VEGAN PERSONALITY
Meet Anne … who just so happens to be vegan!
Die-hard fans of long-running German soap opera Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten (GZSZ – “Good Times, Bad Times”) know actress Anne Menden as the character Emily Höfer/Badak/Wiedmann. While her character is known for being moody and having a turbulent life, actress Anne Menden couldn’t be more different. She’s a woman with clear values, and plenty of commitment to them.
We were very happy to be able to interview her, and find out a little bit more about what plays the leading role in her life…
VELIVERY: Hi Anne, it’s great to be able to talk to you! We have to be careful not to call you by your character’s name, Emily. 😉 To what extent would you say you can identify with your role in GZSZ, and in what respects would you say you’re totally different to Emily?
ANNE: You have to look at things with a bit of nuance. Emily isn’t a real person. That’s the big difference. But it’s always interesting to breathe life into fictitious characters, and that includes traits that you don’t really have yourself. On the other hand, you can give the writers inspiration sometimes – like with the storyline about the vegan bag brand.
VELIVERY: Many people certainly look up to you when it comes to style. And your lifestyle is even more interesting: you really do set a good example. As far as we know, you’re an active campaigner for the environment and animal welfare. Can you tell us a bit about what or who exactly you support?
Giving a voice to the voiceless
ANNE: I don’t really see myself as a role model at all, because I’m sure I don’t get everything right either, or have the perfect answer to every issue when it comes to the environment or animal welfare. But I’m always trying to learn something new, and simply take people with me on this journey. My activism journey started with the protection of the oceans. And I’m very proud to be able to continue this journey with the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, and to be able to use my platform to promote this issue. But issues like veganism and the victims of the livestock industry are just as important to me. Together with two German farm animal sanctuaries (“Lasst die Tiere leben e. V.” and “Wilde Hilde”), I try to show my followers that these animals aren’t goods, but beings with wonderful characters.
VELIVERY: What do you want to achieve?
ANNE: What’s important to me is to raise awareness about these issues, so that change can happen. And I think it’s fundamental to give a voice to those whose voices we otherwise wouldn’t hear.
VELIVERY: Part of your conscious lifestyle is the diet you follow, and you were vegetarian for a long time. How long have you been completely vegan for now? And what were your reasons for taking this step?
The influence our diets have on our planet
ANNE: I’ve been living a vegan lifestyle for more than ten years now. That’s part of the constant learning process too. Before, I wasn’t aware of what an influence a non-vegan diet has on our planet and the people who live on it. I thought I was doing a lot just by donating to animal protection organizations. That’s precisely what my motivation is to talk about these topics time and again. Just because someone eats meat or wears leather, it doesn’t mean they don’t care about animals. Many people simply don’t know what really goes on behind the scenes.
VELIVERY: What was your experience of going vegan at the beginning? What advice would you give to newbie vegans?
ANNE: I googled lots of recipes and cosmetics alternatives. And then I just got started. After two weeks, it becomes automatic. Nowadays, it’s really quite easy to lead a plant-based lifestyle. There are lots of wonderful people on social media who always have great tips on hand. So don’t be afraid to ask! 😉
VELIVERY: What are your favorite meals? And maybe you could give our readers some tips about what to cook when you don’t have much time on your hands because of a busy job?
By no means complicated or time-consuming
ANNE: I absolutely love Asian cuisine! But yummy pasta is always great too. Making vegan dishes is by no means more complicated or more time-consuming. And when you don’t have a lot of time on your hands, you can even find vegan pizza in any supermarket nowadays.
VELIVERY: Is veganism an issue that’s on the radar at GZSZ? Does your experience tell you that attitudes to nutrition and lifestyles are gradually changing in the film industry, too?
ANNE: People are very open to the issue at GZSZ. The catering company always offers a vegan alternative. In general, there is more and more vegan food on offer on set.
VELIVERY: Do you think your role as Emily is compatible with your animal welfare activism? How do you reconcile the two? And what could this mean for our readers – whatever stage of their vegan journey they’re at?
ANNE: As an actor, it’s my job to play a particular character. You’re telling stories. It has nothing to do with who I am off set. Of course, they don’t make me eat steak on set. It’s not my job to play myself – I have to portray a fictional character. Emily is a vegetarian, for example.
VELIVERY: Thank you ever so much for the interesting and inspiring conversation! We wish you every success on set and with your activism for our fellow creatures and the environment!
