Kerstin Schulze is a pressure of nature—an actor, elite health coach, and founding father of a performance-focused wellness firm whose strategy to motion is as intentional as it’s highly effective. Greatest recognized for her function as Sola, the mysterious German nanny with a shocking kung fu twist on HBO comedy The Righteous Gem stones, Schulze brings a novel mix of bodily self-discipline and grounded presence to each function she inhabits (a spread that additionally encompasses “Exercise Tina” Fey for Reserving.com and a killer clown on American Horror Story: Roanoke).
On this dialog, we discover how mindfulness manifests in her coaching, appearing course of, and each day life and what it takes to remain centered whereas navigating high-performance environments each on display screen and off.
Angela Stubbs: You play Sola, a German nanny and kung-fu practitioner on the newest season of The Righteous Gem stones. Are you able to talk about what initially drew you to the character Sola, which traits you share along with her, and the way your day-to-day character differs from hers?
Kerstin Schulze: After I first acquired the script and audition discover for Sola, the outline referred to as for a tall, German or Scandinavian girl who might do kung fu and was very centered. And instantly, I assumed—that is me. I felt such a robust connection to the character; I didn’t need to think about how she may really feel as a result of, in so some ways, I’ve lived her expertise. I’ve all the time been a caretaker and a nurturer at coronary heart. Bodily, I’m robust, and with over 30 years spent serving to folks really feel higher about themselves, I understood Sola’s mission on a deep degree. She’s all about serving to others—and that resonated with me fully.
What I beloved about Sola is that she’s grounded and nurturing, but powerful. After I constructed her backstory, I imagined she got here from a rich European household the place, regardless of having all the things, she felt emotionally uncared for. That gave her a function: to work with households, not for cash, however to assist youngsters discover stability and convey damaged houses again collectively. That motivation formed how I performed her.
I understood Sola’s mission on a deep degree. She’s all about serving to others—and that resonated with me fully.
I additionally had a really particular imaginative and prescient for her look. I drew inspiration from Mrs. Bower in Frankenstein—very German, very stern, all the time put collectively. The present really used that actual look within the ultimate model, which I beloved.
The vary they gave her made the function particular—from the extraordinary combat scenes to her emotional reference to Child Billy in the long run. That second the place she tells him, “They want you,” was so highly effective. And her bond with Tiffany, this candy, pure soul, felt extremely significant. Tiffany’s innocence and sincerity introduced out the protector in Sola, and I linked to the purity and depth of that relationship.
Sola appears like such a grounded and self-aware character, and it struck me that to painting somebody like her convincingly, an actor has to carry an actual depth of presence and consciousness. That sort of groundedness can come from life expertise, mindfulness, and even bodily practices like kung fu, which performs a key function in who Sola is.
This has me questioning concerning the duality of getting ready for the bodily calls for of kung fu whereas cultivating the internal consciousness and emotional depth wanted to embody Sola on set, particularly amid the chaos and vitality of filming.
Even earlier than I received the function, I used to be deeply concerned in martial arts and mindfulness practices like meditation. I meditate each day—it’s a non-negotiable a part of my life. I take advantage of it to floor myself, and I actually consider within the energy of positive affirmations. When my thoughts begins drifting into adverse ideas, I attempt to redirect them. That each day apply of mindfulness helped me keep centered not simply in life, however particularly on set, the place there’s a lot chaos occurring round you.
If you’re filming, there are tons of of individuals on set—cameras, administrators, crew—so having these instruments got here in helpful. I might focus, block out all of the distractions, and simply be current in Sola’s world. It allowed me to attach deeply with who she is and to reply authentically, particularly in scenes with Child Billy. The groundedness folks see in Sola on display screen is the groundedness I’ve labored arduous to domesticate in myself.
That each day apply of mindfulness helped me keep centered not simply in life, however particularly on set, the place there’s a lot chaos occurring round you.
However I didn’t all the time have that. It began after my divorce, after I was 40. That was a turning level for me. I went to remedy, I dedicated to meditation, and I did lots of internal work to know myself extra clearly. I needed to ask arduous questions, like why I selected a relationship that was so adverse. That journey towards self-awareness modified all the things for me. And now, 10 years later, I really feel just like the universe introduced me this function as a result of it displays exactly the place I’m in life. Sola is grounded, purposeful, and robust—and so am I.
Kerstin Schulze on Health and Being a Kung-Fu Nanny
It seems like your mindfulness and martial arts practices helped you meet Sola with a deep sense of presence, each bodily and emotionally. You talked about how a lot focus this function required—not simply within the combat scenes but in addition in staying grounded amid the chaos on set. This jogs my memory of The Physique Retains the Rating by Bessel van der Kolk, which explores how our our bodies maintain onto expertise and the way that mind-body connection is essential to therapeutic and consciousness.
