Enlarge image

Daniel Brühl (l.) as Karl Lagerfeld

Photo:

Caroline Dubois / Jour Premier / Disney

The German-Spanish actor Daniel Brühl recalled his first and only meeting with the German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld in an interview. Brühl portrays Lagerfeld in the Disney+ series “Kaiser Karl,” which premieres on Sunday at the Cannes Television Festival.

"I'm a fan of this boy"

Brühl

met the fashion designer in the early noughties and the two chatted after a photo shoot, says Brühl. Lagerfeld gave the “young and nervous” actor a good feeling. Two decades later, one of Brühl's employees looked for pictures that Lagerfeld had taken of him during this time and discovered that Lagerfeld had seen one of Brühl's films.

Enlarge image

Actor Daniel Brühl at the premiere of “Kaiser Karl” in Cannes

Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

"He didn't mention it to me [when I met him], but after these photos were taken he realized he was saying 'Goodbye, Lenin!'

"I saw him and said, 'I'm a fan of that kid,

'

" Brühl added.

The real Karl

In the interview, Brühl talked about the acting hurdles he faced during filming. The portrayal of Lagerfeld was made more difficult by his “contradictory lifestyle,” as Brühl explained. Lagerfeld is also said to have often told untruths about his private life, such as his age.

“I only met him once and I really only got to know the person he created,” said Brühl. "I wanted to break through this protective shield and find out who the person really is." To do this, the actor read Lagerfeld's biographies and old interviews and spoke to people from his Parisian environment.

Nevertheless, Brühl is aware that not everyone will find his portrayal of the fashion designer successful and is prepared for criticism: “The danger is something that irritates me. I’ve become more fearless.”

The new French series, filmed for the Disney+ streaming service, will be presented at the Canneseries festival on the Côte d'Azur. Brühl, known from films like "Rush" or "The Fat Years Are Over," speaks French with a strong German accent - just like Lagerfeld, who had not lost his accent even after decades in France.

lph