Daniel Rodic : “I can’t imagine a better job”

You might know the young actor Daniel Rodic from films and TV series like So viel Zeit, Der Lehrer or SOKO Leipzig. Recently, he finished filming the ARD comedy Die Drei von der Müllabfuhr alongside Uwe Ochsenknecht. Discover Germany met up with him to talk about his love for Berlin and Cologne, why acting is his absolute dream job and much more.

You were born in Mainz and currently live in Cologne and Berlin. What does the term ‘home’ mean to you?

D. Rodic: I must say that ‘home’ is the place where my family is for me – and for all I care that could be everywhere. The majority of my family lives in Cologne but I also spend much time in Berlin because I simply have grown to love this city. Of course, the friendships that I have there play a crucial part in this. And the absolutely delicious smoothies that I get there all the time.

Why are Cologne and Berlin your adopted homes? What is so special to you about these cities? Do you have any favourite places in them?

D. Rodic: I connect a lot with Cologne because I went to drama school there and people from Cologne are really sincere and warm. What I also like about Cologne is its manageable size. The city is basically a large village. Everything is within quick reach but well, I mostly take the motorbike… so that makes it easier, of course. I love to be in the city centre to drink coffee or at the Rhine when the weather is good. When I’m in Berlin, I’m mostly in Friedrichshain because one of my best friends lives there and the area is really beautiful. Furthermore, Berlin is the city in which I also filmed many projects which led to colleagues becoming close friends.

You have been seen in So viel Zeit, SOKO Leipzig, Der Lehrer and Bad Cop, amongst others. Which role do you remember most and why?

D. Rodic: Der Lehrer is definitely the series that has stuck in my memory the most. Primarily because my role as Cem was solely meant as a leading role for one episode at first but then it ended up taking up a bigger space in the series. It even ended up being the character – besides the main characters, of course – that appeared the most.

Actor – has that always been your dream profession or did others ever exist?

D. Rodic: Quite frankly, yes! I can’t imagine a better job. The beautiful thing about acting is that we are able to experience different jobs depending on the role and thus, can gain a wide variety of insights. For the latest shooting, I was able to play a garbage man and accompanied Berlin’s city cleaning department for one day as preparation for the role.

Speaking of which, you have just finished filming the ARD comedy Die Drei von der Müllabfuhr alongside Uwe Ochsenknecht. What else can we look forward to from you in 2018?

D. Rodic: This year, the movie So viel Zeit will come to the cinemas, in which I play a rapper. And if the ARD comedy goes down well with the viewers, it will be carried on. You can definitely look forward to that and also to further projects that are planned – but I can’t reveal more about these at the moment.

Does the one, absolute dream role exist for you?

D. Rodic: I think that it could become boring at some point for an actor if the one, absolute dream role would exist because you would achieve your goal when you finally get it. That’s why my motto is: “The journey is the reward”.

What other wishes and dreams does Daniel Rodic have?

D. Rodic: My wish has always been to become an actor, so I can already tick this off. Now it has to continue like this so that my dream of playing more and more ‘dream roles’ can also come true. #Dreambig!

TEXT: NANE STEINHOFF