'Das Boot' rising star Joachim Foerster sets eyes on the UK despite Brexit hurdles

© Sky

Joachim Foerster, who recently starred in Sky’s original series 'Das Boot', has set his eyes on the UK and signed to one of the country’s leading talent agencies despite concerns about Brexit and Britain's future relationship with the EU.

From Münster in west Germany, Foerster has a reputation as one of his country’s most sought after actors with a strong and often intense presence. He is rarely off stage or screen, and has already played leading roles in 'King Lear', 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', 'Enron' and 'Little Shop of Horrors'.

His one-person performance in 'Who Killed My Father?' last year landed him in the ‘Top 10 Most Important Actors of 2019’, whilst his role in 'Das Boot' saw him presented with the ‘Most Promising Young Actors Award’.

But Foerster sparked interest in the UK after his character, who was due to be killed off in series one, was re-written to return for a second instalment.

The hit show, based on the 1973 book by Lothar-Günther Buchheim, positions itself as a sequel to the famous 1981 film. It premiered in 2017 to universal critical acclaim and drew in big ratings for Sky.

Das Boot on Sky

The New Statesman likened each episode to “a shot of something very illegal to my arm”, whilst The Guardian found it “claustrophobic, clever and utterly thrilling”.

The first two series are now playing in 25 countries worldwide including the UK and across Europe, America, Australia and Asia.

And it was not long after the climax of the second series that rumours Foerster had begun setting his eyes on the UK were put to bed when it was confirmed Apostrophe Talent had snapped him up.

Apostrophe Talent, a new entry to the entertainment and agenting industry, has established itself in just a few years - founded by PR veteran Pablo O’Hana, a former advisor to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats. And in its short time, the agency has raised eyebrows amongst industry professionals by carving out a niche in representing clients that range from senior politicians and charities to award-winning actors and presenters.

© Joachim Foerster

Not many people would question Foerster’s star status in Germany, but his fortunes here in the UK will be significant following his new signing to Apostrophe Talent which, despite its persistence to mixing entertainment and politics, has a reputation for spotting and nurturing early talent, with impressive alumnus that include the Olivier-Award winning Billie Piper and Golden Globe nominee Hugh Bonneville.

Mixing film and politics, O’Hana’s career would ordinarily have little relevance and be met with some scepticism within the entertainment industry, however as the Brexit deadline looms ever closer and the relationships between actors and productions in the UK and across the EU become increasingly unclear, it's more important than ever to have an international perspective. And within the current landscape, an acute awareness of political developments as well as cultural changes can be an advantage as workers in many production fields await to see what restrictions on movement will be in place in the years ahead.

Appearing confident of his new star’s prospects in the UK, O’Hana tweeted the news on Thursday evening, warning casting directors that they “should get a shimmy on because he’s (Foerster) gonna get pretty busy pretty quickly.”

Only time will tell whether Foerster’s jump to the UK in the middle of the country’s Brexit conundrum will be the right one but for industry and political insiders like O’Hana, successfully navigating clients around the not-insignificant hurdles of Brexit could lead to great projects and future opportunities as Britain moves towards a new chapter in its cultural history with its European friends.

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