At just 26 years of age, Mala Emde already has a remarkable catalog of the most diverse film and series work to show. Whether as Anne Frank in “My Daughter Anne Frank”, in the award-winning “And tomorrow the whole world” or the series “Oh Hell” – Emde has made the leap from the theater stage to the cinema screen, without the boards that mean the world, to turn your back.
Now she primarily plays the character Leyla in the sci-fi mystery love drama “Aus meine Haut”, but also slips into other roles in Alexander Schaad’s body swapping film. The Hessian-born and Parisian by choice spoke to ntv.de about what is special about this film and about the imposter syndrome that she occasionally suffers from.
ntv.de: Mala, how did you get the role of Leyla?
Mala Emde: I had actually already promised another project for the same time when I got an email from my agent saying that I couldn’t do it anyway. When I heard that the request was coming from Alexander and Dimitrij (Schaad) and what it was all about, I still had the script sent to me. I just had a good feeling, just a gut feeling. Then I read the script really quickly because I thought it was so great. I think I called Alex that evening and had a long chat with him. Then I called my agent and said, “We have a problem.” (laughs)
What excited you about the script?
Twice before that in my life I’d read a script and thought, “This could be really shit or something really special.” Now I saw the finished film at the Venice premiere, and luckily it was the latter. (laughs)
Films like this are rare in German cinema, where comedies work best. With “Out of My Skin” it’s not that easy to define a genre at all.
That’s correct. I think the film definitely has something comedic about it, but it dares to do something that is otherwise atypical in German cinema. You usually see something like that from other countries. His heart is the mysterious, the thriller. And then I think it’s also a very different kind of love film. The film doesn’t want to be stuck in one genre. I think you just have to watch it. (laughs)
Now the characters can swap bodies with other people, but the choice of swapping partners is limited. If you had the choice, who would you like to swap lives with?
I’ve already gone through various celebrities with the thought, then the people closest to me. When you fall in love, you also have a bit of a desire to get as close as possible to the other person. But I think I’d rather switch places with the person I understand the least or even like the least. The first thing I have to think of is politicians…
Vladimir Putin maybe?
For example. (laughs) But you could do something good that way. Perhaps comprehending the inexplicable or making it comprehensible without condemning it. That’s also what defines my job as an actress: making something explainable and finding empathy.
But what could Putin do in one day of your life?
Oh, I haven’t even thought about that. That’s why you have to think it through really carefully. If no one is in the know, he could certainly do quite a bit. (laughs)
It doesn’t have to be Putin right away, but what advice would you give that person for your life, your body?
I have very long arms, and even though I’m rather short… don’t worry, you can always reach all the top shelves in the supermarket. (laughs)
Since everyone plays several characters in “Out of My Skin”, i.e. the individual figures are played by different actors, the preparation must have looked different than usual, right?
Absolutely. In the classic case, I get a screenplay and prepare for my role. Now I’m Leyla’s godmother, and it wasn’t until later that I realized that I wasn’t acting all of her scenes. We then approached the matter very pragmatically. I played all the scenes as Leyla and the others watched and took over. For example, I adapted the French accent from Maryam Zaree and her character Fabienne. The character Tristan has a certain physicality that we all took on – and then we kind of built it all together. What was special about it was that you had to get naked in front of your colleagues and show them how you work. I’ve watched others play my character – it’s like a baby to me. There was something magical about that.
You once said in an interview that when you were engaged in a theater you were concerned that you might be “caught up” as a professional imposter. So you suffer from the so-called imposter syndrome. Do you still feel like this?
I prefer self-doubt to arrogance. At the same time, what bothers me is that I feel like imprinting a woman is more likely to cause imposter syndrome than it is for men. But basically I think that doubts can be a great incentive. I don’t want to stand still, I just want to keep growing. Only sometimes, when my insecurities and fears get too loud, do I get in my own way. That’s annoying then.
It doesn’t seem like anything is stopping you right now. What else can we expect from you this year?
“Die Mittagsfrau” will probably come out, a bestselling film adaptation directed by Barbara Albert, which I’m really looking forward to. In addition, filming of the second season of the dramedy series “Oh Hell!” will start soon.
Nicole Ankelmann spoke to Mala Emde
“Out of My Skin” will be in cinemas on February 2nd.