So I’m curious: Do you are feeling like your capability to remain grounded on set and absolutely embody Sola got here from that long-term mind-body work you’ve achieved? And the way has that consciousness formed the way in which you strategy appearing on the whole?
Our cells maintain all the things—our ideas, our feelings—they reside our experiences. I’ve all the time been a tricky girl. I needed to combat to outlive. So the toughness in Sola got here naturally to me. What I needed to work on extra deeply was her softness—that quiet power. As ladies, I feel we’re nonetheless studying how you can be both soft and strong, and how you can discover steadiness between the 2.
With Sola, she didn’t say a lot, however her presence spoke volumes. Her physique language carried the message. I feel that’s true for all of us—we will stroll right into a room and say a lot with out talking a phrase. All of it comes right down to how grounded, aware, and self-aware we’re. And when you realize who you might be, you may present up authentically—you may actually pay attention with out being in your head, already getting ready your response.
The kung-fu nanny is the brain-child of Danny McBride as a result of, in fact it’s! However let’s speak concerning the kung fu. Lots of people assembly you for the primary time may not understand you have got a protracted background as an athlete, going all the way in which again to childhood. Do you are feeling that background made it simpler to step into the physicality of Sola—particularly the kung fu features? Or have been there new challenges that got here with studying and embodying that exact self-discipline?
I’ve been an athlete for so long as I can bear in mind—I competed within the Junior Olympics in Berlin after I was 12—in order that background undoubtedly helped. After I received the function, they wished Sola to know kata (an in depth sequence of actions in karate, carried out as an train), which I wasn’t educated in. I had achieved martial arts, kickboxing, weapons work with sticks and knives, however not kata particularly. So I discovered a kata grasp and educated each single day. I’m a really visible learner, so I’d research his actions, then drill them till it regarded and felt genuine.
Due to my athletic coaching, I decide issues up shortly, and I took this critically—figuring out hundreds of thousands of individuals would see it, I wished it to be proper. I educated all over the place: within the pool, in resort rooms, at residence. Then, on set, they switched the digital camera angles final minute, which meant I needed to improvise and alter on the spot. Figuring out the aim behind every kata motion helped me keep grounded and adapt.
I educated all over the place: within the pool, in resort rooms, at residence. Then, on set, they switched the digital camera angles final minute. Figuring out the aim behind every kata motion helped me keep grounded and adapt.
The combat scenes have been intense—we solely noticed a fraction of what was filmed. I needed to decide up and throw somebody, smash a vase on a head (fiberglass, fortunately), pull somebody off a pool desk, slam a head on a piano. It was all very bodily. I did about 95% of my very own stunts as a result of I wished it to really feel actual. All my years of power and martial arts coaching actually got here into play.
What number of takes did you do for the entire kung fu scenes?
The kata scene by the water was intense—it was scorching sizzling, and I most likely ran via the routine at the least 10 instances only for my solo pictures. Then we filmed from a number of angles, which took about half a day.
The combat scenes have been a full-day shoot. We repeated them time and again. I labored intently with the stunt coordinators—I even needed to decide somebody up and flip them. The one half I didn’t do myself was the ultimate throw. I requested my stunt double to try this one as a result of I didn’t wish to threat injuring anybody. I wasn’t assured I might safely execute that transfer.
You talked about coaching daily for this function, however outdoors of appearing, you additionally work as a coach with everybody from actors to older adults, and also you’ve developed your individual program, Fitness for the Busy Lifestyle. Are you able to discuss how physique consciousness shapes the way in which you design exercises, and what impressed you to create one thing particularly for folks with restricted time or distinctive bodily wants?
Health for the Busy Life-style began from my very own life—being a single mother, coaching purchasers all day, and nonetheless discovering time to remain match. I created environment friendly 30-minute exercises (and even 5-10 minute routines) that work for busy folks, vacationers, and people with accidents or stress. It’s all about working smarter, staying constant, and constructing power to assist your physique long-term.
There’s a saying—everybody ought to meditate for 10 minutes a day, and should you don’t have 10 minutes, it’s best to meditate for an hour. The purpose is, the busier or extra careworn you might be, the extra you most likely want that pause. And I feel the identical applies to motion. Positive, there are days when accidents or time constraints make it arduous, however that doesn’t imply doing nothing. Even a couple of minutes of mindful movement—like leg lifts within the kitchen or squats at your desk—could make a distinction.
