This is a Q and A with Orlando's friend and fellow actor Andre Schneider. The article has quite a bit about Orlando, well worth reading. I think that this took place in January 2002.
hi guys... i just got a whole bunch of questions to answer. please give me at least a few minutes to get them answered. (i thought this was more like a chatroom.) so, see you in a few minutes.
andré
what's Orlando's middle name?
i didn't even know he actually had one! but i know that his mother named him after virginia woolf's hero/heroine of the same name.
is there anything that annoys you about Orlando, does he have any bad habits?
sorry, but i won't answer that one. hope you understand why.
what's the story behind the following quote: 'never eat a mars bar offered to you by andre schneider'?
that's a funny story which has to do with a hash bar mistaken as a chocolate bar, but i don't think that fits in here though.
is Orlando a good kisser?
yepp!
how did Orlando and you become such good friends?
we've been knowing each other for four years now. frankly, i don't know HOW actually, but we've been thru a lot the last few months. difficult times draw people together.
is orlando british?
yepp!
what would you do if you were invisible?
now, that's a good one! uh, i assume i would take free flights to my favourite places in this world. oh, there are so many opportunities: seeing what's REALLY going on in our parliaments, seeing what Britney and Justin REALLY do in their spare time, seeing how many hairs Liz Taylor's got left.
what book would you recommend people read, and what movie would you recommend to see?
vanessa redgrave's autobiography (British AND American edition), and bryan forbes' masterpiece "seance on a wet afternoon" starring the greatest actress of all times, Kim Stanley (who died last year).
what is your favourite band and/or favourite type of music?
too many bands, too many types. but after all, i WORSHIP tori amos and her piano.
how did you get your nickname?
my babysister wasn't able to pronounce "andré", so it became something like "atta", "atti".
does Orlando have a "type" of girl that he's typically attracted to? What does he look for in a girlfriend?
all the girls i know he was attracted to were natural and honest. won't say more about that.
how would you describe Orlando to people who haven't met him?
showing him a picture! i would describe him as incredibly funny, reliable, trustful and friendly. well-educated, polite, good-smelling.
have you ever met his family?"
i've met his mother once, an extremely well-educated and warm woman.
is he really aware of how popular he has become, and how much his fans love him?
oh, he sure is by now!
has he had any more serious considerations on having an official website?
frankly, i don't think so.
does he know that his fans would love to have a fan club?
surely his manager's told him so.
does he still live in london, or has he moved to LA full time?
he has moved to LA, but he still comes to Europe quite often, so he actually does still have a small flat in London.
how often do you actually get to visit with him?
we phone at least once a month but won't meet again until february or march.
how did you first meet?
we were introduced to each other on a common friend's birthday party in january 1998.
you're fluent in 4 languages?
nope! it's german, a little english, even less french and a little bit of spanish.
so, the next bunch. see you guys r having a good time here. i would love to talk to each one of you individually, but this is quite a homework you've been putting together for me. but nevermind, i love working.
how on earth are you so comfortable with yourself that being nude is no big deal?
it is true, i'm an exhibitionist. it has something to do with improving my self-esteem. you see, i was a rape victim at age 16. after that, i felt like a stranger within myself. i hated my skin, my body, my looks. so this is very much a self-therapy. not enough time to write all the details down right now. sorry.
what lullaby did Orlando sing when you were sick?
that is a rather cute story. i wasn't sick actually, but we were in the middle of filming a short by jeremy podeswa last year which was an unpleasant thing. jeremy drove us all insane with his way of treating actors. one evening, after we got home, i sat down and cried, i was devasted, haven't heard from my gf for four days and was out of my mind because i've had a huge fight with jeremy. o.b. came in and wrapped his arms around me and held me for about half an hour, singing "hush, little baby, don't you cry...". i thought that was rather sweet. he stayed the whole night in my room to give me some comfort. he said he was sure my gf would call me the next day, and she did. and jeremy was replaced by another director just a few days later.
is he a vegetarian?
oh, he keeps trying very, very successfully.
how did you get an agent?
through ian brewner, who is a dear friend of mine.
how did you get your first professional acting job?
through a casting.
what do you, and Orlando each value most in life?
honesty. humor. warmth. respect.
what do each of you consider to be the most important quality people, friends specifically, but people in general?
insight, i guess. it's important to know who you are and respect yourself.
as film actors, have either of you, or anyone you know, become friends with an extra on a film you did?
i'm afraid not.
pepsi or coca-cola?
milk.
what's your favourite Tori Amos song?
i love all her albums, especially "from the choirgirl hotel". her cover version of "enjoy the silence" is just ... oh, it gave me the chills! "time" is a beautiful song which conveys an important message: "it's time that you love..." i love "winter", "putting the damage on", "crucify", "playboy mommy", "1000 oceans" very much.
what's your favourite movie?
Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" and "Marnie". I've read a critical analysis by Camille Paglia about "The Birds" which amazed me, too.
Are you on tour again in the UK in 2002?
i wanted it very, very much, because the show has been a great success in london, but there are many projects in my native germany now. sorry!
Where do you get your inspiration from for the material in the show?
You're not gonna believe this, but i simply keep my eyes wide open all the time to see what's happening.
what does orlando smell of?
orlando.
does he wear socks in bed?
occasionally.
what's been your fave part or movie/play that you've ever done?
i loved jean in "lullaby of clubland". he was bitchy, horny and desirable, all the things i ever wanted to be in my own life.
would you recommend acting as a suitable career?
yes and no.
britney or christina?
christina.
why does Orlando stay off dairy? is it medical or personal?
personal.
do you write your own material when you're being amusing on stage?
i don't write it down, actually. it's all in my head. but i figure i should write it all down. it would be a bestseller.
ok, guys, i'll go have a cup of tea. i'll be back in a minute.
ok guys, i'm back at the game! let's see ... another bunch of questions comes from the Stratford Girls Grammar School. they are in german, so i'll give you bilingual answers. here we go...
what do Orlando and you have in common? "Was haben Orlando und Sie gemeinsam?"
we are drawn to the same kind of people. we are both men.
Wir mögen die gleichen Leute. Wir sind beides Männer.
who is the most honest? "Wer ist am ehrlichsten?"
There is no improvement of honesty. Either you are honest or dishonest. I hope we both are honest.
Es gibt keine Steigerung von ehrlich. Entweder man ist ehrlich oder unehrlich. Ich hoffe, wir beide sind ehrlich.
how do you find Orlando? "Wie finden Sie Orlando?"
Mostly with binoculars
Meistens mit einem Fernglas.
how do you find England? "Wie finden Sie England?
I love England! I owe very much to England, and it's like a home for me.
Ich liebe England! Es ist wie ein Zuhause für mich, und ich verdanke England sehr viel.
what time is it in Germany? "Wie spät ist es in Deutschland?"
it's 10:20 p.m.
Es ist 22:20.
what are you reading at the moment? "Was lesen Sie im Augenblick?"
Hildegard Knef died today, so I think I will read all of her books all over again. I adore her very much, she was a great actress and a great writer, and I am very sad now that she's dead.
Heute ist Hildegard Knef gestorben. Ich denke, ich werde noch einmal all ihre Bücher lesen. Ich verehre sie sehr, sie war eine grosse Schauspielerin und Autorin, und ich bin sehr traurig über ihren Tod.
well, now i've got a big cup of tea by my side and i'm through with all my homework. oh, wait ... here's another bunch ... you guys have been very busy!
what's Orlando's favourite colour?
same as mine: yellow.
what's Orlando doing right now?
don't know. watching an old Melanie Griffith flic and masturbating?
what do your tatoos mean?
hope (beneath my neck) and sex (next to my @#%$).
now I'm going through this forum and look for some new questions, alright. oh, i'm having my favourite tea right now: earl grey.
draw and paint...
i don't. i just do my music and writing. and i do know that o.b. also writes sometimes.
religion ...
we never talked about religion, i'm afraid. all i can say is that i'm drawn to buddhism.
Dennis just asked me to answer the last few questions and then go to the chatroom.
my birthday is: 10 March 1978.
i visited my official site for the first time before i got on this board. it was quite nice. i didn't like the choice of pictures, though. (hello vanity!)
orlando is an animal person and loves dogs in particular. he has a sweet doggy named maude.
what sports does he do?
oh, loooaaads of snowboarding, guys! it's crazy!!
i love that reincarnation question. i'd die immediately to become a dolphin. they are the most loving animals on earth.
i see how much you appreciate my time here. but i too enjoy myself here. it's great to see all these people gathering together because of o.b.
nicknames
i call him o.b. or orlando. he most often calls me atti.
