
Kuhl: It’s actually a balancing act, but so far I’ve always managed it. I’m a single parent, but my ex-partner is always available when I’m filming and he doesn’t have to work. So far we’ve actually always been lucky that it worked out. We both support each other. This is going well and is perhaps also the advantage of an artist family.
Her younger daughter Edwina (born 2010) was also in front of the camera. She acted with you in “Polizeiruf: Kinderparadies” (2013), her father Leander Haussmann directed it at the time. Are there any other plans?
Kuhl: That was really a formative experience for her, even though she wasn’t even three years old. I actually thought she forgot. After that, however, she was always jealous when I was shooting and other children were playing. Or other children have played my children. But I didn’t want to let them into this world too much just yet, because it takes a certain maturity. This concentration on one person on the set is already an illusion. Many people constantly take care of everything: they get dressed, they do their make-up, they tie their shoes. I can abstract that because I know that this is done to save time and because the connections have to be right. But children can’t put it that way. So I don’t think it’s cheap yet. But if she has that maturity and still wants it, it would be something else…
What do you like to do as a balance to acting? What helps you switch off?
Kuhl: Nature plays a major role. I live a bit outside of Berlin in the countryside. There are many beautiful lakes for swimming. I also have a fairly large garden – and I always feel a bit guilty about caring for it. There’s always something to do. Then I like to dance and I’m just starting to do tango. I also like to read. And I like to write screenplays with a friend. We’ve also made a short film together that was shown at various festivals. But we do all of this without any time pressure and only because we feel like it.
And how do you keep yourself physically fit?
Kuhl: Yes, well, there’s the garden… (laughs) I read somewhere that gardening is the healthiest sport. I always say that to myself. Otherwise I sometimes do a bit of yoga. I started that with an app during the lockdown.
You must also pay attention to your diet. Which calorie bomb can you still not do without?
Kuhl: Oh, there are quite a few. I really like drinking milk coffee with sugar or honey. I don’t like that either, it has to be sweet. Or when my favorite cakes are out and the kids aren’t looking, I secretly scrape the remaining batter out of the bowl. My favorite cakes are cheesecake and our traditional black and white birthday cake – all old recipes from my grandma.