Actor and philosopher Manuel Cortez - Those who "listen" will find the right gift
Manuel Cortez (44) joined the long-standing and well-established team of "Rosenheim Cops" (since 2002) for an episode of "The Perfect Man" (12.12., 19:25, ZDF). In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the actor and philosopher explains how best to deal with such a situation. He also talked about a conciliatory moment this year, his funniest Christmas experience and how to find the perfect Christmas present.
As an actor, you can be seen on December 12 in "Die Rosenheim-Cops: The Perfect Man". What is it like to be a newcomer to a long-standing and well-established team?
Manuel Cortez: You come into the team a bit like an observer, who is welcomed in a very friendly and warm way, because the team is naturally also happy to receive new impulses. However, the established dynamics are also clearly noticeable. It's comparable to a dinner invitation to a longstanding couple. It was very exciting, interesting - and a very, very nice shoot.
But you can also get terribly creeped out by a situation like that. Do you have any tips on how to deal with it?
Cortez: At the end of the day, you are always your own best companion. The more we stay with ourselves and are safe with ourselves, practise being happy with ourselves and build up confidence in who we are and what we can do, the less we need to be afraid of such situations. Because everyone is happy to make new contacts. And at the end of the day, everyone is just a person who goes to the loo just like me. My experience is that if you approach others in a friendly and confident manner, they will always approach you in the same way.
In the eponymous storyline, a tax official says: "A tax return says more about a person than any internet profile." A funny idea. What tells you a lot about a person without having spoken to them?
Cortez: For me, the way a person dresses says a lot about their personality. I'm not just an actor - where the costume is an inseparable part of the role - but also an art director and stylist. I have supervised many big shows and worked as a hairdresser. I find what styling and clothing say about people very exciting. Every item of clothing says something. Even if you try not to have any style at all and just wear the next best and most practical thing, it tells you something about the person.
Your "Rosenheim Cops" episode is broadcast in the middle of the Advent season. What does this time of year mean to you?
Cortez: The pre-Christmas period is very important to me because I love Christmas. Sometimes it just saddens me a little that the Advent season goes by faster and faster as my professional responsibilities increase. I would like to enjoy it much more. But we try to create little time-outs every now and then, where we light the fire, sit on the sofa with a hot chocolate and watch Christmas and Disney movies without end. I celebrate this because I really cherish this time.
What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Cortez: I don't really watch pure Christmas movies, but one movie that I have watched every year at Christmas time since I was a child is "Ronja the Robber's Daughter".
A question for the practical philosopher: How do I find the right gift if I really want to make someone happy?
Cortez: I find the right gift by considering the wishes and needs of the other person. It's not about what I like or what is practical or quick for me to get. And the premise for finding out what another person really wants is a great human skill: listening. But most people don't listen to each other. Instead, they ask questions only to hear themselves talk. Really listening is also very important in therapy and coaching. However, it's not just about listening, but also about understanding what the other person means. So if I really want to find out what I can do to make the other person happy, I should try to speak the other person's language and find out what he or she is really happy about.
How do you celebrate Christmas?
Cortez: Christmas is always very traditional for us: we sing and eat together and open presents. We always celebrate in Portugal. The whole family flies in from all over the world. This Christmas will be my 45th - and apart from once, I've only ever not celebrated with the whole family. Back then, my brother couldn't come because he had coronavirus. We made the best of it and set up several monitors in the living room so that my brother was digitally present the whole time, even though he was ill with his girlfriend in Berlin. That was kind of cool too.
What was your funniest Christmas experience?
Cortez: I remember our cat, who was still very young at the time, knocking down our freshly decorated Christmas tree. Everything had just been finished and the cat came in, took a running start and jumped completely into the Christmas tree. For a few seconds she had fun with the baubles hanging there and then the whole tree was on the floor. Nothing happened to the cat or the tree, but a few baubles were broken. Since then, the cat is no longer allowed in the Christmas room (laughs).
How would you sum up the year 2023?
Cortez: 2023 was a strange year for me. I was seriously ill in 2021 and almost died, 2022 was dedicated to recovery. That dragged on into the first half of 2023. From the summer onwards, I was really fit again for the first time and was able to go on my pilgrimage, among other things. Overall, the year was tough, it felt like I had the handbrake on. Of course, nice things happened, I had a lot of fun and great projects, but it was also a year of major break-ups, for example. It felt like everyone around me had broken up.
Your wife Saina Bayatpour and your ex-partner Miyabi Kawai then served up a kind of opposite in early November with a joint Instagram post?
Cortez: Yes, it was a very nice step and a topic to work on that the two of them met up. We hadn't really seen each other since the break-up, so it was a very conciliatory moment in my life.
What can your fans look forward to next?
Cortez: I've filmed a series that will be broadcast next year. I'm currently on my way to a casting ... so there's still a lot to come. My new book will also be published in March/April. It's called "Der Mutgeber" and is the answer to my last book "Angst im Gepäck". And on March 8, there will be a big Sheciety Summit for International Women's Day.
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Manuel Cortez mentioned in his interview with spot on news that he enjoys celebrating Christmas, and his favorite Christmas movie is "Ronja the Robber's Daughter".
During the holiday season, ZDF will air an episode of "Die Rosenheim-Cops: The Perfect Man" featuring Manuel Cortez as a newcomer to the long-established team. In the episode, Cortez plays a character who provides tips on how to find the right gift for someone, highlighting the importance of listening to the other person's needs and wishes.
Source: www.stern.de
