Peter Schneider
During the “Police Call” filming he was “lonely in the hotel”
Peter Kurth as Commissioner Henry Koitzsch (left) and Peter Schneider as Michael Lehmann investigate in “Polizeiruf 110: An der Saale bright beach” for the first time in Halle.
© MDR / filmpool fiction / Felix Abraham
Peter Schneider is Commissioner Michael Lehmann in the new “Polizeiruf 110” hall. In an interview, he reveals what is very “exciting” about it.
The Leipzig-born actor Peter Schneider (born 1975) is one of the chief inspectors in the new “Polizeiruf 110” team from Halle. Together with Peter Kurth (64) as Henry Koitzsch, he can be seen for the first time in his role as Michael Lehmann in the anniversary event “An der Saale hellem Strande” (May 30th, 8:15 pm, the first). The team follows in big footsteps: From 1996 to 2013 the cult duo Herbert Schmücke (Jaecki Schwarz, 75) and Herbert Schneider (Wolfgang Winkler, 1943-2019) investigated in Halle.
“We can only hope that the audience will accept us and get involved with the new team,” explains Peter Schneider in an interview with the news agency spot on news. In an interview, the actor also reveals the differences between the old and the new team and what he appreciates about his new commissioner role. He also talks about his special relationship with the city of Halle and with Peter Kurth.
How was the first day of shooting for “Polizeiruf 110: An der Saale hellem Strande”?
Peter Schneider: It was very nice. We had rehearsed with all of the actors involved before shooting started. So it wasn’t a spontaneous meeting on set. Still, I was very excited.
Did you know your colleague Peter Kurth before the rehearsals?
Schneider: We have known each other for a long time. Peter was at the Stadttheater Schauspiel Leipzig when I was studying. He was also a visiting professor at our university. We were also at “Babylon Berlin” [seit 2017, Red.] already together in front of the camera. I like Peter very much. With Thomas Stuber [Regie/Drehbuch] I already had business and Clemens Meyer [Drehbuch] I’ve known for years. It’s like a family to work with. With the script “An der Saale hellem Strande” I also felt that the two of them had Peter and me in front of their eyes.
Did you spend time together outside of the set?
Schneider: Unfortunately that didn’t work. We shot from the beginning of November to mid-December 2020 – in the middle of the second Corona wave. Nothing worked outside of the set. Despite the circumstances, the many tests and regulations, it was a very nice filming. But of course it wasn’t possible to have a drink together. I always sat lonely in the hotel.
What is your relationship with the city of Halle?
Schneider: We all have a special relationship with the city. Clemens Meyer half grew up there because his grandparents lived in Halle. I attended the special school for music from 1985 to 1990 and then played a lot of theater in Halle. Peter Kurth and Thomas Stuber also have a personal connection to the city. In this respect, it is nice that we can now pay tribute to Halle.
Andreas Schmidt-Schaller, who identified as Thomas Grawe in 33 “Polizeiruf 110” crime stories, plays your father-in-law in the new case. Did you get some tips from him?
Schneider: Above all, I thanked him for participating. It’s just great that Thomas Grawe, as a retired commissioner, is playing my father-in-law. There’s something loving about it. I like that a lot about the script.
While Peter Kurth mimes the lonely wolf Henry Koitzsch, who likes to break rules, you take on the role of the sensitive family man Michael Lehmann, who strictly adheres to the service regulations. Which of the two characters can you better identify with in private?
Schneider: That is a difficult question. After all, as an actor you take on your characters and look for interfaces with your own life. That’s why I would say Michael at first. I’m also an impatient person, we have that in common. I am very goal-oriented and want to solve problems quickly. But there are also overlaps with Henry Koitzsch – for example his directness and honesty.
What do you like most about your new role as commissioner?
Schneider: I like Michael’s down-to-earth attitude, his sense of family and that he is humanistic and Christian. I also like the contrast between the two: Henry Koitzsch and Michael Lehmann are on the one hand very different characters, but on the other hand they are also very close. That is only possible if you have a common ground. For Lehmann, Koitzsch is a mentor or a father figure.
How does the new team differ from the cult duo Schmücke and Schneider – Jaecki Schwarz and Wolfgang Winkler, 1996-2013 – from Halle?
Schneider: I can’t judge that. Back then, the scriptwriters’ view of the city and the residents was certainly different. The approaches used to be different too. I was very fond of jewelry and tailors. I thought it was a shame when they both stopped – especially for the city of Halle.
Are you scared of the big footsteps?
Schneider: That makes it exciting. We can only hope that the audience will accept us and get involved with the new team. It’s always difficult when you’re following in big footsteps.