A lot has gone well in the life of Bill Mockridge in 75 years. He has six sons (26-39 years old), has loved the same woman for 40 years and is once again playing a series role that comes pretty close to his only unfulfilled dream.
He says to BILD am SONNTAG: “Ever since I was 50 I always wanted to be a crime scene inspector. I kept asking my agency if they could use me there. But somehow it never worked. And now the train has probably left for that.”
For this he has been playing a police officer alongside Hartmut Volle on ARD since 2021, who is being brought back into active service from retirement – a pensioner cop. Mockridge: “It’s actually much better! I can be funny, we still have tension and we can also be serious.”
Mockridge and his wife Margie Kinsky (64) are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this year
He could easily retire at the age of 75. Enjoying his pension, tending the garden behind his house in Bonn and cooking for his wife, the cabaret artist Margie Kinsky (64). The pension of around 3000 euros would probably be enough. Mockridge: “I only work because I still enjoy it! And as long as my wife doesn’t find her old man embarrassing on TV, I’ll keep going.”
Mockridge – father of comedian Luke Mockridge – should be known to most viewers as Erich Schiller from “Lindenstraße”. From 1991 to 2015 he was allowed to kiss mother Beimer (Marie-Luise Marjan). The series was both a curse and a blessing for him. “I was employed at ‘Lindenstrasse’ for almost 25 years and was able to pay into the pension fund. In addition, I’m also in the artists’ social insurance – I’m covered if I were to retire now.”
In addition, there was enormous popularity. A stamp that can also destroy a lot for an actor in the industry. Mockridge explains: “It was clear to me: With this role, all crime scene roles and interesting six-part films on ZDF are gone. At the time, our fourth son was on his way and I knew there were more children to come. The ‘Lindenstrasse’ was a life decision – for the family, for the workplace half an hour away from our house and against a career as, let’s put it that way, a deep character actor.”
From 1991 to 2015 Mockridge played in “Lindenstraße” with Marie-Luise Marjan (82)
Mockridge and Hartmut Volle (69) can be seen again as “Retiree Cops” on ARD from February 15th
Not many actors manage to wash off this enormously stubborn series stamp. At Mockridge it took almost five years.
He says: “I made a very specific and conscious change to my appearance. My beard is longer now, I wear a cap, look a bit more like a cool hipster grandpa and not like good Schiller with his five-day beard. A lot of people don’t even recognize me anymore and that was exactly my goal to get out of this stuck role.”
To keep him from rusting, he even goes to the gym every day. A little stretching, a ten-minute bike ride. Mockridge: “Just wake up, get your body going. I don’t want to crawl out of the gym covered in sweat. But I want to stay fit and flexible at my age so that I can continue to work for a long time.”
Bill Mockridge 2019 at the German Comedy Award
A bit of sport, good food – and love! Happiness in old age follows a few simple rules that anyone can follow. Mockridge: “I live according to the five ‘Ls’: running, eating (eating well and above all not too fast), loving (regularly hugging and kissing the woman very tightly), laughing and learning – something every day do for the pear, read a newspaper very carefully, educate yourself.”
Sometimes happiness can be so simple.
Comedian Luke Mockridge is newly in love
It was a tough year and a half for Luke Mockridge – but it’s not just professionally that the successful comedian is going uphill again.
As BILD learned on SONNTAG, Mockridge is newly in love – with his best friend, the pretty make-up artist Jenny R. The two have known each other for many years, and friendship became love a few months ago. But the two prefer not to talk to BILD am SONNTAG about that.
He can laugh again: Luke Mockridge (33)
Jenny also stood by his side in 2021 when an ex-girlfriend accused him of rape. The public prosecutor’s office dropped the investigation twice. But Mockridge was attacked on social networks. He himself spoke of a “wave of hatred” and withdrew completely from TV, canceled all appearances and sought help in a clinic.
His father Bill says to BILD am SONNTAG: “My father’s heart has suffered. Our whole family suffered with him and of course we always stood by him. Thank goodness he’s getting better and better, his new tour is going great and he gets a standing ovation every time he goes on stage.”
This article comes from BILD am SONNTAG. The ePaper of the entire issue is available here.