Munich – It is a horror scenario that has been hanging over Germany like the sword of Damocles since the outbreak of the Ukraine war: the “blackout”, a complete power failure.
NOTHING would work anymore: no mobile phone, no internet, no train – not even flushing the toilet. The dramatic effects of a blackout are hard to imagine.
This end-time vision is the subject of the TV series “Blackout” (Sat.1, Thursday, 8:15 p.m.), based on Marc Elsberg’s bestseller (1.8 million copies sold). A thriller about a Europe-wide power failure after a terrorist attack.
Heiner Lauterbach (69) can also be seen in one of the main roles alongside Moritz Bleibtreu (51). He plays Chief Inspector Jürgen Hardtland.
“Blackout” stars: Pierre Manzano (from left to right, Moritz Bleibtreu); Frauke Michelsen (Marie Leuenberger); Jurgen Hardtlandt (Heiner Lauterbach)
BILD spoke to the acting star about the fear of a blackout and German energy policy…
BILD: Are you preparing yourself for a blackout? Do you have supplies at home for emergencies?
Lauterbach: “No, I am not prepared for such scenarios. We are prepared for guests, but not for any natural disaster. You wouldn’t even know where to start. Air raid shelter under the basement?”
BILD: Do you consider a power outage of this magnitude to be pure fiction or a realistic scenario?
Lauterbach: “Unfortunately, nothing is impossible in these global, digitized contexts. But I try to keep such horror scenarios away from me and my family. People who are paid to do this should worry about that. However, they should do it sensibly and conscientiously.”
Happily married since 2001: Heiner Lauterbach with wife Viktoria (50)
BILD: How do you feel about extending the lifetime of nuclear power plants, of which the last three are supposed to be shut down in April? Would you be for it?
Lauterbach: “I’ve always had a split relationship with nuclear power, so it wasn’t clearly negative either. The crucial question is: What are the alternatives? Unfortunately, we started far too late to deal with it seriously and intensively and even today we are still far from being able to provide our population with it nationwide. Our political decision-makers have been asleep for decades.”
BILD: Where are you trying to save electricity?
Lauterbach: “Just like water, I’ve been trying to save electricity for decades, how and where I can, and I also convey this to my children from morning to night. Unfortunately, constant reminders to turn off the lights in the house and take shorter showers are part of our everyday life.”
Heiner Lauterbach and Til Schweiger have been pretty good friends for decades