The identical is true for meditation. Individuals usually really feel that in the event that they don’t have half-hour, it’s not value it. However even one minute of aware respiratory can shift your state. Simply listening to the breath—the way it feels coming in and going out—grounds you.
The way you begin the day is all the things, however most individuals underestimate it. I all the time inform my purchasers to be grateful earlier than they even get off the bed. Be grateful that you just awakened, that you may stroll, open your fridge, and step outdoors. Simply these small moments of mindfulness can fully shift your mindset.
Beginning your day with gratitude grounds you. That’s what meditation is—coming again to what issues. Respiration. Being alive.
Beginning your day with gratitude grounds you. That’s what meditation is—coming again to what issues—respiratory, being alive. Every part else—objectives, cash, strain—is simply noise. Life is fragile. We neglect that. We chase a lot, however actual peace comes from connection, presence, and treating our our bodies and minds with care.
So why wouldn’t we take five minutes to speak kindly to ourselves? To maneuver? You don’t want a gymnasium. You are able to do curls sitting down or glute work whereas folding laundry. It’s all in the way you select to see it.
Selecting Development Over Concern
On a bigger-picture degree, in terms of memorizing strains, do you have got any mindfulness practices or bodily habits that provide help to keep grounded? Are you somebody who struggles with memorization, or do you have got any go-to suggestions or tips for operating strains—particularly should you’re feeling caught or underneath strain?
The easiest way I be taught strains is thru mindful movement—I stroll or train whereas operating them. On set, you’re by no means simply sitting nonetheless delivering a line; you’re all the time doing one thing. So studying strains whereas transferring helps make it really feel extra pure in efficiency.
One other massive a part of it’s understanding the that means behind the phrases. Even when I don’t bear in mind each phrase precisely, if I do know what I’m attempting to say and what I’m attempting to get from the opposite individual within the scene, it comes via. It’s all concerning the goal—why am I on this scene, what’s my character attempting to perform, and the way does that transfer the story ahead? If you’re clear on that, and the writing is robust, the strains are likely to stream naturally.
That mentioned, I additionally document my strains and hearken to them on repeat, like music—typically even whereas I sleep. And I learn the script time and again till it’s simply in me. The repetition helps it really feel genuine, like second nature.
A giant breakthrough for me was realizing it’s not nearly studying strains, however actually understanding what I’m saying, similar to in meditation, the place slowing down forces you to listen to your self, which might be scary for some.
Concern of being alone with our ideas is actual. The thoughts doesn’t simply decelerate as a result of we wish it to—and we will’t flip it off. However as an alternative of attaching to each thought or emotion, we will observe them, identify them, and allow them to go like climate, creating distance between us and the story we inform ourselves.
No, the thoughts by no means absolutely shuts off—completely. I all the time say 10% is what occurs to us, and 90% is how we reply. Our thoughts may keep busy, however our consciousness—our aware state—decides what we do with that. So if I really feel anxious, I’ll ask myself: Why? Possibly I’ve an excessive amount of on my plate. Then I do know I must breathe, speak to somebody, or take a step again.
After I created Sola after which discovered myself on set with all these A-list stars, there have been undoubtedly moments of impostor syndrome. However I’ve realized that these emotions have a tendency to return proper earlier than progress.
Identical with disappointment. As a substitute of labeling it as adverse, I enable it. I ask myself: What’s behind this sense? And I give myself a 10-minute pity get together if I must—however then I transfer on.
The very last thing I wish to ask is: In the event you might share one aware perception that’s helped you carry Sola to life, or one which’s guiding you in your individual life proper now, what wouldn’t it be?
By way of Sola, I’ve discovered that once we really feel that overwhelming imposter syndrome, it usually simply means we’re leveling up.
After I created Sola after which discovered myself on set with all these A-list stars, there have been undoubtedly moments of impostor syndrome. However I’ve realized that these emotions have a tendency to return proper earlier than progress. Each time I’ve felt that doubt, it’s really been an indication I’m getting into one thing larger.
So now, as an alternative of resisting it, I embrace it. I remind myself: I can do that. I used to be simply supplied one other function in a function movie, and previously, I may need second-guessed myself. However now, I strategy it with gratitude and with out judgment.
I feel we develop into our subsequent chapters by getting into the unknown. And that unknown might be stunning—since you be taught, you stretch, and also you evolve.
With Sola, some components felt acquainted, however others have been completely new. I’ve by no means been a nanny or a kung fu grasp, and I’ve by no means needed to take care of somebody like Child Billy! However I embraced it. And that’s the most important lesson: Embrace what comes, be taught from it, and don’t choose your self alongside the way in which.
