Lausanne actor Kacey Mottet Klein
The child star has fledged
A few years ago, Kacey Mottet Klein was still winning awards as a child actor. Now he talks about the tough competition in the adult business with Blick – and gives insights into future roles.
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From child to adult star: actor Kacey Mottet Klein has made the leap. He can currently be seen in the film «Last Dance».
Laszlo SchneiderEditor People
If you ask about actor Kacey Mottet Klein (24) in German-speaking Switzerland, many shrug their shoulders – a sign that Italian filmmaking and its stars still play a subordinate role east of the Röstigraben. Perhaps it’s simply because, as a child actor, he’s long flown under the radar of public scrutiny. Gradually, however, the French-speaking Swiss slips out of his cocoon and turns out to be a colorful movie butterfly. Best proof: his latest film “Last Dance”. In the strip by Delphine Lehericey (47) from Neuchâtel, he plays the dance teacher Samir, who helps an elderly widower onto the stage.
Compared to Blick, Mottet Klein is thoughtful about the transformation from child to adult star: “Many would not admit it, but when you grow up, there is tough competition. It’s like Formula 1: You always want to be the best.” Every actress and actor knows that there are better ones out there. The Lausanne native can definitely dance – you can see that in “Last Dance”. “Even if I’m usually more of a party dancer,” he admits with a laugh. “But I trained hard for a month, it was quite frustrating at times.”
In addition to his swinging hips, a look at Mottet Klein’s vita shows that he has long been part of the Swiss acting elite: in 2008, at the age of ten, he made his debut in Ursula Meier’s (51) film “Home” – and was chosen for his role was honored by the Federal Office of Culture as “Best Young Actor”. Five years later, he was chosen by the same agency for his portrayal of the child thief Simon alongside Hollywood star Léa Seydoux (37) in “Winter Thief” for “best leading actor”. In France he even received the prestigious César for it.
“And then you’re suddenly quite alone”
Mottet Klein is currently relaxing in his apartment in Paris between two film shoots – and talks refreshingly honest about the suffering and loneliness that overtakes him after each shoot. “When you’ve finished a film, it can be very painful to move on from the role you’ve been playing for a few months,” he says. “You’ve been with people for a long time that you suddenly don’t see anymore. And then all of a sudden you’re pretty much alone.”
Mottet Klein’s prescription for acting pain: He tries not to get too attached to his roles. “I’m constantly aware that everything has an end – and that I will probably never play this role again.”
Mottet Klein’s journey continues, even if it doesn’t bring him to Switzerland for the time being: “I’ve just shot a horror film, in March I’ll be playing in a science fiction series.” He can also reveal that the Zurich documentary filmmaker Jacqueline Zünd (52) hired him for a feature film in Italy. When asked about his busy schedule, Mottet Klein argues in a differentiated way: “There are now many people who want exactly you for a role. They trust you to do a good job.”
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