Gays of our Lives (March 9 2009)

Chatting with ... Thore Schölermann

Last month, Forbidden Love stars Thore Schölermann and Jo Weil, who play Christian and Olli, were in Whistler, British Columbia to judge Mr. Gay World at WinterPRIDE. When I learned AfterElton.com editor Michael Jensen was attending, I insisted he get an interview with Thore, since AfterElton.com had never interviewed him before.

Thankfully, Michael came through. In the interview – which took place on a chairlift! – Thore discussed how he feels about Christian and Olli, what he would like to see for them in the future, his favorite scene – and more! And just maybe Jo has a thing or two to say as well!

AfterElton.com: How did you feel when the show came to you and said that Christian was going to be falling for Olli?
Thore Schölermann: At first it was kind of a shock because I had no idea that would happen. I had to think about that because I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to play that, because it’s hard for me to play a gay man because it’s so far away from me. I was just afraid not to be able to do that.

AE: Did you talk to any gay friends or anyone else about the role?
TS: Yeah, at first I talked to my mother and my family. Then to my agent and to other actors that are from Forbidden Love. I talked to many people … to our coach if it’s good for my career … if it’s good for me. Yeah, there were many questions.

Jo Weil plays Olli Sabel, Christian’s lover.

AE: And what kind of advice did you get?
TS: My agent said “Hey, that’s good because it’s an opportunity for you to play something more than the normal thing, to do more than the others do.” And my parents said, “Hey, you have to be happy. As long as you are happy while you are doing that, it’s okay. Do it.” I think everyone said, “Hey, do it, do it, do it.”

AE: Did you ask any gay friends about it?
TS: Yeah, I have two gay friends in Cologne and they said, hey – that’s great. They couldn’t imagine that I would play a gay man. And my brother, I think he had the biggest problem with it, to see me kissing a man because I come from a small town. I live in Cologne now and there you see gay men everywhere. It’s no problem anymore. I never had a problem with it. It’s just – how do you say this? If you don’t see that very often – yeah, it’s uncommon. So my brother was the person with the biggest problem I think, but now he says, “Hey, I can watch it,” so that’s the biggest compliment for me.

Schölermann and Weil attended WinterPRIDE in February.

AE: And you get free trips to Whistler.
TS: Yeah. It’s so crazy. A trip to Canada so we can make this magic step on the magic Canadian grounds.