So, dear fans, finally
here is the interview which includes your questions. Enjoy Eva's
answers!
So much of life
seems like acting and the idea seems to be to find and express one's
true self. Do you find yourself better or worse off for this enterprise
because of your profession?
Eva Habermann: Well,
I am a good liar for sure and I am good in creating stories,
but I am doing it only very seldom and use only white lies.I love
honesty
and also demand honesty of other people. Because of this in private
I only associate myself with honest people.
Do you sometimes get frustrated
with screenplays/scripts that you are offered or is it always easy
to find enough good work to do?
Well, normally it is not too
difficult, but sometimes things are not so great which are offered
to me. I like american screenplays more, because they are often
more funny. But I am not frustrated, I am still able to decline
bloody screenplays.
Is there anything you miss
about your life as it was before you became famous?
I hardly realize that I am
so famous. Media created a person, nearly an artificial figure.
But I always have a kind of distance to this, because I do not
agree
to everything that is written about me. I do not really miss a
thing.
If you had your choice
between two equally good roles, one in Germany and one in America,
would you stay home out of loyalty or go to America for the experience?
Surely I would go to America.
A lot is developping here in Germany, but in the USA the conditions
are better and nicer. You have better possibilities, on the set
there are much more people working and you have much more time.
Is there anything you consider
important that others seem to undervalue?
I do not know if others undervalue
this point, but for me it is very important to know yourself. I
read a lot and often and consider meditation to be important too.
You always have to be critical with yourself and to work on yourself.
Do you always do what is
in your heart or do you find it is better to keep some secrets?
It is always good to have
a few secrets. Of course there are also things which you should
only tell your best friends or your family about. Most times I follow
my heart and my belly, but for example I cannot stay away from the
set in the morning just because my heart is telling me that.
Do you feel better since
you have been famous?
Oh yes, I really feel better,
but not since I have been famous, but since I have become an actress.
Which is your favourite
music group and song at the moment?
I really like the canadian
singer Loreena McKennitt and her album "The visit" very
much. At the moment I also like listening to the song "Your
love" from Mark' Oh vs. John Davies - especially the fourth
version of the Maxi-CD (midnight ballade).
Where do you go for holiday
this year or do you keep working?
I have been on an Ayurveda-farm
in Sri Lanca for four weeks to recover and gain new power.
Do you have pets? If so,
which pets do you have?
We have a family dog. She
is a border collie, her name is Toppsie and she is nine years old.
But she lives with my parents, because I am at home too seldom and
not regularly.
Do you get much fanmail
and do you read it all?
Yes, I get much fanmail and
usually I read everything. But I am really lazy in writing back,
so I will work on myself in the future. Just sometimes I am not
able to read my fanmail unfortunately, because the writing is too
terrible or if I get - like a few weeks ago - a four page letter
which is written totally in russian.
Do you find leaving long
running series (such as Lexx) emotional affairs?
It is always hard and not
true that I do not care about it. With the time each character
gets a part of yourself and if the character ends, this part of
you dies.
It is also hard to leave all the people who worked together with
you on a project, because you probably won't see again them for
a long time. Although it is hard you always have to develop yourself
and do something new. Unfortunately some of the people who have
been your best friends before, suddenly do not know you anymore.
Do you sometimes wish that
your fans or the press would just leave you alone, so you can have
time for yourself?
Well, if I need time for myself,
then I am at home where I am alone. Otherwise I always have time.
My make-up assistant always admired me for my patience when giving
autographs. But for me it is not bothering or hard. I am very sociable
and like talking to other people. You can talk to the people on
the set each day.
What out of all your achievements
so far would you like people to associate you with?
If people hear my name they
should think such things as "lively", "fresh",
"young" and "natural". And they should be happy
if they see me.
Out of all your co-stars
which one has been most supportive and helpful in your career?
Well, Anneliese Uhlig supported
me very much. She is a great UFA-star of the 1940's. I worked together
with her on my first project "Immenhof". Also the cooperation
with Hans Clarin and his support for Pumuckl-TV were fantastic.
Later I made a comedy together with him in Austria.
When you were at school
did you ever think that you would become such a successful actress?
No, but I always expected
that I would become an actress. At that time it was my aim to be
on the TV. What I am doing now, was my final aim when I was in
school.
Do people recognize you
on the street or are you atill able to live a normal life?
Well, sometimes people recognize
me AND I can still live a normal life. People are often not sure
and do not know if they should say something to me. It may be, because
in private I dress myself totally different, more casually than
in my roles. Especially in Hamburg people often recognize me.
