Oliver Wnuk: Wnuk denkt laut und liest was vor
In his autobiographically inspired (reading) show, Wnuk reads, performs, and narrates excerpts from his book *Besser wird’s nicht*. *Besser wird’s nicht* is not a sigh of resignation, but an invitation: it will never be better than this moment if we don’t make the most of it. Oliver Wnuk—actor, father, hypochondriac, and incorrigible pragmatist—dissects life’s small and large impositions: the ego that’s always crying out, “More!”; friendships that need to be nurtured or let go of; “reality and appearance” on set and in real life; the top five things people ultimately regret; the art of staying quiet when everything is screaming; and the question of how to remain human in an AI-driven future. Amid the Christmas string-light madness, a breathtakingly absurd study of the ear, and an unforgettable night in the forensic medicine department, a tone emerges that is both lighthearted and wise: humorous, tender, and free of kitsch. Wnuk observes without bitterness and encourages us to view ourselves with kindness.
Wnuk made his breakthrough as ULF in the cult comedy series “STROMBERG.” As Hinnerk Feldmann in the hit ZDF series “Nord Nord Mord,” he has been regularly captivating nearly 10 million viewers in front of their TV screens for more than 15 years now. His self-written ARD series “Das Leben ist kein Kindergarten,” in which he also played the lead role, is among his most recent successes. Oliver Wnuk, born in Konstanz in 1976, has been writing ever since he began acting: Over the past 25 years, he has appeared as an actor in more than 125 film and television productions; at the same time, he has written novels, numerous screenplays and children’s books, plays and radio dramas, as well as essays for print media.
Reviews of “Besser wird’s nicht”:
“Oliver Wnuk takes a brutally honest and open look at himself and life, asking all the questions we all have. But he isn’t afraid of the answers at all. It’s beautiful, but also lighthearted, thought-provoking, and very rare.” - Katrin Bauerfeind
“Oliver Wnuk writes the way he plays: dreamy and precise, bewildered and powerful. He often loses—and that’s how he wins! And it’s always hilarious because it’s so sad—I love it.” - Annette Frier
“Most readers will recognize themselves in what Oliver writes in many places. The book is very personal, and that is precisely why it is also universal—because, whether we are old or young, male or female, in a relationship or single, we are ultimately cut from the same cloth, live in the same world, and share the same fears and longings… In this sense, *Besser wird’s nicht* is a guide to authenticity.” — Juli Zeh in her podcast *Edle Federn*
