Discover Germany, Switzerland & Austria
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Star Interview
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Generational Joy
GENERATIONAL JOY As an advocate for intersectional diversity, the Ethiopian-German actress and filmmaker Benita Bailey is dedicated to empowering females and minority narratives. In the series ECHT Friends!, she is starring alongside her son Noah. In a joint interview with Discover Germany, Switzerland & Austria, they explain how working together has shaped their relationship, and more. INTERVIEW BY NANE STEINHOFF
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PHOTOS: MARCO KRÜGER
DISCOVER GERMANY: You are both actors – do you remember the moment you first appeared in front of the camera together? Noah: “I think the first time we were both in front of the camera together was during the shoot of a classroom scene in ECHT Friends!, so there were a lot of kids. It kind of spread that my mom played the teacher, and some kids came to me and asked how it feels. On one hand I was proud to be on set with my mom, both as actors, and on the other hand I was wondering what the others were thinking when mom gave me that occasional wink.” Benita: “It was a pleasant and warm feeling to be in front of the camera with Noah. It was the first time we played mother and son. Of course, that was familiar to us and worked very well.”
DISCOVER GERMANY: Noah, you play a leading role in the series ECHT Friends! – and your mom was part of the cast for the first two seasons. Is that more of a team effort or a family affair? 32
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Issue 12 9
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May 2025
Noah: “I mean, it’s kind of both. I was always marvelling at my mom’s work when it came to acting and I decided that I wanted to do that as well. So, when you zoom out, so to say, and look at the job as a whole, I would call it a family business, but when you’re in the moment on set, it’s definitely teamwork.”
DISCOVER GERMANY: Benita, what goes through your mind when you watch your son play – as a colleague and as a mother? Benita: “I enjoy watching him play. He’s very natural in front of the camera and doesn’t overthink and that’s a great gift as a mother. I’m definitely proud of him and it fills me with joy that he’s excited about something that I’m passionate about as well and as a colleague, I’m just impressed how seamless he’s doing it.”
DISCOVER GERMANY: Noah, you went to school in Toronto and are now back home in Berlin. How has this change shaped you – as a person and as a young actor? Noah: “I would say the ‘living both worlds’ type of thing opened my eyes to different
perspectives. Mom kept travelling to and from Germany for work, so she wasn’t at home a lot. I did go to a German school in Toronto, but it was still different to Germany, obviously. Living in two different continents gives a lot of cultural experience, and I learned French as well in Montreal. I’m really happy to bring all this into acting.”
DISCOVER GERMANY: Benita, you're not just in front of the camera, but you're also actively shaping structures in the industry – most recently by founding your own production company, JABEZA Films, together with Jane Chirwa. What is your vision – and how does it feel to break new ground as a black, femaleowned company? Benita: “It feels really good, especially since both Jane and I grew up in an environment where we didn’t have these role models around us in the industry. It’s important to us that we change the narrative around representation on screen around the topic of empowering others to tell their true stories and also about working and creating with care.”
DISCOVER GERMANY: There are already three artists in your family – mom is an actress, dad is a musician, and Noah is on his way to becoming both? Are there artistic Sundays or is it sometimes just ‘snack time instead of stage’ at home?