Thierry Ardisson
In fact not much is known about you.
Helmut Berger
Ah no?
Thierry Ardisson
No.
Helmut Berger
Why?
Thierry Ardisson
It is not even known whether your name is Berger or Steinberger or...
Helmut Berger
My real name is Steinberger.
Thierry Ardisson
Yes?
Helmut Berger
It's Austrian.
Thierry Ardisson
Yes.
What did you do before?
It is said that you set up a dramatic arts school in London, it is said...
Helmut Berger
No, my parents are in hotel management.
I set up a hotel school.
Thierry Ardisson
Yes.
Helmut Berger
Afterwards, I went to London to go to drama school.
I never went there because I...
Thierry Ardisson
You didn't go to the school?
Helmut Berger
No, never.
Because I overslept on the twentieth day.
Thierry Ardisson
Yes.
Helmut Berger
But I still took private lessons.
And afterwards, well, I went to Rome, I tried out, tests for small parts, like everyone does when they begin as an extra.
Thierry Ardisson
And what was your first film?
Helmut Berger
It was The Damned.
Thierry Ardisson
You started directly with The Damned?
Helmut Berger
No, I had a small role in The Witches.
It is a sketch.
It's Visconti, Pasolini and Fellini who did it...
Thierry Ardisson
Yes, there is a cassette that has just been released of The Damned.
Everyone is buying it right now in France.
Helmut Berger
Really?
Thierry Ardisson
Yes, because it is coming out on cassette.
How did you meet Visconti?
Helmut Berger
I met him because I studied Italian at the Foreign University of Perugia.
And I visited Tuscany and all of that.
Well, I arrived in Volterra where he was shooting a film.
I was there watching, I was fascinated.
As I played in cinema, I was fascinated, I wanted to see how they shot a film.
I met him there... it was Sandra of a Thousand Delights with Jean Sorel and Claudia Cardinale.
In French it was called Sandra.
There.
Thierry Ardisson
How did it happen?
Helmut Berger
How did it happen?
Thierry Ardisson
Your meeting?
Helmut Berger
Very simple because a friend of mine who is Neapolitan, and Visconti is from the house at [?].
They are friends.
So my friend introduced me: "He is Visconti".
He tells me that he has been preparing a film about an Austrian writer, of Musil [?].
Then he came to Rome, to do a test.
Thierry Ardisson
Did you go?
Helmut Berger
I went, but I never did the film because Volker Schlöndorff did it.
But afterwards, he was looking for cast members.
He wanted to do Magic Mountain, by Thomas Mann, and it is not...how to say - it wasn't working.
And Sautet as well.
Well afterwards he wrote The Damned.
Thierry Ardisson
Did he write it with you in mind?
Helmut Berger
No, because I was...they are very good in that which...
And I knew Mr. Krupp [?].
And I met these fascinating people.
I introduced Arms to Mr. Visconti.
Afterwards he had the idea of these men.
He wrote...
The whole story is between Thyssen et Krupp.
Thierry Ardisson
He wrote the story for you in the end?
Helmut Berger
Yes
Thierry Ardisson
What was your working relationship like?
How did it go?
Helmut Berger
You know, it's very difficult because it was my first film.
And I really didn't understand a thing.
Thierry Ardisson
Yes.
Helmut Berger
... about film.
Thierry Ardisson
How old were you at the time?
Helmut Berger
I think I was twenty, twenty-one, something like that.
And so, I have to say, I didn't understand a thing.
Thierry Ardisson
Everything happened?
Helmut Berger
Yes, I did well, good actor, bad actor.
I was completely guided by Lucchino Visconti.
Thierry Ardisson
And after that, how many did you do with Ludwig?
Helmut Berger
After that, hold on, I did Ludwig...
Thierry Ardisson
The Mad King of Bavaria
Helmut Berger
Ludwig of Bavaria, I did Conversation Piece.
There, three.
Thierry Ardisson
Three with Ludwig.
Are you aware that today you are a myth?
Helmut Berger
What?
Thierry Ardisson
That you are a myth.
You are not aware of this?
Helmut Berger
I am not yet dead...
Thierry Ardisson
No, but you are a myth.
Helmut Berger
Well, that is nice.
