- Title: GERMANY: THE SINGING IDOL 'BLUMCHEN' BECOMES KNOWN SIMPLY AS JASMIN WAGNER
- Date: 27th November 2001
- Summary: MCU (German) JASMIN WAGNER IS SAYING"I am not someone who can remain idle for a long time and I began to plan new directions for myself, to experiment with what suits me musically as well as with acting. For some time I have been studying acting in Los Angeles; I am doing half a year of this, so two semesters. I go to classes like everybody else and I have an agent and I visit castings and all this stuff. Half the year I need to come back to Germany, because I have lots to do and I want to keep up my contacts and the same things also, casting shoots, reading books and meeting producers etc." SV/MCU ASSORTED SHOTS OF JASMIN WAGNER SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS IN THE COFFEE SHOP FOR FANS (6 SHOTS) MCU (German) JASMIN WAGNER IS SAYING "I saw one of the 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' shows and one of the questions for a male contestant was what is Jasmin Wagner's artist name? And he didn't know it, so he asked the audience; over 97% knew that Jasmin Wagner and Blümchen were the same and that is the first step. The more that I do as Jasmin Wagner, the more shows that I present, the more films that I make or the more records that I bring out, then the less important Blümchen will become and the more the other name will have prominence. But I don't want the other name to be forgotten, it was a great time, the success story of growing up and I am as proud of it as I was before." SV OF JASMIN WAGNER TAKING A STROLL THROUGH THE XMAS STALLS BUYING THINGS (3 SHOTS) MCU (English) JASMIN WAGNER IS SAYING "I really don't regret stopping work as Blümchen, because when I started with fourteen I was a different person; now I am a 21 year old woman that has a lot of ideas and I want to find out a new creative way of telling the people who I am and this is really interesting and I am happy for what I had and I'm proud of everything I achieved. It has been a great success story for me and my team, but I don't have a feeling this is the end, it is just the beginning of something new (laughs) amen!" SV SHOTS OF JASMIN WAGNER TAKING A STROLL THROUGH THE XMAS STALLS BUYING THINGS (4 SHOTS) LAS (German) JASMIN WAGNER IS SAYING "Absolutely, the school that I go to in Los Angeles is very theoretical, we have naturally our shows, in the form of theatre or musicals, but to experience that live, to see how it works in a Hollywood production with actors working with one another is really motivating. And then to be part of this film for the first time, the first time your face is on the screen, your name in the credits, that is really great." SV PULL IN MCU (German) JASMIN WAGNER IS SAYING "I am as I was before a singer, that hasn't changed; the fun in doing music is still there. I am trying things out, meeting people in America as here to see what happens. I must find my own style. I cant' say I like this and that music from that band, I'll make that music. Rather it must be natural, one must try lots of things, test them out, and then eventually one has the answer and it can begin again, but it is truly my wish to make an album that will appear in the shops or with a new album that will be in the charts. Naturally that is clear that I want that eventually, but acting is in the forefront at the moment. And that's great to have this experience to be back in contact with music, to be on the move again, to be able to see my fans, because they are naturally always sad that when I hide myself away to concentrate on my new career, and now to be able to have autograph sessions is really fabulous, because you come into direct contact with them and that is fun."
- Embargoed: 12th December 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: FRANKFURT, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA9TOJB4P6ED8ZOJ419K9N18RJW
- Story Text: It was only last January that 'Blümchen' the singing idol of hordes of small girls around Germany decided to grow up, shed her skin and become known simply as Jasmin Wagner.
Announcing intentions to start acting, she quit singing, posed in a swimsuit for a men's magazine and played a small part in the new film 'Driven' with Sylvester Stallone, which has just opened in German cinemas. Now, in a surprise move, she has resumed singing, recording the famous Xmas hit 'Santa Claus is coming to town' exclusively for a chain of German coffee shops. We went to find out more.
It is almost exactly a year since the teeny idol Blümchen decided enough was enough and it was time to quit after six years of being the nations darling. Since then she has made no secret of her wish to become an actress and now divides herself between acting classes in Los Angeles and Germany.
