The German actress on life after
Bourne
,
her packing essentials and
what she misses about her homeland
Franka Potente
Growing up
in the small town of Dülmen, I had the urge to
express myself. I would put on little shows and performances,
and happened to always have a kind audience. In a way,
becoming an actor was maybe also a way to break out of the
small town environment.
Being an exchange student
in Texas at 17 opened me up
to travelling, expressing myself in another language and a
different way of life. It was hard coming back and finishing
school, and from then on I became a traveller.
Living abroad at a young age
changed my perspective on the
world forever, in the best way.
I felt so damn lucky
to study at the Otto Falckenberg School
of Performing Arts in Munich when I was younger. Being
in a creative environment with like-minded people was
overwhelmingly awesome for the small-town girl I was. I just
didn’t know before then something like that existed! It shaped my
love for big cities, art and culture.
I am a good traveller.
After travelling a lot in the past 16 years,
I can pack the perfect bag in no time and convert any hotel room
into a cosy, personal space. I always take my laptop, at least
one book, a big scarf that can fulfil multiple purposes, different
ointments “just in case” – that kind of stuff.
The funny thing
is that people think it’s like
a vacation to travel for a job, as you do
when you’re an actor. “Oh my god, you
get to go to Paris!” Sadly, there’s often
very little time to explore.
I am a sucker for gorgeous beaches.
Seychelles, Maldives,
those kinds of places. I loved travelling in Australia and
Argentina. Bolivia was quite a trip too.
I really miss German bread
now that I live in America. It's so
funny, when I talk to other German expats, the bread is always
what it comes down to. Of course, I miss my friends and family
dearly. I wish everyone would just relocate here!
Holidays are very important.
I always put life, family and
myself first – not when I'm at work, but over all. I have
never been the actor who shoots four movies back to back.
I’d go nuts.
When it comes to holidays,
I like to chill out and be a bit
active. Ideally, it’s a location with a great beach and a bustling
city. I like adventures, culture, getting to see the underbelly of
places just as much as lying on the perfect beach with a book
and a nice cocktail. For that reason, I can't wait to check out
Havana, Cuba.
Doing the Jason Bourne films
seems so long ago. It was fun
and all new to me at the time. I loved those movies.
For my latest role
– 19
th-century brothel madam
Eva Heissen in TV series
Copper
–
costume
designer Delphine White and I talked about
what we could put the character into. Our
best decision was the men’s top hat.
I got used to the hoop skirts quickly
but the corsets… Well, those are a
different story!
☞
Turn the page for the actress's insider's guide to Berlin and Munich
WORDS
PIERRE DEVILLIERS
PHOTO
EYEVINE
P L A N E
T A L K I N G
Living abroad at
a young age changed
my perspective on the world
forever, in the best way
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R E G U L A R S
