Lara Mandoki between thriller and comedy: “Good or bad roles don’t irritate me”

A autumn in the sign of Lara Mandoki: Three TV premieres with the Munich actress run within just four weeks. The ZDF series “Erzgebirgskrimi – across the border” will start on August 30th. Shortly afterwards, RTL continues with the comedy “Miss Merkel-a cruise thriller” on September 2, before Mandoki can be seen on September 28th in the ZDF film “Petra goes Baden”. For the 35-year-old, this combination is not a coincidence, but the result of a dense rotary year.

“Yes, that feels intensely – but actually it is not surprising because I turned almost continuously last year. Now the productions are going very close together. Of course, that’s great for me,” says Mandoki in an interview with Spot on News. And she also positively evaluates the specific broadcasting places: “I am pleased that the broadcasters deliberately put the three films on good broadcasting places – autumn/winter is usually better than a broadcast in summer.”

Lara Mandoki has been a fixture in the “Erzgebirgskrimi” since 2019. The actress recently announced her exit. With the 13th case that is now broadcast, however, her farewell is approaching from the series. “I have turned a total of 15 ‘Erzgebirgskrimi’. This is the 13th. So two films with me are followed. But there are no broadcast dates for it yet. I suspect that one will run in spring and one in autumn next year,” she says.

The decision to leave the series was not on the set. “This decision was only made after the filming. So there was no farewell mood on the set.” In general, the decision still feels right, says Mandoki. “The series was recently expanded by two to three films in the year, and that would have meant that I could hardly do any other projects, which was always important to me, for example, how to go to ‘Miss Merkel’ or ‘Petra’ or in the past year too ‘the division of the world’,” she explains.

Mandoki also shows her versatility in the other two films. . “I liked both roles extremely because the characters – as in real life – are ambivalent. Clearly ‘only good’ or ‘only bad’ roles. In ‘Miss Merkel’ I play Gwendoline Gold, an eccentric who prefers to write about animals because she gets along better with animals. That was fascinatingly preparing: How do you become a person? I particularly enjoy figures, “enthuses Mandoki.

The ZDF comedy “Petra goes swimming” is about life decisions, values ​​and stress. “In ‘Petra goes bathing’ I was lucky enough to shoot with Rainer Kaufmann. My figure has a generation conflict there with the figure of Ulrike Kriener – but not about men or children, which is often attributed to women, but about career, values ​​and priorities in life,” she explains and adds: “It is also about a woman who is overwhelmed, but because she would not be hysterical It is simply too much charged.

In addition to contemporary fabrics, Mandoki’s enthusiasm especially also applies to historical roles. “I love historical fabrics very much because I am also interested in history privately. Such roles offer a very own time travel level, if only through the costumes – I enjoy that.”

Her debut in the short film “Lia” marks the 2026 for the 20th time – a moment that surprises her herself. “I haven’t thought about that yet. But you might be celebrating that you stayed through for so long. Of course, the wealth of experience grows over the years – and that again gives security, although there is never real collateral in acting. But love for this profession predominates with everything.”

And even if she has never seriously questioned this love, self -doubt is part of it: This profession is still without alternative for her, “but of course doubts are part of a job in which one is constantly evaluated from the outside and after external”. “You have to learn not to make your self-esteem dependent on contracts or cancellations. Of course, this is easier said than done,” says Mandoki.

Stilling standing is not an option for Lara Mandoki. The next big shoot is already planned: “The shooting for the new Eberhofer movie will soon begin. I was there before, this time I’m again, but in a new role,” she reveals. What is meant is “Steckerlfischfiasko”, which will come to cinemas in the summer of 2026. In “Leberkäsjunkie” (2019) she twisted her head as Mandy Detective Rudi Birkenberger (Simon Schwarz).

In addition, Mandoki turned the movie “cold dog” with Corinna Harfouch, Lea Drinda and many others in May, which is expected to come to the cinema in 2026. “I can’t reveal more yet,” she laughs.