As TV investigator Sarah Kohr, Lisa Maria Potthoff is once again pushing her physical limits in her new case “Cement”. This is how the actress prepares for her action role, which landed her in the hospital.
The attacker punches her square in the face. And there is only a short pause for breath – then he grabs her arm and throws her against the wall. The investigator gets herself back up again in a matter of seconds. Give up? Never! Sarah Kohr clenches her fists, rolls to the side and throws a chair towards the man. Fights, climbing scenes, chases: Since 2014, Inspector Sarah Kohr has been thrilling viewers with a lot of physical exertion in the ZDF crime series of the same name.
“Back then, we wanted to create a character that didn’t exist in this form in the German crime scene,” says leading actress Lisa Maria Potthoff, known from the “Eberhoferkrimis,” to HÖRZU. “Depending on the case, she is the only one who can solve the problem, but in the process she is always in danger and has to fight to protect others and ultimately herself.”
In the current episode “Cement” (Mon, March 18, 8:15 p.m. on ZDF and in the ZDF media library) things are going up again. Sarah Kohr is involved in a mysterious accident and shoots one of those involved. She wakes up in the hospital and can’t remember anything. Kohr begins to investigate, including numerous action sequences.
“Sarah Kohr – Cement”: Mon, January 22nd. on ZDF
The woman is herself: Unlike many colleagues, Lisa Maria Potthoff personally takes on the majority of the numerous stunts. “We start detailed preparations four to six weeks before filming. “That means we look at which stunts are required for the story and how they can best be implemented on film,” reports the 45-year-old. At her side is stunt coordinator Wanja Götz (45), who has already worked on international productions such as the video game film “Uncharted” (2022) with Tom Holland. “Basically, every fight scene is like a dance that we do. We know every single step and every movement exactly and follow the pre-trained choreography during filming.”
Lisa Maria Potthoff’s great passion is martial arts
In order to be prepared for the large number of strenuous scenes in the ZDF series, Potthoff prepares throughout the year. “You could probably do it if you made intensive preparations a few weeks in advance,” said the actress. “However, it is important to me to have a consistent level of fitness. That’s why I have my regular trainer Yi-Chung Chen, with whom I work regularly.” Horse riding, CrossFit and yoga are also part of Potthoff’s sports program. However, her great passion is martial arts.
“A few years ago I started Krav Maga as a total beginner and tried out kickboxing for an ARD film,” reports Potthoff. In the meantime, it has become a hobby, especially thanks to ten years of “Sarah Kohr”: “I train at Chimosa, a small martial arts studio in Berlin-Mitte, where I can develop myself further and try out new things,” she continues . “I met Yi-Chung Chen through my stunt coordinator Wanja Götz and asked if I could learn from him. We are a small, loose team, including stunt people and actors, who meet regularly to train together.”
© ZDF
Sarah (Lisa Maria Potthoff) and Charlotte May (Liza Tzschirner, left) are surprised by a familiar face in “Cement”.
However, the stunt scenes are not without danger. Bruises, scratches and abrasions are a regular occurrence, and nothing worse has happened so far – not yet: “To be honest, you’re just catching me on the way to the hospital for an operation,” the actress reveals in a telephone interview. “So far everything has always gone well because we obviously pay a lot of attention to safety standards on set. Nevertheless, things can happen sometimes. Unfortunately, I tore my cruciate ligament and meniscus during the current filming. My first serious injury.”
However, Lisa Maria Potthoff doesn’t want to be deterred by this. “Afterwards there will be rehab – and then I hope to be fit again soon.” Author: Melanie Koch
“Sarah Kohr – Cement”: Mon, March 18th, 8:15 p.m. on ZDF and in the media library.