Rising Star Stefanie Früchtenicht On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
Don’t give up! If you want to be successful as an actor, it truly is a very hard and really exhausting way in the beginning. Never stop learning and stay realistic. It’s very often not a question of your talent, but rather a question of type and age and how you fit into a specific role. It’s important to go on believing in yourself, trust yourself.
As a part of Authority Magazine’s column ‘Meet The Rising Stars Of Film and TV’ I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Stefanie Früchtenicht.
Stefanie Früchtenicht is a professional German actress. She started her acting career in German theatre as well as in TV series and movies and also works internationally. She lives with her family, her husband and four kids in Kassel.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in a small town in Hessen / Germany with my parents and my brother. This village was so small that we all knew each other and very often my friends and I met outside, played together and freely roamed through the streets and forest there.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
Since I was young, I have had a special hand for performing arts, especially dancing, singing and acting. I started my career as a singer and dancer and became a dancing teacher for ballroom dancing. Later I went to drama school and found my love for theatre and camera acting.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Besides my acting career, I sang together with successful singers like Jeffrey Staten, especially known for ‘In Zaire’. I also got the award as the German ‘Queen of Lambada’. Everything I did so far was interesting and special — I learned a lot out of all the ups and downs that are usual for this type of career. Every time it’s inspiring to work with different people and to create new projects together.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Moments of ‘Blackout’ on stage — when you are on stage and you don’t know who’s next and what’s in the lines… at first it’s such a terrible feeling, you really feel lost — but then you have to find a solution and by that moment you have to be creative and to trust yourself and your own intuition.
You have to improvise and these are real and authentic moments. When I think back to situations, I really have to smile… afterward :-)
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
As ‘SaltandPepperART’ I give workshops together with my husband for others who want to become an actor. My husband is a director as well. It is so nice to see people grow and build up this special hobby. And of course, every new project on stage and for a movie is interesting — it really is a highlight for me and a project by heart.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Don’t give up! If you want to be successful as an actor, it truly is a very hard and really exhausting way in the beginning. Never stop learning and stay realistic. It’s very often not a question of your talent, but rather a question of type and age and how you fit into a specific role. It’s important to go on believing in yourself, trust yourself.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
Of course, it’s important to have diversity represented in film and TV. The business has to be diverse at all levels. With the people who write for films and series that they produce, with the people that play… We need to think together about how we can do that. And ultimately, it will be an enrichment.
It’s a task of art to influence the perception of people, to influence our social development in society.
And it’s so important to respect and to take care of each other.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1. Don’t do it all alone. Try to find an agent, or friends that can help you in the beginning. And it’s so much easier if you already know people who are already in the biz.
2. Networking and marketing are so important and a good way to stay up to date.
3. Get rid of illusions — stay realistic and patient — it definitely is a hard way. Go on learning, grow your skills and never stop working on your dreams.
4. Auditions are a good way to practice. And even if you don’t get the role in the end — take it as a good practice and go on.
5. Be up to date and know how the biz works. If you discover a current early it’s easier to secure a piece of the cake in time. In a highly competitive industry like acting, speed and adaptability are required.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Take care of yourself — work hard but take breaks. Believe in yourself and trust yourself. Go on and be grateful for every little goal you reach.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Especially ‘Save the children’’! Children are the future — a good education and caring for them is so important — and also taking care of refugees, homeless people, climate change and animals. There are so many places where we can help. If more people did something about the grievances, more people would be helped. Anyone who is able to do so should take action.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
On my way, I met a lot of people to whom I would like to say ‘THANK YOU!’ — especially to my family and my husband Lars, who’s always there for me and supports me in every situation.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Be yourself — everyone else is already taken. (Oscar Wilde)
I prepare myself very carefully for all my roles and create authentic and unique characters according to the script by bringing myself in freely and with all my feelings and experiences.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
I’d love to have a date with Quentin Tarantino and to plan new joint projects.
How can our readers follow you online?
www.instagram.com/stefaniefruechtenicht
www.facebook.com/stefanie.fruechtenicht
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
