Ben Becker - Actor pities emotionless men
Through numerous roles and the odd public appearance, actor Ben Becker (58) has sometimes acquired a reputation as a "tough guy". However, this could not be further from his true character, as the star asserts in an interview with "Bild am Sonntag". According to the actor, this is merely "protective armor that I have acquired over the years".
In fact, he is incredibly "built close to the water. I'm watching 'Rocky' for the eighth time and I'm still crying at the end of 'Adrian'." Instead, he feels pity for macho men for whom masculinity means suppressing emotions: "I feel sorry for a man who doesn't allow tears." His true self, meanwhile, is more like "a little girl. Nobody believes me, but there really is a story about that."
Even as a boy, he loved playing with dolls
This has been evident since his earliest youth: "I loved playing with dolls at home, building little stage sets and pirate ships." His "producer", as Becker calls his biological father Rolf Becker (88), tried to stop him: He would "always clap his hands and shout: get out of the den, get some fresh air, now we're going to play soccer!"
His later foster father, the famous actor Otto Sander (1941-2013), did not display this "strict authority" of his father, with whom he now had "a good relationship". "With him, I had a kind of free pass. I was allowed to do almost anything. I was allowed to be free, to try things out, to live it up." Despite the resulting problems at school, this phase of his life shaped and influenced him more than any other - "that's why I still have a different, very permissive view of many things today."
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Ben Becker, despite his tough persona, expressed empathy towards men who suppress their emotions, stating in an interview, "I feel sorry for a man who doesn't allow tears." This viewpoint might be influenced by his childhood where he was more emotionally connected, as he once enjoyed playing with dolls and building stage sets. This conflicting persona was a source of tension with his father, Rolf Becker, who encouraged more traditionally masculine activities like soccer. The relationship with his later foster father, Otto Sander, however, was more permissive, allowing Ben Becker to explore his emotions freely, shaping his more unconventional viewpoints.
Source: www.stern.de