"I am not someone who can remain idle for a long time and I began to plan new directions for myself, to experiment with what suits me musically as well as with acting. For some time I have been studying acting in Los Angeles; I am doing half a year of this, so two semesters. I go to classes like everybody else and I have an agent and I visit castings and all this stuff. Half the year I need to come back to Germany, because I have lots to do and I want to keep up my contacts and the same things also, casting shoots, reading books and meeting producers etc."
"I definitely want to go on working, being at the school is a great experience, but of course you want to work in front of the camera and show what you learned. I hope that the right scripts will come and I have the feeling that this story is something that I want to work with. I meet directors and producers. I have an agency in America and here in Europe as well, so I just hope the right things come to me and then I can show and prove that I'm an actress. As far as singing goes, I worked together with some boys that do all kinds of music and I just want to find out what the music is that I like, what is good for me, what sound good with my voice. It is just not enough to say this is a band I like and I want to do it the same. I just have to find my own way and that will take some time too. Because of the career that I had and the money that I earned, I have the freedom to just wait and just really do something that I want and not do anything just because I need money or have to pay some bills. That is something that I am really happy about."
But despite Jasmin Wagner's need to move on, she still has to live in the shadow of the star who made her a household name.
"I saw one of the 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' shows and one of the questions for a male contestant was what is Jasmin Wagner's artist name? And he didn't know it, so he asked the audience; over 97% knew that Jasmin Wagner and Blümchen were the same and that is the first step. The more that I do as Jasmin Wagner, the more shows that I present, the more films that I make or the more records that I bring out, then the less important Blümchen will become and the more the other name will have prominence. But I don't want the other name to be forgotten, it was a great time, the success story of growing up and I am as proud of it as I was before."
"I really don't regret stopping work as Blümchen, because when I started with fourteen I was a different person; now I am a 21 year old woman that has a lot of ideas and I want to find out a new creative way of telling the people who I am and this is really interesting and I am happy for what I had and I'm proud of everything I achieved. It has been a great success story for me and my team, but I don't have a feeling this is the end, it is just the beginning of something new (laughs) amen!"
Since leaving Blümchen behind, Jasmin Wagner has never been short of work and has presented many German tv shows, but it is clear to see that her target is quite clearly the big screen and she is delighted with her brief acting debut in the Hollywood film 'Driven' which stars Sylvester Stallone and fellow German actor Til Schweiger.
"Absolutely, the school that I go to in Los Angeles is very theoretical, we have naturally our shows, in the form of theatre or musicals, but to experience that live, to see how it works in a Hollywood production with actors working with one another is really motivating. And then to be part of this film for the first time, the first time your face is on the screen, your name in the credits, that is really great."
Jasmin has just released her first record since saying good-bye to Blümchen, a Xmas cover of 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town' for the German coffee chain Tschibo. And while it is clear to see that she is keen to make her way as an actress, this shows that her singing career is not over.
"I am as I was before a singer, that hasn't changed; the fun in doing music is still there. I am trying things out, meeting people in America as here to see what happens. I must find my own style. I cant' say I like this and that music from that band, I'll make that music. Rather it must be natural, one must try lots of things, test them out, and then eventually one has the answer and it can begin again, but it is truly my wish to make an album that will appear in the shops or with a new album that will be in the charts. Naturally that is clear that I want that eventually, but acting is in the forefront at the moment. And that's great to have this experience to be back in contact with music, to be on the move again, to be able to see my fans, because they are naturally always sad that when I hide myself away to concentrate on my new career, and now to be able to have autograph sessions is really fabulous, because you come into direct contact with them and that is fun."
"I definitely want to go on working, being at the school is a great experience, but of course you want to work in front of the camera and show what you learned. I hope that the right scripts will come and I have the feeling that this story is something that I want to work with. I meet directors and producers. I have an agency in America and here in Europe as well, so I just hope the right things come to me and then I can show and prove that I'm an actress. As far as singing goes, I worked together with some boys that do all kinds of music and I just want to find out what the music is that I like, what is good for me, what sound good with my voice. It is just not enough to say this is a band I like and I want to do it the same. I just have to find my own way and that will take some time too. Because of the career that I had and the money that I earned, I have the freedom to just wait and just really do something that I want and not do anything just because I need money or have to pay some bills. That is something that I am really happy about." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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