Becoming Karl Lagerfeld is set to premiere at the Canneseries TV festival in April 2024, with a subsequent release on Disney+ slated for June 7. This marks a significant milestone in Daniel Bruhl’s career and a compelling exploration of Karl Lagerfeld’s legacy.
Daniel Bruhl’s latest endeavor in Becoming Karl Lagerfeld represents a pinnacle in his career, offering him the opportunity to embody one of the fashion industry’s most illustrious figures. Bruhl, aged 45 and celebrated for his roles in Good Bye, Lenin!, Rush and Inglourious Basterds, disclosed the unprecedented levels of “time, energy, passion and love” that he invested in this role.
Karl Lagerfeld, renowned for his intellect, wit and unique fashion sensibility, captivated audiences worldwide, prompting Bruhl to ponder the essence of the man behind the public persona. Raised in a multicultural household, Bruhl’s linguistic prowess was instrumental in portraying Lagerfeld, who, despite his German origins, chose Paris as his domicile, eliciting mixed feelings in Germany.
Daniel Bruhl recalls a memorable encounter being photographed by Karl Lagerfeld himself, highlighting the intense scrutiny under Lagerfeld’s “intelligent eyes” through the camera lens. In his preparation, Bruhl was keen to avoid reducing Lagerfeld to a mere caricature, delving into the designer’s sophisticated tastes by immersing himself in Proust, romantic poetry and Lagerfeld’s favored cinematic works, notably Les Enfants du Paradis. Despite his efforts to mirror Lagerfeld’s aesthetic perfectionism, Bruhl humbly acknowledges his limitations in achieving such lofty standards.
Daniel Bruhl’s methodological approach extended to linguistic immersion, where he would converse in French during solitary walks, much to the bemusement of the local fauna, which he humorously noted seemed convinced by his impersonation. The transformative moment for Bruhl occurred upon trying on Lagerfeld’s iconic platform boots, which he likened to a “eureka moment.” Drawing parallels to the grace and duality of matadors, a reference to his own familial connections to bullfighting, Daniel Bruhl found the perfect physical embodiment for Karl Lagerfeld’s persona. He articulated this synthesis of masculinity and femininity, strength and elegance, akin to a matador’s poise, which he channeled into his portrayal.
With AFP.
