Interview: Gesine Cukrowski x Opel

Fräulein: On this journey, we’ve encountered three different car models. Which one best matches your personality and why?

Gesine Cukrowski: The Opel Mokka probably matches my personality the best. I like that it’s compact and practical while still allowing me to sit elevated. However, I personally drive the Grandland because I appreciate its large trunk. I travel a lot, and when I perform in a theater in another city – sometimes for three months – it’s almost like moving.

Are you someone for whom a car is also a living room?

Not exactly. But I do own certain things just for my car, like a special seat cushion. And I always have a warm drink with me. In general, I eat and drink constantly while driving because I get bored quickly and need something to do.

 You’ve been an ambassador for Opel for two decades. In a time when celebrities seem to promote different products every week, that’s an exceptionally long partnership. What connects you to the brand?

It all started about 20 years ago when I reserved a station wagon for a film shoot. I needed to transport not only my luggage but also my child and a stroller. I was given an Opel Vectra, got in, and was completely surprised – Opel has the most comfortable seats ever. I’m usually tense all the time, but after that long drive, I felt as if I had only been on the road for ten minutes. I was instantly in love. Since then, I’ve been driving Opel and even approached the company myself, asking, “How about a collaboration?” First, I drove the Vectra, then the Insignia, and now the Grandland.

How important is it to you – both in your career and as a person – to maintain long-term relationships?

Let’s put it this way: If I believe in a brand, I can’t suddenly show up the next month endorsing a different one, claiming it’s now my favorite car – that wouldn’t be credible. Of course, this means missing out on lucrative opportunities, but anything else just wouldn’t feel right for me, and I’d end up slipping up anyway.

Has this awareness of who you are – what you reject and what you stand for – developed over time, or did you have a clear vision from the beginning of your career?

I was fortunate to have a great family who set an example for me. I was raised in a way that allowed me to develop the confidence to say no.

Are you someone who likes to brainstorm ideas and make plans during long drives?

Absolutely! I’m super creative while driving. In general, I’m always doing something – I don’t know phases where I do nothing. The “Let’s Change the Picture” campaign, which I started in 2023 with author Silke Burmester, was also conceived during car rides. I used to listen to a lot of music while driving, but now I just sit there and let my thoughts wander.

That sounds almost meditative, like a little break from the chaos of everyday life.

It is. But I do need to eat something while I do it (laughs).

 What route do you drive most often?

From Berlin to Hamburg, because I frequently perform in theaters there, give readings, or film TV series. And now my daughter lives there. I know that route by heart – I recognize every sign.

Speaking of readings, you’ve written a book that will be published in May. It’s titled Sorry, Tarzan, I’ll Save Myself! Escaping the Stereotype Trap and advocates for a more diverse portrayal of women in and beyond middle age. The book is a direct continuation of your Let’s Change the Picture campaign. Why is this issue so important to you?

I’ve been advocating for women’s issues for a long time. For example, I worked with Findelbaby, the organization that introduced baby hatches. I spent years there, answering emergency calls and accompanying women through childbirth. I’ve also developed projects with Welthungerhilfe, particularly on menstruation, after learning that in many rural areas worldwide, girls and women still lack access to hygiene products and face social exclusion.

Last night at dinner, we discussed the need for women-only taxis. I’m honestly always skeptical when it comes to such special services and separate spaces. I want to live in a world where it doesn’t matter who drives me home.

I understand that, but that’s a mindset of a new generation. When my daughter used to take the subway to school wearing a short skirt, I’d say, “Can’t you wear pants instead?” And she’d reply, “It’s not my problem if boys or men can’t control themselves. I want to wear what I want.” On the other hand, there are women like my mother, who is 81 years old, who would never get into a taxi alone with a strange man because of bad experiences. Of course, I want to see a world where this no longer matters. But until then, I want women who seek protection to have access to it. They should have the choice. We can agree to introduce women-only taxis now, and eventually phase them out when we no longer need them.

That sounds like a good long-term goal. Were you the kind of mother who picked up her teenage daughter at night no matter where she was?

Yes, and we often argued about it. For a while, she thought it was really uncool. Today, she says, “Looking back, I’m actually grateful.” Because whether it’s cool or not – if something terrible happens, like an abduction or assault, you carry that trauma for the rest of your life. Your innocence is gone.

Getting picked up is a nice thing. I’ve always seen it as an act of care between parent and child. But let’s go back to your book. How much does it reflect your own experiences in the TV and film industry?

My book is a call to broaden perspectives. It’s about clichés and stereotypes that affect actresses just like other women. As an actress, when I’m on stage or in front of the camera, I reflect society – I represent you. And as such, I’ve noticed that certain stories are missing – stories about older women, for instance. Young women need role models, and adult women don’t always want to watch 20-year-olds.

 The film industry has a huge influence on how we perceive things – love, for example. My friends and I often reflect on how narrow or naïve our ideas about love were, and in some ways still are. Where does that come from? Obviously, from the stories we grew up with.