What is your opinion about
science fiction ,also concerning your work for Lexx and the new
"Star Wars"-Movie?
To be honest, in my eyes science
fiction is often to brutal. And I am not such a freak for the technical
effects. I love more the fantasy aspects like in Lexx. Of course
I also watch things like "Star Wars" or "Enterprise", but I would
not say that I am a real fan of this.
How long do you practise
for a new series, movie or character?
If I got the screenplay (most
times it is about four weeks before) I start looking for books
and specialised knowledge. For example if I play a character who
suffers
of amnesia, I inform myself about amnesia. At the weekends I always
study the parts of the role which I have to do in the following
week and look if I can change the dialogues a bit. Most times I
learn the texts by heart on the evening before or if the text
consists
only of one or two sentences, I sometimes do it just atthat morning.
Do you have a kind of ritual
that you are doing before your appearances?
Well, I take speech lessons
regularly twice a week. Additionally I do breathing exercises or
yawn to relax my face muscles and I do something for my vocal
cords
too of course. Finally I have my "Knuffelbunt", a squeaking
animal that I can grip. It accompanies me to all of my appearances,
for example to "The Dome".
Which programme/series
do you think was most responsable for making you a mega star?
As I said I do not really
feel like a mega star. But my international break-through were the
Lexx movies of course. Here in Germany I am not sure, maybe Lexx
too. The title on the german magazine MAX was definitely very good
for me too.
Is there anything you have
done so far in your life which you regret?
Actually I would say that
I regret having been married. But although it has been a really
sad matter, I do not feel sorry about that, because it was a really
important experience for me.
What plans do you have
for the future?
In January 2000 I will work
for a production of german channel SAT.1 in which I play a psycho
who hijacks the daughter of her sister. In march I will travel
to
Vietnam to work atthe last two episodes of the series "Die
Strandclique".
Have you any plans to visit
or work in Britain in the future?
I would really like to travel
to Britain again. I have a friend who lives in London. If I get
good offers, I would like to work in Britain too.
What were your most important
impressions as an actor?
It was really impressive to
stand in front of 10.000 people and moderate "The Dome".
It is negative that people sometimes write things that I have never
said.
Why did you become an actress?
I always loved to play, I
like to disguise myself and I just love acting. But I also like
to meddle and to interfere as far as I can.
Did you never want to go
to university?
In fact I have been enrolled
for history of arts in Hamburg, but acting just was more important
for me.
That Eva Habermann, who
we all know from interviews, is bright , has much sense of humour,
looks wonderful, works hard to reach her aims and is a little
bit
crazy. Is this only the Eva in public or are you the same in private?
Oh yes, in private I am absolutely
the same.
What do you do to relax
after work?
I do special relax exercises
and like to go swimming. Sometimes I also go to the gym. I just
do a lot of sports.
Does someone who works
for her aims so hard like you still have a private life?
Yes, of course. If I am not
working I have a lot of freetime. Sometimes you work seven monthes
a year, but also have five monthes free.
Are you a perfectionist?
Yes, I am. I always demand
the best, not only of me, but also of the others. If people make
mistakes that touch me, I get restless or sometimes I get angry,
but I would never react aggressive to these people just because
of that.
Do you have - for the far
away future - an aim you want to reach?
I would like to make such
nice movie pictures like Franka Potente did. Also international
movies if possible.
Why did you do this - meanwhile
third - series of "nude pics"? Just because they asked
you or because you liked to do it? Or are you somebody who likes
to present herself and feels good if attracting people this way?
Usually I did not want to
do any more series, but the readers of the german magazine MAX elected
me the third place most erotic woman. And MAX has a really nice
head editor and I could choose my own photographer. I won't do another
series soon again.
Will there be the possibilty
that your fans can talk to you personally like in an internet chatroom
for example?
I always like to visit the
fanclub meetings (like the fanclub of the "Strandclique" for example).
At the moment I am not in the internet, but if people offer a
professional
chat to me, I won't say no.
Do you know about the huge
number of your (also international) fans in the internet?
Unfortunately I do not have
my own PC yet. But often people ask me about my fanpages in the
internet. Because of this I know about having so many fans there.
And I am really happy about it. Later I will get my own PC for
sure.
How do you handle/manage
the kissing and loving scenes in your movies/series?
Well, I made some bad experiences
here. Sometimes it can be the absolute horror. You cannot do anything,
you always have to act professionally. In Lexx I once looked really
forward to such a kissing scene.
Thank you very much for
having had so much time for your fans.
No problem, I enjoyed it really
much.
This interview was made and
translated November 11th, 1999 by Jens Schmigowski.
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