Arts & Culture

German Actress, Sarah Marissa Wullinger lands her first Hollywood leading role in “Shifting Shadows”

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Sarah Marissa Wullinger

Sarah Marissa Wullinger

We all know that breaking into Hollywood is not an easy job, but for German actress Sarah Marissa Wullinger she is already creating a major buzz around town with her incredible acting talent. Born in Stuttgart, Germany, Sarah relocated to Los Angeles, two years ago, in the hopes of pursuing a successful acting career.

Miraculously, Sarah is already on the path to super stardom after being cast as one of the leading roles in the upcoming TV series to be released, “Shifting Shadows”. Written by Oscar winning writer Martin Donovan of “Death Becomes Her” fame, starring Meryl Streep, Sarah is paving her way to becoming a major factor in Hollywood.

Many of entertainment’s heavy weights are already rallying behind her, including Stan Harrington of (“Perception”) and Casting Director Joseph D’ Agosta from (MGM). When Stan Harrington cast Sarah in “Perception” after seeing her performance at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting, he couldn’t help but notice her as an asset to his production with her unique and honorable dramatic acting ability.

One of the most stand out qualities about Sarah, is her ability to adapt to almost any accent. Being from Germany, she has mastered both the american and british accents, as demonstrated on her demo reel.

One of Sarah’s first appearances, was in a production of Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America”at the Irene Gilbert Theater, which also drew in some large audiences and new found fans of her work.

Since being in Los Angeles, Sarah has had an amazing track record of success, including an honorable mention in a Clinique Happy Commercial Contest, by Amy Walmann who raves: “Her performance in the Clinique Happy Commercial was brilliant during every moment of each take. I have auditioned and followed many actresses in the industry. I can state that few can rival the skills and ability that Sarah Wullinger possesses. I would rank her in the top 1%”- to presenting a 2011 Speech at the critically acclaimed Stella Adler Academy of Acting with director Troy Duffy from “Boondock Saints”.

With her stunning good looks and supermodel height (5”11), Sarah commands respect whenever she walks into a room. Many actresses dream of being cast in a leading role by an Academy Award winning director or writer and Sarah has proved that she can nail that role with grace, yet still remain a down to earth girl from Germany, who takes it all in her stride. Hollywood directors are astounded by her talent and beauty and Sarah is very quickly, becoming a much sort after actress.

Not bad for a girl that came across the other side of the world in search of her lucky break. It goes to show, that dreams really do come true! Check out an interview with Sarah Marissa Wullinger below:

LA’s The Place:  Hi Sarah, tell us how you got into acting and who inspired you?

Sarah Marissa Wullinger:   Well, in all honesty, I got into acting when I was performing small plays for my mom when I was a little girl. I would come up with the wildest stories and act them out in front of my mother and she really ended up believing me sometimes – sorry mom! I remember seeing a movie with Elisabeth Taylor at my Grandmothers house and I just wanted to be like her. I wanted to have that elegance, poise and grace that I saw she had on screen. I have been inspired by many actresses. Of course Meryl Streep is one of my biggest idols I would say.

LATP:  How tough was it leaving your hometown in Germany to come to the US?

SMW:  Even tough I left my family and friends behind, I have to say it was not only heartbreaking. It was also terribly exciting for me to travel so far abroad to follow and pursue that dream that I had been carrying with me for so long. My family is super supportive of what I do and I am constantly in touch with them. They give me all the strength in the world. Also, about a year after I came to the U.S, my younger sister moved here as well and is attending film school and pursuing a career behind the camera. We both work very hard for what we want and we are a perfect team. That makes me miss Germany a little less, even if it’s very hard sometimes. Especially the food and all my wonderful friends and of course family. I make a point of going back to Germany as much as I can!

LATP:  What led you to study at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting, in Hollywood?

SMW:  I’ve always really wanted to work with a technique that uses the imagination rather than my own background. To me, personally, art is something completely newly created as opposed to remembered from a persons past. I’ve always had a wild imagination as a child and I thought if I can just trigger that in the right way, I can come up with all kinds of choices in my acting. I looked at some of the actors that have used the Stella Adler Acting technique, like Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro etc. and these are some of the most inspiring actors to me. So I just made a choice without thinking to much and I absolutely don’t regret a minute of it. I can highly recommend this acting school.

LATP:  A lot of A-listers, have raved about your acting abilities. How does that feel? And how did this happen?

SMW:  It’s always great to receive a compliment and it helps me to see whether or not I’m going in the right direction. However, I think it is very important to not only listen to the good things that people say about your work, but also the things they criticize about your work. That way you can grow. I’m still at the beginning of my career and there is a lot that I can learn. I don’t get to ‘high’ on compliments, because satisfaction is the point at which you stop working and growing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s wonderful to see your work being appreciated, especially when you’ve worked hard for it, but I never base my happiness on that.

LATP:  What is your advice for other actresses coming to Hollywood, from all over the world for their acting dreams?

SMW:  The most important thing that I could say on that note is to stay true to your own goals and integrity. Take the step despite what other people think about your potential in this business. There is no ‘recipe’ for success, other than working hard and never taking your focus away from your goal. Never lose track of where you really want to go as an actor and don’t compromise that. And never stop working on your craft. The business side of the whole industry is something that you have to study and become smart about because this is effectively your career and business, and you don’t want to get fooled by unprofessional people in this town. But most importantly, never stop working on your craft. You can always become better – and don’t let anyone tell you differently.

LATP:  Who would you most wish to work with?

SMW:  Since you are putting me on the spot, I would say on the top of my head, Meryl Streep, Christian Bale and Edward Norton.

LATP:  Whats coming up next for you?

SMW:  I am currently in the preparation process for a Pilot and I’m also working on 2 short films with the actor Maurizio Di Meo and my sister. We are hoping to get these projects screened this and next year. I co – wrote the scripts and I am very proud and excited to be working on this.

You can check out Sarah Marissa Wullinger’s work on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4282591/

Sarah Marissa Wullinger

Sarah Marissa Wullinger

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