Jimi Blue and Wilson Gonzalez Ochsenknecht became stars as children with "Die Wilden Kerle." Today, their mother Natascha Ochsenknecht (61) looks back on that time - and admits that under today's conditions, she probably wouldn't put her sons in front of the camera so early anymore.
In the podcast "Feinstoff" by Guido Maria Kretschmer, Ochsenknecht spoke openly about the beginnings of her sons' careers and explained why her attitude has changed over the years.
School and career were easy to combine
Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht (34) was just eleven years old, his brother Wilson Gonzalez (36) two years older, when they celebrated their breakthrough in 2003 with "Die Wilden Kerle." Almost every year, a new film in the six-part series was made.
Looking back, Natascha Ochsenknecht remembers a comparatively relaxed time, since back then only "one film per year" was produced. Filming took place during summer vacation, and the children received lessons on set at the same time. She explains in the podcast that the six weeks of filming were well bridged, since there was always a teacher on site: "And as a result, they were basically better in school afterwards than before, because it was a small group." That was "fine" for everyone involved.
According to her own account, she and her then-husband Uwe Ochsenknecht (70) made sure their children were well supervised in the film industry. After all, they both already knew the business: She herself worked as a model, and Uwe Ochsenknecht was already an established actor. She emphasizes in the conversation with Guido Maria Kretschmer that they by no means stumbled into the situation clueless: "It wasn't like we had no idea about all this stuff around it, about the film world."
Due to the father's many years of experience, they knew exactly what mattered. "We had our hand over it, we kept our eyes on it. I also always traveled to the set, that was fine," the 61-year-old recalls.
Social media changes everything
Despite the positive memories, Natascha Ochsenknecht would no longer send her sons into the spotlight so young today. The decisive difference is the digital world, which is why she would choose a completely different path today. "Nowadays I wouldn't do that anymore," she states unequivocally.
At the time of "Die Wilden Kerle," there was neither social media nor today's permanent online reporting. "There was no social media, there was no darknet, there was really no internet, no cell phone," she says. Today the situation is completely different. "Now I would totally protect my children," Ochsenknecht explains. Back then, the world was still "healthier" in her eyes.
The way celebrities are treated has also changed significantly from her perspective. About 20 years ago, photos from red carpets and premieres appeared in print at most once a week. She remembers that back then, after an appearance, the children were pictured "once a week in the newspaper." Today, however, images and reports spread uncontrollably on the internet in the shortest amount of time. "Now it's on the net, you can't even get it out anymore," Ochsenknecht worries about the permanent digital footprint.
