Sven Waasner studied in New York in 2001. The “Storm of Love” star says in an interview how he got rid of his fear of flying after the attacks.
Actor Sven Waasner (44) has been part of the ARD telenovela “Sturm der Liebe” since 2020 (Monday to Friday at 3:10 p.m. on Erste). As Erik Vogt, he earned status as a fan favorite over the years. Like everyone in the cast, he can tell you a lot about how great the fan love is. In an interview with spot on news, the native of Forchheim, Upper Franconia, also talks about his professionally and personally formative time in New York, which also included the catastrophic terrorist attacks.
The telenovela “Sturm der Liebe” is known for its particularly intense fan loyalty. What have you already experienced in this context?
Sven Waasner: All of us in the “Sturm der Liebe” cast are actually approached quite often – probably because two million people watch it every day. What’s special for me is that it’s always nice and personable. No matter when and where. People are always really excited, and that’s really nice to see.
What was the last fan experience?
Waasner: At the weekend I was in Hamburg and a man jumped at me in front of the main train station: “Erik, Erik, Erik!” That’s my role name and I now listen more to my role name than to my own name. When someone calls “Sven” at the main train station, I think: They definitely don’t mean me. But when someone calls “Erik,” I immediately know that they mean me. (laughs)
Her fans especially appreciate Erik Vogt’s kindness. How would you describe him?
Waasner: If you were to ask Erik whether he was sweet and nice, he would immediately say no. He’s also very self-centered, it’s actually always about him. When he helps others, he always immediately regrets it. But secretly he is always proud. Otherwise he is more of an annoying boss and an annoying employee. But the fact that he shows his loveliness every now and then makes it all the more exciting.
You started with “Storm” in 2020. That was in the middle of the corona pandemic. Looking back, what does that mean for you?
Waasner: During the Corona period it was of course an absolute gift. At that time, so many colleagues were condemned to sit around and wait because only a few productions were being filmed. The only thing that continued to be produced were the daily series. When you got an offer there, of all places, it was of course extraordinary. Apart from that, this type of work, being part of a long-running series, is the only way to make a living from this job in Germany. Since my “Sturm” engagement, I’ve been doing very well professionally and it’s still a lot of fun. It really is a joy to come to work every day.
What’s special about “Storm of Love” in terms of genre?
Waasner: Everything happens for us and we are not limited to any genre. We are a love film, romantic comedy, medical series, crime story… And it’s always exciting when it comes to colleagues. This is certainly also due to the fact that there is a fixed cast and always changing roles and actresses. Personally, I have always been very lucky with my playing partners in “Sturm der Liebe”.
You also found your private happiness with the former “Sturm der Liebe” actress Viola Wedekind. Was it difficult in the beginning to separate professional and private life?
Waasner: In general, I think that many people meet their partners at work or in the work environment because that’s where you spend the whole day. What was special for us was that we also played a couple in front of the camera. But because we didn’t make a big deal about it, it wasn’t difficult for us to separate our private and professional lives. Most people on set only found out about our love when Viola quit.
How did you actually get into acting?
Waasner: I actually started at school with the subject of dramatic design. However, I have to admit that it was more of a pragmatic decision because with this theater class you could collect a lot of points for your Abitur. But I also had a lot of fun. And funnily enough, it was my mother who kept pushing me in that direction. Back then, I actually wanted to study business administration and join my father’s company.
After graduating from high school, my girlfriend at the time and I flew to New York and, among other things, had a “career day” there just for fun. She went to the well-known modeling agency Ford Models and I applied to the Lee Straßberg acting school. It was more of a test of courage. Six months later it turned out that I would actually start there. I then studied in New York for two and a half years – but September 11, 2001 also happened around that time.
How did you experience – and cope with – the terrorist attacks?
Waasner: I lived in China Town at the time, two kilometers as the crow flies from the disaster. From my roof I watched the two towers collapse. I saw that live – it was terrible, but somehow so surreal. I will never forget that sound, that deep rumbling. A friend who was working at RTL at the time introduced me to Bärbel Schäfer [60] switched to the studio.
After the attacks, I developed a fear of flying, even though I’m not usually a fearful person. But then I deliberately continued flying to get rid of this fear because otherwise I would have had to forego so much in my life. And at some point it subsided again. That was a very special experience.
What did you learn at the US acting school that you could use in your career, especially here in Germany?
Waasner: My stay in New York also shaped me independently; I was a young person from a small town. At the beginning I was 20 and wasn’t even allowed to drink alcohol. I learned an incredible amount in this city when it comes to art and free thinking. Being given a good brushing was generally good for my understanding of art. But I also learned a lot in concrete terms. American acting schools are incredibly pragmatic and work-oriented.
Casting, for example, was already a separate subject back then: How do you find work? How do you get through a casting? What are you doing at work afterwards? That wasn’t the case for a long time at a state drama school in Germany. Above all, it was always about the artistic understanding of the profession. In the USA, acting has long been a very professional profession. Of course, art is also important to them, but they clearly prioritize looking for a job, because without a job, the best art is of no use.