Exactly. In film and television, we keep repeating the same narratives, even though reality has long moved on. That holds us back from making real progress. I recently read four award-winning scripts for TV series featuring a 55-year-old woman in a STEM profession. In every single one, the woman had family issues because of her career success. Why? Can’t it be different? This stereotype persists and affects women in real life.

We end up limiting ourselves because of these narratives.

I once asked one of the screenwriters why he wrote it that way. He said, “Well, if it appears everywhere, maybe it’s just how things are.” Nonsense. I gave him plenty of examples from my own circle showing that things can be different. He started to reconsider. And I asked him, “Could it be that you think this way because you keep seeing it on TV?”

That could easily turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy – women questioning if they can really balance everything just because movies suggest they can’t. But in recent years, we’ve seen more films with older women in lead roles. Do you see this as lasting progress, or just a passing trend?

There have been improvements, both in terms of age and body size representation. My colleague Julia Jäger recently told me, “Gesine, you won’t believe it, but for the first time in 12 years, I’m starring in a romantic film where the requirement was to be at least 50 and a size 42 or up.” She said it wouldn’t have been possible without our campaign. So things are changing, but there’s no switch we can just flip.

It’s more about a long-term re-education of viewing habits. 

Exactly. We need to unlearn the perspective that we have been taught by a patriarchal system. I want to provide a guide for that. The first step is becoming aware of the problem because nothing is worse than unconscious processes. I also played along with the patriarchal game for a long time—after all, I had to pay my rent. But I always tried to make small adjustments with every role I took on. I’m not alone in this. Many of my female colleagues have tried to break through clichés and stereotypes—sometimes more successfully, sometimes less. But the best thing our campaign has achieved is that we have all come together and are now openly talking about it.

Recently, a photo was circulating online of a meeting between Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, Zendaya, Zoe Saldaña, Mikey Madison, and Tilda Swinton. I found it interesting to see them all together. Over the years, they had probably walked the same red carpets at hundreds of events, but that day, they came together for the first time to really talk. 

It’s no different in Germany. Female alliances are not welcome in a patriarchal system. Division is also a patriarchal tool to maintain power. Women are pushed into competition with each other. Even in films, they are often made to fight one another. On the set of The Last Witness, a series I acted in, I once said to the dramaturge: “If you can’t think of anything better for these two female characters than to make them fight over a man and bicker, then I’m out.” I even had it put in writing. That’s what I mean by the small battles that every actress has fought throughout her career. Today, women are taken seriously for this instead of being laughed at on set. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to write my book. Or I could have written it, but it would have caused an uproar.

It probably wouldn’t have fallen on fertile ground. There needs to be a certain level of awareness for these issues so that they can be discussed productively. To end our conversation on the topic of cars: Does driving also mean independence to you, especially as a woman? 

Yes, it does. I got my driver’s license early so that I could go wherever I wanted at any time. Driving means freedom to me. But of course, I also struggle with the issue of climate change. No one with children can be indifferent to that. That’s why I think the developments in e-mobility are great, and I’ve been driving a hybrid for many years—always electric in the city. We need to invest in this and make it accessible to everyone. I like Opel’s approach of focusing on the essentials and offering affordable solutions. Opel is a brand that thinks from the perspective of people, not just from the perspective of cars.

Final question: How would you describe your driving style? 

Very safe, but not slow.

Recently, a photo was circulating online of a meeting between Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, Zendaya, Zoe Saldaña, Mikey Madison, and Tilda Swinton. I found it interesting to see them all together. Over the years, they had probably walked the same red carpets at hundreds of events, but that day, they came together for the first time to really talk. 

It’s no different in Germany. Female alliances are not welcome in a patriarchal system. Division is also a patriarchal tool to maintain power. Women are pushed into competition with each other. Even in films, they are often made to fight one another. On the set of *The Last Witness*, a series I acted in, I once said to the dramaturge: “If you can’t think of anything better for these two female characters than to make them fight over a man and bicker, then I’m out.” I even had it put in writing. That’s what I mean by the small battles that every actress has fought throughout her career. Today, women are taken seriously for this instead of being laughed at on set. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to write my book. Or I could have written it, but it would have caused an uproar.

It probably wouldn’t have fallen on fertile ground. There needs to be a certain level of awareness for these issues so that they can be discussed productively. To end our conversation on the topic of cars: Does driving also mean independence to you, especially as a woman? 

Yes, it does. I got my driver’s license early so that I could go wherever I wanted at any time. Driving means freedom to me. But of course, I also struggle with the issue of climate change. No one with children can be indifferent to that. That’s why I think the developments in e-mobility are great, and I’ve been driving a hybrid for many years—always electric in the city. We need to invest in this and make it accessible to everyone. I like Opel’s approach of focusing on the essentials and offering affordable solutions. Opel is a brand that thinks from the perspective of people, not just from the perspective of cars.

Final question: How would you describe your driving style? 

Very safe, but not slow.