No Script for This: Sonja Weißer on What’s Left When the Cameras Stop

AFFECT caught up with actress Sonja Weißer, known from Maxton Hall. We spoke about growing up with a lifelong love for acting, her intuitive approach to embodying complex characters, and the freedom she finds in transformation. Sonja opened up about the realities of working in an evolving industry, the importance of intersectional storytelling, and why every role, no matter how different, teaches her something new about herself. We also discussed her recent film Danke für nichts and a personal passion project close to her heart.

AFFECT: Who are you and what are you doing?

SONJA WEIßER: Hello, I'm Sonja Weißer. I'll be 23 when this interview comes out. And I'm an actress by profession.

A: What was your dream job as a child?

SW: As far as I can remember, I always wanted to be an actress, or sometimes a witch.

A: When did you realise that acting and storytelling were more than just a passion? Was there a specific moment when you knew: this is my path?

SW: I had loads of hobbies as a child. And the only thing I ever stuck with was acting. First in the theatre club and then in youth clubs. I never got bored with it; it just got more and more fun. And then at some point I found out that you could do it as a job, through the making-ofs on DVDs. And from then on, I tried to follow that path.

A: Are there any people, characters or artists who have influenced you and why?

SW: Well, one thing comes to mind. When I was 16 or 17, I performed at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg. That was my first big professional experience. I was part of an ensemble in which three women played the leading roles. I found these three women incredibly inspiring and motivating. And yes, I was simply amazed and took them as my role models, which gave me the final motivation to pursue this as my career because I was so enthusiastic. At the same time, we had an incredibly wonderful ensemble and I felt seen for the first time. And for the first time, I received positive feedback on what I had experienced and desired.

A: Do you have a ritual that helps you get into or out of a role?

SW: I really enjoy working with music and creating playlists or selecting certain albums that are relevant to a person or a certain mood of that person and tailored to them. I also like to listen to them in the car on the way to the set or during preparation in general. Or even just before the scene, to get back into the emotion or the character. Otherwise, I also like to work with physicality. For me, every character has their own physicality, which I develop during preparation. Some characters sit and behave in a much more upright and elegant manner, so I try to empathise with that physicality throughout the day. This allows everything to happen intuitively and naturally in the scene.

A: When you perform, do you tend to trust your intuition or follow a clear method?

SW: In my acting, I always try to incorporate what I have learned in workshops or acting classes, but I also try to include a dose of intuition and my own style of acting.

A: How do you deal with roles that challenge you emotionally or push you to your limits?

SW: I have to say, I love roles that challenge me emotionally. That's what I find so fascinating about this profession.

A: Are there certain stereotypes that you unconsciously fall into? And how do you deal with these prejudices?

SW: So far, I haven't fallen into any particular box. But after every project, I naturally long for a new role, for a completely different character, and I try to cover a whole range of possiblecharacters and be allowed to play them, and I hope that happens. And I think every actress's wish is not to have a certain persona that you play permanently.

A: What criteria do you use today to decide whether to accept or reject a role?

SW: I can't decide whether to accept or reject a role. I'm not at that point yet. I just go to auditions and, of course, there are projects that interest me more than others due to personal preferences, but I'm happy about every audition and every opportunity to play a new character.

A: Which female characters do you think are missing from German-language cinema? Where doyou see room for improvement in the industry?

SW: Everywhere. Fair working conditions, no discrimination, etc. And I think we should show more intersectional FLINTA* characters.

A: Was there a particular moment on set that changed you or your view on acting?

SW: These moments happen again and again, but when it happened for the first time, I was incredibly happy and relieved. The best thing is when the character simply exists, you don't have to think anymore and the emotions arise from the character, and the scene and everything around it works as a result.

A: How has your view on the world of films and series changed in recent years, perhaps since you've gained more insight behind the scenes?

SW: On the one hand, I've naturally become familiar with the negative aspects of this industry and all the challenges and structural imbalances. On the other hand, I'm becoming more and more hungry for new projects, new stories and new characters. I'm still very grateful and happy for what I do.

A: How do you view issues such as mental health, pressure to perform, or uncertainty in your industry? Are these topics discussed more openly, or do many things remain unsaid?

