Dimitrij Schaad is the kangaroo’s best friend

By Markus Tschiedert

Born in Kazakhstan, the actor came to Germany at the age of eight. In 2013 he became a permanent member of the ensemble at the Maxim Gorki Theater. We met the high-flyer for an interview in Schöneberg.

BZ: How was it playing Marc-Uwe Kling directed by Marc-Uwe Kling?

Dimitrij Schaad: Of course, playing under the person who invented this whole cosmos is even more blatant. Normally I have the urge to help shape quite a lot, but next to Marc-Uwe I asked myself what else can be given to this cosmos that he hasn’t already thought of.

How did the idea for the second part come about?

Five days before the first lockdown in March 2020, Marc and I were on a cinema tour and drove through Germany in the car. He had already been telling me about the script for three hours and all the things he was planning to do.

Has the lockdown affected success?

The good thing was that we had an insanely good opening weekend with 375,000 spectators. That was enough for the production company to say we’re going to do a second part. That was my luck, too, because I was also without a job during the lockdown. The theaters were also closed, but I knew that we would be shooting another great film in 2021.

But how absurd was the time for you?

Totally absurd, because my face was on the posters everywhere and for months. I always pass the Kino International, where the painted giant posters dominated. It was like a ghost town after a zombie apocalypse. After that everything became virtual and even our film could be downloaded through a deal.

What were the consequences of the kangaroo hype?

In fact, offers for other roles came right after that, which was even more absurd because I hadn’t left the house for two months, except to go shopping. Suddenly Charly Hübner wrote me for the leading role in his feature film debut. There was something surreal about it. I’m grateful that “The Kangaroo Chronicles” was still in cinemas for at least ten days, otherwise my life would look different today.

How different?

When I was in lockdown, I first bought a Playstation. After two months I had enough, rented an office where I went every day for a year to write my own screenplays. A number of them are now being filmed. In fact, I’m now living the artistic life I’ve always wanted.

Are you staying true to the Gorki?

I’m only a guest and no longer part of the ensemble. Shortly before the lockdown, I went into freelance work, which initially tore a deep hole in my savings. In the meantime I had co-written a play there that started in May and was called “Operation Mindfuck”. There are also conspiracy theories.

What do you think of the allegations against artistic director Shermin Langhoff?

I’ve stayed completely out of this discussion so far, and I’d like to keep it here.

As a native of Kazakh, how do you perceive the Russian attack on Ukraine?

It’s awful! It took me at least a month to really get it.

Part of my family comes from Ukraine, and I find it absolutely incomprehensible that, according to an independent survey, more than 80 percent of all Russians approve of this war. Putin’s war of aggression is and remains barbaric.