A Conversation with the Cast of ‘Where’s Wanda?’

Leo Simon, Axel Stein and Heike Makatsch in "Where's Wanda?," now streaming on Apple TV+.

Truly, Where’s Wanda on Apple TV+ has been a breath of fresh air. For not only has it offered up a unique story about a family shattered by the disappearance of family member in Wanda Klatt, but it has offered up so many powerful lessons regarding loss and honesty, while also making us laugh quite heartily. As we near the end of season of the show however, we thought it best to dig in and learn more about how everyone brought this to life, courtesy of a grand conversation with the principle cast of the show, Axel Stein (Dedo Klatt), Heike Makatsch (Carlotta Klatt), Lea Drinda (Wanda Klatt), and Leo Simon (Ole Klatt).
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John Betancourt: What attracted each of you to this project as actors?

Lea Drinda: It's a brilliantly written story. I mean, this kind of project, sadly, is pretty rare in Germany, and to do it as the first German language, on Apple TV Plus? I mean, this is great and unique opportunity, I think for everyone.

Axel Stein: Yeah, it's, it's multifaceted, emotional. I mean, we had a whole bandwidth of acting to display. It's exciting, it's dramatic.

Heike Makatsch: It's about, you know, a lost daughter. I mean, hey, what else can you ask for? I mean, like there was nothing against doing this.
 
Leo Simon: They were looking for a hearing person who knows how to sign and who can speak verbally. So many people out of the game already. I was one of the few applicants who made it. I'm very grateful that they chose me.
 
John Betancourt: Now I very appreciate the depth this series has, and how real it feels. How did each of you create that realism in your characters?
 
Heike Makatsch: I think, yes, I even think that the comedy moments quite often came out of the situation rather than, I mean, of course there was an exaggeration and the typical comedic effects, but still, we were always linked to the dramatic emotions, which were always present in the characters because of having lost a daughter. The comedy came from the outside, because people were in situations that were absurd or crazy, or, you know, make the audience laugh.
 
Lea Drinda: Yes, and as such, it's a very tragic story. I mean, a child disappeared. I mean, this is not something you take lightheartedly. So, it was even more important that these serious moments and the sheer despair of the parents and the desperation of the child, or children, this was all taken seriously, and not just sort of, you know, oh, there's a comedy. But no, we stayed serious about this, honest, but yet at the comedy level, which was rather unique.
 
Leo Simon: Ever since Wanda was gone, I had to be a little bit sad and instead of wonder, I just imagined one of my parents actually having this grief or feeling this grief. And that was also always what I held onto in the various episodes. And I always try to show little bit… how much I miss my sister. I would love to have her back.
 
John Betancourt: This is a show with a lot of layers, a lot of messages, and I’m curious what message you hope audiences take away from this season.
 
Axel Stein: Well, I will just say, you know, what do you take home? And first of all, let me say I was really grateful to be part of this project, because it's the first Apple TV Plus series, which we were able to do in the German language. And I think it was amazing. And something we all take home is it was such a special time. This is a high-quality product which is going to be broadcast all over the world, and we're part of this here. And it's just, it's amazing. Yeah, we're the pioneers. We're the I mean, this is, it is something really special, and nobody can take that away. And I hope we'll enjoy it for years to come.
 
Heike Makatsch: But the story, and the, if you like, the moral of the story that is being told, that is a take home as well. And I think that the Klatts, the family sticking together, what would you do to get your lost daughter back and that all these sort of dark times you go through, just in order to find yourself again as a family and recognize the value of family, maybe in a wider sense, the value of a community, even in a town where you look in a sort of milder way at the secrets of your neighbors?
 
Leo Simon: First of all, it's an entertainment show. Of course, at first glance, seems very negative or slightly negative, or somber or dark, but people, shouldn't see the show as something negative, but as something positive, that even when the going gets tough, when the family supports each other, they can make it, they can help each other. And apart from that, there was also a lot of female power to which the show alluded, hearing impairment and LGBTQIA+. All of these are important aspects which are maybe underestimated or undervalued in our society, and therefore that we highlight that is great, these aspects, you should celebrate them.
 
John Betancourt: What did each of you enjoy the most about working on season one of the show?
 
Lea Drinda: It was totally weird to be falling into this world of comedy for the first time. I've never done that before. I think. Really know how difficult it is. I never expected, but you know, such sort of light hearted seeming things that are also perceived in a lighthearted way, in that the fun that the audience experiences is generated by so much hard work, and it was tough learning all this, and you have to be so careful in what you do and be really alert that you do things at just the right moment, and to make sure that it really is funny, and you know, it has to be just so. And that was quite a lesson to learn.
 
Axel Stein: I think the biggest challenge for myself is if you do sort of eight episodes in a season, and maybe in week two you shoot episode eight, and it's a huge challenge to make sure that you understand who is who and what are they doing. What are we doing at this moment, where are we at? What are we feeling? And it's a long period of time, you've got to be really fit, alert, and we all have to be compatible and nice with each other, because we're in a long period of time. So, we have to keep sort of, you know, lifting each other up, as it were, and if you then see this sort of result a complete episode, it's like a baby has been born.
 
Heike Makatsch: It's a very good feeling, yes, and I'm very happy that as the Klatts, we are part of a grand ensemble, a team which is fantastic, made up of wonderful actors and actresses, and the whole thing is a big, colorful bunch of flowers, as it were, lots of different characters, modes and, you know, desperation and everything, and we contributed.
 
Leo Simon: The entire project. That really kindled my passion. I loved every scene, playing every scene.
 
​Editor’s Note – Due to scheduling, the remainder of this interview was a solo conversation with Leo.
 
John Betancourt: Leo, what do you think make this series so special?
 
Leo Simon: It is special because it includes lots of different categories. It's not just a drama, a tragedy, not just about family, but also a little bit of romance, a little bit of dark humor, and a whodunit, and other elements. So, it takes the best out of all categories, and that's why it's pretty much unique and different to other shows. And another aspect is that sign language is given, you know, a platform.
 
John Betancourt: in general, what are you most excited for audiences that like to binge to discover when they settle in to watch all of season one?
 
Leo Simon: Maybe they can look forward to something to laught, having a good laugh. They can look forward to that and the show always has lots of other aspects of… it's very harmonious, sometimes also with a little bit of drama instead, but nonetheless, it's something that it provides fruitful thought, makes you think, and you know, it keeps you interested and always keeps up the suspense so you can't stop watching.
 
John Betancourt What are you most proud of when it comes to your work this season?
 
Leo Simon: I'm proud or privileged, rather, because I got all across, very authentically… many people, apparently like the development of Ole and I'm super happy that you know, feedback to that was so great.
 
John Betancourt: The last question I have for you today, if you had to describe this series in one word, what would that one word be?
 
Leo Simon: It would be difficult. I would like to use three words, family, love and diversity. So, three words in a nutshell describe the show best. Yep.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.