Philipp Christopher: ‘I’ve always been fascinated by the human psyche’

German actor Philipp Christopher is cosmopolitan through and through. Not only has he lived in New York, but he has also been part of many international productions such as the famous series Origin, shot in South Africa. He speaks to Discover Germany, Austria & Switzerland about his latest projects, and much more.

Discover Germany: Why did you choose to become an actor?

Philipp Christopher: “I guess the obvious is to be able to slip into other people’s heads and bodies to discover and see the world with their eyes. There is something very exciting about being able to do and say the things that one might not do or say in real life. But I guess what drives it all is the curiosity to understand how people function… how the mind of a person might lead him or her to do certain things. I’ve always been fascinated by the human psyche and it’s such a gift that we, as actors, get the opportunity to really dive deep into another person’s mind and body to maybe feel and understand what makes them tick. It’s teaching us empathy.”

Discover Germany: Having lived in New York City and now calling Berlin home, along with your passion for Spain and its language, how have these diverse cultural experiences influenced your personal and professional outlook?

Philipp Christopher: “Living in different countries is important because it forces you to also reflect on your own culture and upbringing. We often see the world through a very narrow prism and develop certain opinions based on what we read or hear. A lot of these ideas completely implode once we actually take the opportunity to really experience and live in another culture. It’s very similar to acting: we can really start to understand how a nation ticks and why. I have always thrived on immersing myself in another culture by also learning the language because I think language is the key to understanding different cultures. It connects us, it is the bridge between an outsider and an insider and language not only helps with understanding words, but also culture, traditions, mannerisms and behaviour. My Spanish is far from being fluent but I’m hoping to get there at one point.”

Discover Germany: Directing your first independent feature film, The End of Art, must have been an interesting journey. How has this experience influenced your approach to storytelling and filmmaking?

Philipp Christopher: “The End Of Art was a rather unusual filming experience because we shot the film over the course of two years. It was an art project, and it came out of the need to deal with my own sense of art and what I see happening around me. It was a complete outburst of my inner dealings with this topic and became a very important milestone in my journey as a filmmaker. I think as of today, art in film is pretty much dead. If Ingmar Bergman’s “Persona” would come out today, no one would go see it or even connect to it. All that sounds very sad, but as it is with all things in art, something else will come along as a way of expression. The End Of Art for me was maybe saying goodbye to my ambition and need as a filmmaker to express myself artistically through motion pictures. I think it’s all said and done and we, now with AI coming into the pictures (literally), need to find new ways to express ourselves in a place and form AI can’t get to. All this is not to say that I won’t make films anymore, but my focus has maybe shifted. A part of me is very excited about the future because it feels like we are on the verge of something new. Maybe it has to deal with a more spiritual approach to things, one place which is, as of now, free from technology and gives birth to anything artistic.”

Discover Germany: Your new film Die Drei Fragezeichen und der Karpatenhund came out last month. What can viewers look forward to?

Philipp Christopher: “Die Drei Fragezeichen und der Karpatenhund is a fun and mysterious ride for kids, teenagers and fans of the franchise alike. I myself used to listen to the cassette tapes (age spoiler) and I loved this episode in particular as did the whole fanbase. The film is wonderfully cast and has some really quirky characters and I was very proud to be part of such a fantastic ensemble. Having lived in the States for a long time, I think the film did a wonderful job in portraying LA and its energy, something that is not easy to do especially since it was shot on the Canary Islands.”

Discover Germany: What do you love most about your character in this film?

Philipp Christopher: “Inspector Cotta, initially, is annoyed by these young detectives who intervene in his investigations and it’s always fun to play ‘grumpy’ because it lends itself to being cynical and sarcastic as well. He is kind of a loner, introverted and yet speaks his mind and is curious and it’s someone I never played before. It was fun to create his background story and even though one doesn’t necessarily get to reveal it, it is somewhat present in how we act and helps with the overall energy of the character. I hope we will see more of him in future episodes.”

Discover Germany: The series has a big fan community. Did you grow up with it? Is your son interested in it as well?

Philipp Christopher: “I myself also grew up with the series and Der Karpatenhund was also one of my favourite episodes. Before getting the part of Cotta, me and my son listened to a lot of episodes when driving to and from school so he is very familiar with it as well. I was very excited being part of this also because it’s the first project my son can actually watch as almost everything else I’ve done is out of his age range. He loved it.”

Discover Germany: What were the best moments / some challenges of filming Die Drei Fragezeichen?

Philipp Christopher: “The most challenging moments were probably having to do some scenes without the actual actors being present. Due to their age, the three detectives could only work a certain amount of hours which meant that at one point, stand-ins had to come in and replace them for certain angles. Their dialogue was then read out aloud from the background since the stand-ins did not speak German. I don’t think I had to do scenes like that before and of course, it was completely understandable but acting is mainly re-acting which of course made those scenes a bit more challenging. The best moment involved a scene between me and Sunnyi Milles which she decided to add on her own and it was hilarious. The scene sadly didn’t make it into the film but I have to say: she taught me a bit about the freedom of expression on a film set. Not everybody will agree and it’s not always possible, but I think sometimes it’s good to be a bit more free with what’s written. (Don’t tell any producer I said that!)”

Discover Germany: Any wishes or dreams for 2025?

Philipp Christopher: “World peace and final awakening so that we shift our focus back to what’s important. Respect human rights, international law and one another. On a personal level: good health for my family and a wonderfully written role in an equally wonderfully written film or show with a profound impact. (Manifesting…)”

Die Drei Fragezeichen und der Karpatenhund can be seen in cinemas from 23 January 2025.