The iconic German thrillerRun Lola Runpremiered in 1999.
But I have to know: How on earth did her hair recover from that dye job?
InRun Lola Run, Potentes hair is not crimson or auburn, but Skittles red.
Franka Potente inRun Lola Run
It was so distinctive and the movie so beloved that filmmakerJ.J.
Abrams later saidit inspired the character of Sydney Bristow, whom Jennifer Garner played in his television showAlias.
Potente laughs, remembering her ordeal.
Lola rennt, (LOLA RENNT) D 1998, Regie: Tom Tykwer, FRANKA POTENTE, MORITZ BLEIBTREU, Stichwort: Waffe, Gaunerpärchen. (Photo by Impress Own/United Archives via Getty Images)
When I came to do the movie, my hair was jet black, she says.
I changed it a lot back then.
And they were like, Well, we did camera tests, and the decision is red.
Lola rennt, (LOLA RENNT) D 1998, Regie: Tom Tykwer, FRANKA POTENTE. (Photo by Impress Own/United Archives via Getty Images)
Potente is sure it wouldnt happen like that now.
An actor would be given a wig or the makeup department would use some other sleight of hand.
But she was 22 and game.
In the end, it took eight tries to bleach it white.
A particular brand and color was then imported from London to give her hair its signature red hue.
Keeping it in that condition was its own trial.
In the end, she rinsed it three times in the six weeks it took to shoot the film.
When production ended, she rinsed all the color down the drain.
It was like Lola was washed out of me, she says.
I remember crying in the shower.
I was so sad.
ButLola, which was only her sixth credit, remains a high point.
He has this way of immediately including you, she says.
Actually, thats too small of a word.
Its more like devouring you.
He just sucked me in and lifted me up.
It was so energizing.
Tykwer told her hed written the script with her in mind.
The part was irresistible.
Potente likens it to traveling first class and then having to go back to coach.
Its a particular kind of torture to know how good the people up front have it.
So much of the drama depends on a world free of iPhones, Uber, and constant connection.
But at the same time, the movie itselfwhich runs a delicious 80 minutesfeels modern.
Potente pronounces it current, with just the right amount of nostalgia.
You dont know what to expect, she says, smiling.
You have to let yourself fall into it.
The only way is to go through it, and enjoy the ride.
A few years ago, Potente rewatchedRun Lola Runwith her own daughters.
Potente translated in real time to help them keep up with the subtitles.
In trueLolafashion, she found the process exhilarating and a little exhausting.
But it was interesting to see it through their eyes, she continues.
It was like, Why is she running?
I was like, I guess when youre that young, thatisa relevant question.
That was the last time I saw the film, and it was still electric.
I was like, God, itisfun!
The truth is she doesnt particularly see the difference.
The cultures have their quirks, but movie sets are weirdly similar, she says.
We all need a camera.
We all need a certain order, she adds.
Its probably one of the more adaptable jobs there is.
The fact that sets have been a haven for her since she was young made recent challenges especially painful.
Just as the world shut down in 2020, Potente released her directorial debut,Home.
(Great timing, she quips.)
She wrote scripts to keep herself occupied during the pandemic, which she would love to see get made.
She would like to spend more time behind the camera.
But she isnt sure what the industry will support.
Its such a luxurious gift, working, she says now.
So she has parts lined up and ideas about what she might like to do next.
But she swears that despite her innate German orderliness, she isnt too wedded to one move or another.
I like change, and Im not afraid of it, she says.
Potente has seen anxiety consume other actors, and she does her best to resist it.
The one favor we can do ourselves and others is to be in the moment, she says.
Its the hardest thingto just put one foot in front of the other, 20 minutes at a time.
