The ZDF series is cult and a woman from Gröbenzell has made a decisive contribution to it: Actress Monika Baumgarter has been the mother of the Bergdoktor brothers for 14 years.
Today she celebrates her 70th birthday.
On this occasion, film son Heiko Ruprecht chatted a little out of the box in an interview with the Tagblatt.
Groebenzell
- In addition to Bergdoktor Hans Sigl (52), his film brother Heiko Ruprecht (49) is one of the regular cast of the series.
Monika Baumgartner has another thing in common with her second “son”: Both live only a few kilometers apart in real life. In the Tagblatt interview, Heiko Ruprecht remembers some of his experiences with her on the occasion of his “mum's” birthday.
Do you remember your first meeting with Monika Baumgartner?
Clear.
That was actually on our first Bergdoktor shooting day together in August 2007 at the Gruberhof.
Amazingly, we hadn't met before, even though we had the same agent back then.
On this first day of shooting, things started straight away with a very demanding and emotional mother-son scene in which I had to chop wood without interruption.
I was immediately able to experience what a great partner Monika is.
And she approached me with great appreciation and openness right from the start.
With her straightforward and down-to-earth manner, I liked her right away.
Which of the impressions you got back then have been confirmed?
All.
Monika doesn't fool you and doesn't pretend.
And if she values you or takes you into your heart, you can rely on her.
She is absolutely incorruptible there.
And this quality is particularly valuable in our profession, which is also very competitive.
What similarities and character traits do you share with Monika Baumgartner?
What connects us for sure is our Bavarian-South German down-to-earth attitude and calmness.
And the awareness that we are nothing special just because we are actors and are in public.
A certain kind of exaltation in our industry is rather alien to both of us.
Assuming she were your mother in real life, how many times a month would you visit her and what annoying questions could she ask?
We'd see each other often.
With her enormous energy, she would probably do great things with the grandchildren, but she would certainly also get involved and have an opinion on everything.
Monika is really interested in everything and everyone and knows everything from politics to football.
And she has a really good practical suggestion ready for almost all questions and problems.
Everyone supposedly has airs.
Did you discover typical quirks in your film mother?
I hardly know an actress with less airs.
And she is devoid of the classic acting vanities.
Only when she feels that she is not being taken very seriously at work does she respond dryly and inimitably with the sentence: 'I've only been doing this since yesterday.'
She is right!
Have you ever shopped in Baumgartner's Munich furniture store or visited her in her home town of Gröbenzell?
Yes and yes.
When you see Monika and her sister Traudi in their wonderful interior design store, you can feel even more clearly where they come from, what makes them different and how connected they are.
Both live an absolutely genuine professional ethos in their craft and that is what distinguishes Monika as an actress.
Is there any fixed ritual when you meet again after a long time?
Then we sit down with a rose wine at the Hotel am Wilden Kaiser and Monika asks me about the main course with a smile: 'And?
Now something sweet, right? '
She knows very well that I'm not saying no.
Besides the Bergdoktor mother, which film role would you like to see Ms. Baumgartner in?
In a historical role.
We sometimes joke about her as a queen mom on set, but she's definitely about 50 years too young for that.
It is better then what Monika once exclaimed herself in a wonderful touch of exuberance at a fan day at the Wilder Kaiser: 'I am the mother of all sons.'
I think it really feels like it.
And after 15 years of Bergdoktor, the Bergdoc mom is already a historical role, isn't it?
What did you always want to know about your film mother, but never dared to ask?
I've never dared to ask: What was your first thought about me when we first met on set in August 2007?
New season
Monika Baumgartner was given a day off for her birthday.
At the moment, the production of the 15th season is running at full speed around the Wilder Kaiser in Tyrol.
Also interesting: The
new season of the ZDF quota hit begins: The mom of the "Bergdoktor" starts again
