Gedeon Burkhard lived in Hollywood and never wanted to make serials. Why did he became the partner of "Inspector Rex"?


TV Spielfilm: Mr. Burkhard, how do you say hello to your partner on the set, in fact your partner is a dog?
Burkhard: Well, always very lovely and tempestuous, what the dressers don't like that much. We have a really good relationship and it always degenerates into romp. And then the dressers have to remove the the dog's hair.

Some said you have been chosen to play this role because the chemistry between you and Rex is so good. How can someone see that the chemistry between you and the dog is okay quite aside from the fact that the dog does not bite you?
First of course that he likes me anyway. Sometimes animals don't react very positiv on some humans. Or they can feel a certain tension because someone is maybe a little afraid. We both had no problems from the first time on. But we allready knew that because we worked together four years ago.

In that time you were a guest and played the role of a criminal ...
Exactly, a running amok. The fact that the dog liked me was only one reason. And I guess the other reason was the screen test. Out of this test the people who have to make decisions had to say if we are well matched or not.

I would like to ask Rex about he experienced the change form Moretti to Burkhard but instead of this I ask you: who is the star of the serial?
Well, the name of the serial is "Inspector Rex" and that means that Rex is the star. I guess there are no doubts about that. But the dynamic of the serial comes out of the relationship between police-dog and Commissiner.

Is this something to become specially aware of or getting afraid that you are just a co-star but the real star is the dog?
No, not at all. It is important to know having a strong partner. And Rex is a professional actor. It is unbelieveable. For instance, he knows exactly if we just make screen tests or important shootings. When we make screen tests he only makes the half of his work but on shootings he gives all.

Does he have primadonnaish airs?
At the beginning I always called him "Diva". But it's not true that he has primadonnaish airs. After four years he is simply very experienced. In those years everybody caressed him and played with him and now he doesn't react anymore on such things that euphoric. Sometimes he lays down in a corner and only awakes again when the shooting starts.

Now to you. Is it very risky to exchange the leading actor of a etablished serial?
For me or for the channel?

This time we are not so much interested in the fate of the channel ...
Okay. The danger of course is that the TV watchers do not acept a new actor. That would hurt me. From the first time on I had always a good relationship to the authors and producers. We did a good job together and created a new figure. And it's fun to play this figure. Therefore I do as much as possible. Now I try not to think about what can happen to avoid getting mad.

In the past you said several times, that you never wanted to play a role in a serial ...
That's right. But I also said that it belongs to ....

... if someone makes an offer you can't refuse?
No, no. I guess I have to explain that. Just one time in my life I played a role in a serial. This was in New Zealand, "The New Adventures of Black Beauty". I have been very young that time and it was an absolutly caotic production. The stories were written from different authors who didn't know each other and didn't work together. Also some of the directors have been very inexpirienced. We did a hard job just trying to save the whole production. Therefor I said: "If this is working for a serial I never want to make serials anymore." But when you see something like "Inspector Rex" with a totally different kind of working and with interesting and creative possibilities for an actor, then it's really difficult to keep up my oppinion of serials. So I quickly changed it.

Being ugly we could say: Burkhard lived for a while in Los Angeles. Now he comes back as TV-commissary. Hollywood did't want him?
But I have also worked here those times. The truth is that I began to act as a child and got a little nice career. I played in "Acting It Out (Little Sharks)" and I saw no future for me and my profession. Of course I was also a little arrogant because everything I got, I got too easy.

In Hollywood winds blow colder?
America was very good: the competition with so many actors, always learning, crawling to get invited to castings ... . In Hollywood you learn quickly that you can be glad having a job without having to work nearby as a waiter. America changed my point of view and showed me a good perspective.