People: Sunnyi Melles: “I can stand being considered complicated”

Sunnyi Melles, who caused a stir this year with her roles in the series “Die Zweiflers” (ARD) and “Becoming Karl Lagerfeld” (Disney+), says she has no problem with being considered complicated. “The other Sunnyi in me often says: “Stop, don’t say anything and don’t be a troublemaker!” But then Sunnyi says it anyway. The more open a person is, the freer they are. That’s why I can’t stand being seen as complicated.” says Melles (66) in an interview with “Icon”, the magazine of “Welt am Sonntag”. And: “I’m not difficult, but I love the reputation. I demand something from directors and colleagues and expect that mistakes can be made.”

Melles received unforgettable praise from Brad Pitt

Thanks to her role and the really blatant vomit scene in “Triangle of Sadness,” the 2022 Cannes winner, Melles is very recognized in the film world. When asked what judgment about herself she hasn’t forgotten to this day, she says: “What’s unforgettable is when Brad Pitt came up to me in Paris and said: “I know you. I saw ‘Triangle of Sadness’ twice. You were fantastic!”.”

Melles explains in “Icon”: “People often laugh and I think: What have I done now? I never drink alcohol and maybe do what other people do when drunk.” She doesn’t notice any occupational illnesses. “The most you could say to me is: ‘Don’t stare like that!’ I love watching people and can’t stop wondering what they’re thinking.” Melles also admits: “I’m not a natural person. I prefer parsley in my soup.”

Parents fled Hungary because they were no longer allowed to say what they thought

Melles, who was born in Luxembourg and now has Swiss citizenship, has an eventful family history. “My parents fled Hungary because they were no longer allowed to say what they thought. That shaped me throughout my life. Opportunism is bad because life and art are about honesty and truth.”

No matter what role she played on stage, “there was always a moment when the audience could laugh at me.” “This is a gift that I inherited from my mother. Although she fled Stalinism in Hungary to Switzerland in 1956 and we struggled to survive as stateless people in Basel for 15 years without a passport, we never lost our sense of humor. My daughter is Fourth generation actress. When our nerves are frayed, we laugh together. It runs in the family.”