Tom Wlaschiha: Actor “grew up without superheroes”

Tom Wlaschiha (48) is trying something new. The actor, who gained worldwide fame for his role as Jaqen H’ghar in Game of Thrones, was last seen in the Netflix hit Stranger Things 4. For his current project, however, the 48-year-old was not in front of the camera, but in the dubbing studio. Wlaschiha is the German voice of cult space ranger Buzz Lightyear in the new Pixar film “Lightyear”.

In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the series star talks about the difficulties of dubbing, reveals whether he always wanted to be an actor and tells whether he had idols in his childhood. He also remembers advice from fellow actor Donald Sutherland (86) and emphasizes the importance of inclusion in children’s films like “Lightyear”.

Was it a challenge for you to voice a character in an animated film?

Tom Wlaschiha: This is my first time voicing a lead role in an animated film. That’s different than syncing yourself. Because as an actor you usually still have gestures and facial expressions at your disposal. But with an animated film, you only have to tell the whole character through the voice. That’s a special challenge.

Do you want to dub animation films more often in the future?

Wlaschiha: I always want many things. (laughs) It was definitely a lot of fun for me. If there is an offer again, I have absolutely nothing against it.

Her character Buzz Lightyear is a hero to many children. Did you also have idols when you were little?

Wlaschiha: I would have to think long and hard about that. My mom probably. (laughs) No, really idols… I don’t know. I grew up in the East without Disney, Marvel and all those superheroes. But Buzz Lightyear is a great identification figure. He’s just not your typical hero. He’s someone who wants a lot, but then has to realize that you can’t always do it on your own. That you only get success if you work in a team. That’s a very nice message that the film conveys.

At the beginning of the film, Buzz is reluctant to be helped. Are you also someone who prefers to fight your way through alone or do you accept the help of others?

Wlaschiha: I’m very impatient. (laughs) That means I prefer to do things myself rather than delegate them. But, like Buzz Lightyear, I’ve seen from time to time over the past few years that it’s good to have a little help with one thing or another and then be able to focus on the essentials yourself.

Do you recognize yourself in Buzz Lightyear, or are you a completely different type?

Wlaschiha: I don’t have the urge to fly into space. (laughs) But in terms of personality, yes. The buzz has something from me… Or I from him.

Have you always wanted to be an actor?

Wlaschiha: That’s more what happened to me, the acting thing. I always wanted to do something artistic. I knew that very early on. The first idea was music. But then I thought that it could get very lonely if you have to practice alone with your instrument for many hours every day. At some point I got into theatre. I’m probably more of a team player. I also liked the social component, that you create something together.

Was it difficult for you to establish yourself as an actor? Especially in the international market?

Wlaschiha: That’s always difficult. The goal as an actor is to work with people who I can learn from and who understand what they do and are the best at their jobs. That’s the only way you can get better yourself. But of course that is a long process. But that applies to all professions. But it was never about “enforcing” for me. At some point I looked for an agency in London because I was looking for a second source of income. I didn’t get that many offers in Germany, but I had a lot of energy and felt like I had to work somehow. That worked relatively well, but not immediately. That was quite a long way.

From whom could you learn something?

Wlaschiha: Where do I start? I did a series, Crossing Lines, where I was fortunate enough to play a lot with Donald Sutherland. Of course I admired him before that. He’s a really great guy and really down to earth. I’ve picked up quite a bit from that. He said to me: “As actors, we have an obligation to seek the truth in every scene.” That was an aha moment for me. There have been a few of those in my career.

In “Lightyear” inclusion plays a big role. How important is such a topic in children’s films?

Wlaschiha: I think it’s important that it happens. That’s a very nice message from the film, but it’s not conveyed in the first place. It is beautifully shown that Buzz, the hero, thinks at the beginning of the story that he can do everything on his own, but then realizes that he needs the help of his team after all. And that consists of such different people that you would never expect at the beginning to be able to contribute to the success of the mission. But each of them has something that is very important for it to work out in the end. And that is told very nicely by the way.

“Toy Story” was released in cinemas 27 years ago. Is “Lightyear” also something for the generation that grew up with these films?

Wlaschiha: For people who loved “Toy Story” back then, including me, it’s nice that they’re rediscovering quotes, for example. But of course “Lightyear” stands on its own and is a classic family film with lots of humor and funny characters like Sox, the robot cat. But then there is also a fine, rather subtle humor that one understands more as an adult and that takes place on a philosophical level. There are very beautiful reflections on time, on infinity, on our own mortality. These are definitely things that you can still think about a bit when you come out of the cinema. I find that very successful

As an actor, you have often appeared in action roles. Is there something you would still like to try?

Wlaschiha: I have never acted in a martial arts film. I’d like to leave that out as well, because I don’t like fight scenes at all. But when you become an actor, you want to play as many different roles as possible and not always the same thing. That’s why when I’m selecting projects, I make sure that I do different things if it’s possible. So far I think it has worked quite well.

The last Pixar movies were released directly on Disney+. “Lightyear” is now coming back to the cinemas. What would you like to say to moviegoers?

Wlaschiha: My very personal opinion is that you absolutely have to see “Lightyear” in the cinema. There is nothing better than sitting in the dark cinema and flying through the dark space with many people together with Buzz.

When you want to switch off privately, what is your favorite thing to do?

Wlaschiha: So my favorite hobby is sleeping. If possible, I do this with great dedication and perseverance. (laughs) And then I do what other people do. I actually rediscovered cycling during the pandemic and did some long tours, cycling through the Alps for two weeks. I’ve made up my mind to do that again. My next route will be Munich-Venice. All I have to do is find the gap in the calendar.