SW: Yes and yes, they are discussed more, and I also think that people are much more open with each other and with colleagues. But, as everywhere else, we should dare to talk to people about these things. We are not alone with the issues affecting the industry and the resulting uncertainties and everything else.

A: How much of yourself do you take home with you after a day of filming, and what do you consciously leave behind?

SW: I think a lot of people have said that: costumes help. As soon as you take off the costume, you've already shed a certain part of the character, and when you take off your make-up, you recognise yourself in the mirror again, which helps. Once you're in a project, you're very close to the character anyway, and they're always there. But you just have to try, as soon as you get home, to let yourself be yourself again. But the character simply accompanies you throughout the entire project.

A: Do you think films and series have a responsibility, or should they primarily be light-hearted?

SW: I believe that films and series are always political, and that decisions are made accordingly, always based on a particular motivation. But I think films can still be light-hearted. They will just never be presented without a certain stance. And we need to be aware of that. Nevertheless, it can still be a feeling of a light-hearted or magical or relaxing world.

A: What attracted you most to the role of Lydia and to Maxton Hall?

SW: What attracted me most was the fact that, until I accepted the role, I didn't know what kind of project it was or what the project itself was really about. I only had a rough synopsis and I didn't know what my role entailed or how big it was. All I knew was that she had a brother, who was played by Damian in the casting, and that the role had a father and apparently an affair with a teacher. But I didn't know anything about this whole world and I accepted the role quite blindly because I was incredibly happy to have the opportunity to play such a big and, as I later found out, great role. And yes, I only gradually found out what Maxton Hall was all about.

A: Were there moments in season 2 in which you could particularly identify with your character and perhaps even recognised yourself in her?

SW: Despite everything Lydia goes through, even in season 1, and despite the fact that shealways seems very mature and very composed, and sometimes even strict, she is still a young woman trying to find her way in the world. And I can identify with that very well. It's still the case, and even as a teenager, you have that feeling of not belonging and not knowing where you belong or thinking you know where you belong, but gradually finding out that maybe it's not your own idea of life. I can identify with that. In addition, Lydia deals with themes that I think are universally relatable, such as grief or first love.

A: How do you deal with the balancing act between a large, visually perfect production and the desire to show something imperfect and real?

SW: I don't think they're mutually exclusive. I don't think it's necessarily a balancing act. There's hardly anything more imperfect and real than playing a young woman, a teenager.

A: Danke für nichts is a very personal and social film. What touched you about this story?

SW: There are many moments that touch me. Even today, although I have seen the film many times, I keep discovering little details and moments that simply touch me as a viewer. But when I first read it, I was touched by the unshakeable and unconditional love that the four young women have for each other, even though they are all different and none of them fit into a normal system, and they never want to give up on each other, which somehow always leaves a glimmer of hope.

A: Danke für nichts is a film that is very different in tone from Maxton Hall. How did you feel about this change between two such different worlds?

SW: I actually shot Danke für nichts right after Maxton Hall season 2. I think I had a week off and then rehearsals started for me. I had just come off three months of production and was looking forward to a new world in a way. It came at just the right time, of course. And then I kind of jumped into this production, played a completely different genre, a whole new genre that I had never filmed before, and had a lot of fun. And that was a very nice mix this year.

A: When you compare the two projects, what do they say about you as an actress?

SW: I am incredibly grateful to have had these two opportunities to play such different and contrasting roles. And yes, it fulfils me completely to have this privilege of slipping into such different roles and telling such different stories.

A: If you could ask your future self a question and receive an immediate answer, what would it be?

SW: I don't think I would want to do that. I think it would drive me crazy, especially if I could only ask one question and receive only one answer. That's why I don't think I would ask a question in the first place.

A: What would you say to your younger self who had just started acting?

SW: Listen to your heart, listen to your gut feeling, exclamation mark (!) Stay true to yourself and don't let others make decisions for you or undermine your own ideas, dreams and desires.

A: And finally: What secret tip would you give to young actors who are just starting out and looking for their path?

SW: Form groups, team up with people who have the same interests and the same passion, talk to each other, look for resources, support each other, because finding a path together is mucheasier than doing it alone. Surround yourself with great people. And trust yourself.

Interview by Noémi Zak