Til Schweiger says the “state of loss of control” was “unbearable”.
Outbreaks of violence, excessive alcohol consumption and a generally unpleasant working atmosphere on set. Til Schweiger has been confronted with these allegations since April 2023. There was no comment from the actor for six months. Now he is speaking out about the allegations for the first time and admits to his alcohol problem.
The movie “Manta Manta – Second Part” celebrated its premiere in March 2023. But Schweiger’s joy may not have lasted long, because shortly afterwards some allegations of a toxic working atmosphere were published in “Spiegel”. According to the report, the set employees would even be afraid of the filmmaker. The production company “Constantin Film” then commissioned an independent law firm to obtain an expert opinion. However, the opinions of the 50 employees were very ambivalent. The majority of those surveyed did not perceive a “general climate of fear,” but the film’s director and lead actor did sometimes make “borderline, invasive and hurtful” comments toward team members, according to the report. One particular situation in particular caused a stir.
Til Schweiger admits to “Stern” that he “drank more” on the set of the action comedy “than before.” He also remembered one incident that he was now ashamed of. The actor woke up completely hungover after a night of drinking. Despite the film tearing, there was no question about canceling the shoot. However, his production manager saw things differently and wanted to stop him from working. Schweiger then just “pushed him aside”. However, when he got in his way a second time and tried to convince him to skip the shoot, Schweiger lost his composure and became violent. “He wanted to protect me from myself and had the courage to stand in my way. And what did I do? I slapped him in the face, even though I admire this man so much and love him so much,” says Schweiger in the “Stern” interview. “It was a disaster that I’m still ashamed of today.”
His 28-year-old son and cameraman Valentin Schweiger also witnessed the incident, which the mime deeply regrets. “My son intervened and pulled me away. I was also angry with him: ‘Hey, can you straighten up for your father! I just want to shoot! I can shoot!’” the filmmaker remembers. “First of all, I apologized to my son […]. It was terrible for him. No child in the world wants to see their father like that.”
Although friends and family have often drawn Til Schweiger’s attention to his drinking behavior, he has always “put this topic off my chest.” But then it “creptly increased” and “then there was a loss of control”. An Instagram video finally opened his eyes. The clip – which the mime deleted shortly after publication – showed him slurring into the camera. “When I saw myself there, in this state of absolute loss of control: it was unbearable,” says Schweiger looking back.
He has now been receiving treatment from Munich psychologist Florian Holsboer for six months. His plan is to find a healthy level of alcohol consumption. “Specifically, this means: After two glasses it’s over. If after the second glass of white wine I want a third, I reward myself with something else. With gummy bears or vanilla ice cream. I am alright. “I get along very well without the intoxication,” says Schweiger about his own guidelines. The actor and director want to improve. So he concludes: “I will soon be 60. I don’t want to waste any more time now, I want to become a better person.”
The new Schweiger film “The best is yet to come!” will be released in cinemas on December 7th, 2023.