The man sitting in a Berlin courtyard this afternoon is wearing the unpretentious uniform look of many locals – a dark T-shirt and blue jeans, plus a flat cap and a dark beard that lights up around the chin.

Some may know his face, his name and, above all, his voice much more: Marc-Uwe Kling has an audience of millions with his books about a politicizing kangaroo who lives with a cabaret artist named Marc-Uwe Kling, and with the audio books he recorded himself reached.

On August 25th the second film about the adventures of the dissimilar buddies will be in the cinemas.

Not only is it new that Kling directed it himself, but that he talks to the press about it.

Jorg Thomann

Editor in the “Life” section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper.

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Mr. Kling, you haven't given any interviews for about ten years.

The fact that you're doing it now puts a journalist in a slightly schizophrenic situation: on the one hand, you have to welcome it - on the other hand, you have to critically question whether you're not betraying your ideals.

Well, in a sense I'm being unfaithful to my comfort.

There was no political stance behind it.

There are many reasons, and one was that when I sit down at my desk, I can formulate very precisely what I want to say.

In an interview, in a spontaneous situation, I can't do that.

The last thing I want is to bore people.

And I'm always afraid to do that if I don't have the time to polish it.

In any case, the refusal has contributed to your image of the people's artist, who owes its success exclusively to its fans.

It was more to do with the fact that I didn't feel like interpreting things myself, but rather let people read what they want into it.

On the other hand, you always have to question what you have set up in your own comfort.

I was really looking forward to today.

It's been fun so far.

Maybe I was wrong for ten years.

It might make it even easier for you to get back on track if you can choose one of three all-too-obvious standard questions to answer.

First, where do you get all your ideas from?

Second: Are you as funny in your private life as you are in your work?

Third, why a kangaroo?

I take the first one and the answer is: the ideas are everywhere.

You just have to hold onto them.

If I don't write them down right away, the idea is gone within half an hour, no matter how good it was.

Otherwise you can find them on the street, in the newspaper, in a book, in a film.

If, as an artist, you value your privacy, how clever is it to name one of the two main characters in your kangaroo books Marc-Uwe Kling?

It's a huge mistake, it was very, very stupid.

Because I watch very little TV, I actually have a very good level of privacy.

Except when I want to pay for something with an EC card - then it always vanishes into thin air.

People don't recognize my face, but the name catches the eye.

That's why I always have cash with me!

On the other hand, it could also be considered an ingenious move: a private individual could very well hide behind the publicly known Marc-Uwe Kling, this slouchy guy who lives with a kangaroo.

That's correct.

That's also my standard answer to one of the other questions that I've now skipped - how did that happen with the kangaroo?

The answer: That's right, it's all true.

The kangaroo knocked on my door, it moved in.

It's a factual report.

Although you are likely to have less and less in common with the Marc-Uwe Kling of the books and films.

He's still the phlegmatic who doesn't get things done. You're productive and very successful.