Lullaby of Clubland:
i play Jean, a bisexual drug dealer. first it was a straight part, then they wanted to change it into a gay part, and i asked them to leave it up to me. it was hard to do this movie, because they kept changing the script every @#%$ day. the story centers around a bunch of hip clubbers in london who are on an acid trip that "goes wrong". ian rose (who is a doll by the way) plays carl, a shy guy from manchester, who goes mad and starts to kill his mates. i hope it'll be a good movie.
Deed Poll:
it's a short by jeremy podeswa who has done the beautiful "Eclipse" in 1994. it's a black and white horror flic about drug-abuse and sexual perversions, but also about the freedom of the spirit. i played (once again) a bisexual callboy who sleeps with orlando and vicky lambert and gets killed by them because they "simply want it".
Dennis has asked me to go to the chatroom now. so i say bye bye to all of you here. enjoy yourselves. i had a great time! see you soon!
Back again
the most important thing in my life...
my family, my friends, the people i love, the stage.
what did i feel when i saw myself up on the screen for the first time?
... i was kinda shocked.
did i ever embarrass myself in public?
... guys, i do that all the time, i can tell ya!
storylines which became true
... i moved to berlin.
what am i up to tomorrow
... i guess i will be watching a porn for a laugh and an old Melanie Griffith flic for masturbation.
we already had that nationality question.
will i come back here sometime?
... i certainly think so. but not in the next few days.
oh, i would always wanna become an actor again, or maybe a writer, a poet, a musician. i do some music in my spare time, but it's no good. i'm not a good singer, i'm afraid.
five countries i'd like to visit
... south africa, new zealand, sweden, norway, finland, iceland, canada, australia, japan, india, russia
... the most beautiful town i've ever seen is clonmel, tipperary, ireland. i love that place and would like to come back there one day.
oh, i'm exhausted, guys. it isn't always like that, is it?
next questions ... ?
Orlando's tatoo
... don't hate me, but i will not answer this one. wait until you get to see a photo.
what do i feel about his career?
... i'm very, very happy for him. i know i couldn't do that. i couldn't live up to the expectations of so many people in the world. but he's so extraordinarily talented, and he has done two ... AMAZING films!! i am so happy for him, really.
current projects
... i'm working on "amor and psyche" with a Berlin theatre group, the wild bunch (www.the-wild-bunch.de). it'll premiere in june and run until october. then i'll be working with james purefoy (who's terribly sexy) on a romantic comedy, "Step Into My World". we all have to learn elvish for that, but i'll keep you posted about that. and then, i would like to perform my comedy show here in my native germany.
i would love to be in that short film. my greatest passion are artsy little shorts!
MTV, MTV2, or VH1?
VH1
morning person or late night person?
late night person
left side of the bed or right?
right side of the bed
messy or clean person?
messy person
Orlando and i both prefer Christina to Britney (loved her VOICE, what a voice!, on that "Moulin Rouge" song). Orlando loves many kinds of music ... the "classics" like depeche mode and rem, but last year we "discovered" Ute Lemper's "Punishing Kiss" album. We both love her voice, and this album was our companion for one summer. He kept singing the "Little Water Song" over and over.
"Lord of the Rings"
guys, i worship this film!! the photography, the editing, the music, the acting ... it's just a great piece of art! all i can say about this one would sound like worship.
recent good movies
... "The Others" wasn't bad, and i found "Harry Potter" rather sweet (haven't read the book, though).
i will leave this place soon, because i'm getting more and more tired ... if you wanna ask some more questions, i will gladly answer them. just e-mail Dennis or my management. unfortunately, there is no fanclub available on the net, i see, so feel free to find one. hahaha! stay safe and have fun! i enjoyed myself very, very much and will surely come back in a few weeks or so.
i will tell orlando about this as soon as we get in touch again. i can't promise anything, but i'm sure he'll be interested in having at least a short look at all this.
i'm leaving now ... all of you who wanna stay in touch, please E-mail to zamorafilm@yahoo.de or Dennis whom i will see in two weeks, i guess. oh, and please visit berlin sometimes. it's a funky place to go.
once again, i've had a great time here! i enjoyed myself very much and will surely come back.
bye, bye, and a big tigerhug
Andre
