Fassinator Christine kindly translated this interview and scanned the magazine article image. Thank you!
"Who
is that?" JOY correspondent Frances Schoenberger asks casually, as a
bearded man turns up in a crumpled jacket, while she is waiting in the
"Claridge's", one of the finest hotels in London, for the interview with
Michael Fassbender. "Nowadays, they let everyone in," jokes a
colleague. But it is - surprise! - Hollywood's new rising star himself:
He speaks with an Irish accent, seems very confident, absolutely "down
to earth" and incredibly charming. His warm smile and his intense eyes
one recognise immediately. Born in Heidelberg he looks with the beard
not as good as without, but no doubt there is a special aura around him.
No wonder that women fly on the 1.83 meters tall Aries man. But he does
not seem to care much. He is obsessed with his work, a workaholic.
JOY:
You've played yourself all the way up in a very short time. From August
9 you excel as a human robot in the science fiction blockbuster
"Prometheus - dark signs" How has the success changed your life?
MICHAEL FASSBENDER:
It depends on what goals you have in your life - and I still want the
same thing: to learn; to work with people, who inspire me; to spend time
with people I love, and be able to spent more time for go-kart driving (laughs).
I'm 35. Ten years ago I would have been even more impressed by being
famous. Today I do not care anymore. Fame is not necessarily what brings
great joy. However, there was a great experience at the Grand Prix in
Monaco when I stood alongside Michael Schumacher, as he climbed into his
car. It was a childhood dream of mine, of which I have dreamed about 20
years.
Was acting also a dream of yours?
No,
I always wanted to be a guitarist in a heavy metal band. The first
instrument I learned, was a tin whistle, a flute played in Irish folk
music. Originally, I wanted to play the violin, but it was too expensive
for my parents. They encouraged me to the accordion, because we had one
at home anyway. The instrument was huge, my head almost disappeared
behind it. So I played a couple of years. As a teenager I started
playing the guitar. It was an absolute key experience for me as one day
Steven Hart, a good friend of mine, visited. During our joint practice
in the garage, he played such a stunning solo, that I became aware that I
should come up with something else.
You did not have enough talent for music and therefore wanted to be an actor?
(Laughs)
Exactly. In school I was only mediocre. At first I thought, I'm going
to be a lawyer. But I'm a slow reader, and with the thick file that
would be difficult. Then it turned out that I'm also not suitable as an
architect, because I had failed in technical drawing. When a former
classmate, who was studying at the Irish Theatre School 'Gaiety School
of Acting', staged a piece of my college, I joined in and suddenly I
realized: That's exactly what I want!
How did your career come fully under way?
At
19 I moved from Ireland to London to go to drama school. I live there
still. For years I've fought through all sorts of jobs like bartender. I
just do not give up and believed in me. Then in 2007 came the
breakthrough when the director Steve McQueen offered me the main role in
the prison drama, "Hunger", although I was completely unknown.
This director has turned your life pretty much upside down, has he not?
Yes,
Steve McQueen is a genius - I love him. Last year I shot with him the
drama "Shame," in which I stripped to the buff. Our next project is the
slave drama "Twelve Years A Slave", in which Brad Pitt also plays along.
Unfortunately before every new movie I still have the fear of failure.
Do you have any philosophy of life?
Yes,
treat others as you would like to be treated. Everyone wants to be
accepted and loved. Probably it sounds kitschy, but we should all love
more.
Speaking of Love: What must a woman have for you?
I like strong women like my girl friend Nicole. I like her confidence, she is an equal partner.
Your parents have been married for 38 years. How do you feel about marriage?
In
my job, it's difficult to live a relationship, let alone to be married.
And I'm a romanticist: to sit in the garden or a sunset at the beach is
always nice if you experience it with another one.
You were born in Heidelberg. Do you speak German?
Unfortunately
not. My parents, who speak both fluently German, wanted to teach me -
in vain. My mother is Irish, my father is German. They met in London and
moved together to Heidelberg. When I was two, we moved to Ireland. As
long as my German grandparents were still alive, as a child I often
spent the holiday with them. I like the city of Cologne, the bohemian
atmosphere there is second to none!
