Christian Ulmen: Round birthday shortly after marriage

A round birthday – 50! Others may post a touching review of their life’s work on such a day. Or they at least cut a cheesecake at least in the socio -media. From the outside, Christian Ulmen’s anniversary of life is under a rather cloudy star. The separation from Collien Fernandes (43), his long -time wife and mother of his daughter has just been made public. Not an optimal time for confetti.

And yet there is a lot to celebrate. Ulmen had a career in five decades that was as idiosyncratic as it was influential: from MTV moderator to the cult of foreign treum virtuosos in “My new friend” to the celebrated serial creator from “Jerks.” And from the award-winning cinema star “Mr. Lehmann” to the crime scene commissioner with a quotation. Privately a touchingly loving father, he has cultivated a sense of absurdities professionally, which makes him one of the most independent heads in the German film and television landscape.

Christian Ulmen stands for the conscious break in the rule since youth days. The multi -talent was large in the bourgeois Hamburg district of Marienthal in a more left -wing alternative parents’ home. There he makes his environment the first experiment area: “At the school there were also insanely conservative children of the type hockey girl with pearl earrings. The topic of what you are allowed to and what was not, was extremely present even then,” as he explains. At that time, he drastically rehearses the fracture of existing rules. Once he even seals an alcohol problem to his mother. His knowledge to this day: “Shame, so the fear of embarrassing yourself is a senseless feeling. And that makes it so funny. That’s why I have so much fun to experience shameful moments because they are ultimately only good for creating comedy.”

Ulmen has already gained a lot of moderation experience on radio and local TV when he stands out to an MTV Talent Cout at the age of 20. In 1996 he moved to the MTV studio in London and suddenly belongs to the European TV-Avantgarde, which still shapes the look of many television and internet formats: “When I was sitting on average with the cutter at the time and happens to be a picture disorder, a green flicker, crept into the picture: ‘Great at this!’ In a German cutting room, you would have stopped immediately and called for the IT technician. ” He still benefits from experiences from his time of England today: “Otherwise I have a shit. But I was never afraid of breakdowns or coincidences and unforeseen things. In England I learned: This is the best thing that can happen to you.”

Back in Germany, the Hamburg team is steadily going up. In the novel adaptation “Mr. Lehmann” he celebrates his breakthrough as an actor. In 2005 he created a TV format with “my new friend”, in which fiction and reality flow into one another and redefined the embarrassment. Ulmen shines as a pubic bolt Uwe Wöllner or Schnöseligen Alexander von Eich. In 2008 he founded his own production company Ulmen Television GmbH, 2009 Ulmen Film GmbH. From 2013 to 2021 he will play as a chief criminal commissioner Lessing alongside his good friend Nora Tschirner (44) in the hearts of all crime scene fans.

In 2017 Ulmen, as an author, leading actor, director and cutter, raised the successful series “Jerks.” From baptism and thus perfects the non-scripted series genre. The comedy series is home to comedy and television prices. And as her all-encompassing maker, she again offers him the opportunity to break with TV rules. “With many productions, everything is incredibly choreographed. That scratches my lust.” At “Jerks.” If he completes old TV rituals such as reading and through samples or lengthy conversions and relies on the spontaneity and personal responsibility of all participants. Ulmen calls it “stirring as an actor on the urlust.”

In 2010, he also introduced himself as an interview guest at Viva moderator Collien Fernandes: “He came chewing gum into the studio in 2010. And then he takes his chewing gum and sticks it to my moderation card,” she says. When shooting to the ZDFneo mini series “Die Snobs – you can also do it between the two without you”. They are still getting married in 2011 and in April 2012 their daughter was born. Both become one of the most successful and at the same time relaxed, because the most media experienced couples in the German public. In joint interviews, they give themselves in an inferior and meet one or the other ironic creditor. To be close to his family, Ulmen makes Potsdam’s common place of residence of “Jerks.”: “I have difficulty saying goodbye. I miss so quickly,” says Ulmen. Collien Fernandes also works in “Jerks.” With by playing his ex -wife – a role that has recently been interpreted as a bad omen.

In the past few years, taunts between the two must have been humorous in a humorized manner in departure. Since 2021, Fernandes has been a “dream ship” doctor Dr. Delgado on the world’s oceans strives for the well -being of their patients. In private, the couple stands out by joint commercials for an online pharmacy. Bit humor rules again. So both talk about diarrhea lying in bed. Fernandes’ advice at the end: “You can do it yourself.” In 2023, both move to Mallorca in Potsdam after ten years – spontaneously, as Fernandes emphasizes. that the move also had to do with stalking experiences to Fernandes’ loads. The move cannot save the marriage – on the contrary. On September 4, both announced the separation “some time ago” by written declaration. The fact that Fernandes has already separated from their double name is immediately noticeable.

In the RBB interview, Fernandes 2024 explains that “none” of both is responsible for romanticism in marriage. Both had “never” committed their wedding day in 14 years of marriage – supposedly due to lack of time. Perhaps Christian Ulmen does not celebrate today – or still, somewhere between post -production and post -separation. Maybe he is sitting at breakfast with his 13-year-old daughter and explains why “50” is only a number, but “embarrassment” a tool. Perhaps he secretly cuts the birthday cake himself, in the bathrobe, while he’s already thinking about the next uncomfortable role. But whatever he spends this day: shame was never weak in Christian Ulmen. But attitude. And at 50 you can celebrate it shamelessly.