We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Annika Hautmann. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Annika below.

Annika, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Hi, thank you so much for having me. When did I first know I wanted to be an actor? It’s hard to pinpoint a specific moment, because honestly, it feels like that desire has always been a part of me. As cliché as it might sound, I think I was born with that creative pull — that instinct to observe, to feel deeply, and to express. It wasn’t a sudden decision; it’s something that’s always lived in me, growing and evolving over time. And I know it’s an all too well used answer and I myself keep hearing the same story over and over again. But in my case it also happens to be the truth. I always say that for me acting was never a choice. It chose me.

When I was 9 years old I joined the drama club at my school and from then on I never looked back. To this day I distinctly remember that on the day of our first performance, one of the actresses felt too scared to sing this one particular song in the show. Mind you this was not a musical. “I can do it” I suddenly heard myself say. Now, as much as I love musicals I am not a singer by any stretch of the imagination. ‘What was I thinking’. But the truth is I wasn’t. In fact, I never do when I’m performing. ‘I just am’. No preconceived ideas or “putting on a show” like most of us do in our daily lives. It’s the most liberating feeling one could have.

Sometimes I wonder what it feels like to not live with this indescribable need to express yourself creatively. I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t making up voices, practicing faces in front of the mirror or treating my family to an impromptu fashion show through the centuries. As a kid I was always creative, doodling pictures in my math book, writing an animal story about my neighbors (yes the choices were based on looks and to this day we all laugh about it); or reciting songs I’ve written at the dinner table.

“I don’t know where she gets it from” was a well used phrase I heard growing up. Where do I get it from? Does anyone ever even get it from someone? And what exactly is that ominous ’it’ they’re all talking about? I’ve thought about this a lot. ‘It’ is that unspeakably intense dream that consumes your entire soul. It’s that intoxicating familiarity you experience every time you step on stage. “I’m okay. I’m safe. I’m home”.

A little story comes to mind that actually solidified my decision to pursue this dream professionally. I was in 11th grade and our wonderfully insane theater coach cast me in the role of a Russian call girl. A character that couldn’t be farther from me. She put me in a black mini skirt, high stilettos and directed me as this smoking vulgarian. The play had a huge improvised dance scene and lo and behold, I guess ‘Olga’s spirit took over’ I was moving like a professional night club dancer. I was daring to try moves I would never even attempt privately. Yet here I am. Onstage. Shaking my hips like I was giving Shakira a run for her money. “Where did that come from?” I felt free. I felt like myself. And I vowed that I would do whatever it takes to achieve these moments of complete and utter freedom as much as I can.

Every performer knows that they are rare but when you are brave enough to loose yourself you transcend the reality of being onstage. These are moments where I am so lost in the setting that I stop acting and I’m living. And I keep thinking about that little girl who said “I can do it”. This statement would become my subconscious reason for the path I would choose in life.

The moment I stepped on stage at 9-years old and uttered my first words I felt a ‘ping’ sound was going off in my brain and suddenly everything made sense. I felt an indescribable sensation shooting through my whole body; I was finally alive. I heard a voice, -it was my own voice, speak to me so clearly. And I listened to it. For the first time in my life.

I’d like to close this by quoting Sally Field, whose work inspires me daily to keep striving for those moments of truth. Her statements about acting always make me emotional as they describe exactly what I feel about this incredible form of art.

“My whole life long I’ve spent trying to search after those fireflies on the edges of my eyes. When I’m acting I feel less alone. Even when I’m with my family and friends and everything there is some sort of knot inside of me that stays lonely unless I’m acting”.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Yes, of course.
Hi, my name is Annika Hautmann and I am an actress, writer and director. Ever since I could remember I knew that my life would be on the stage. I remember going to the movies and being absolutely enamored with the protagonist’s world. I never wanted to leave it. Afterwards the sun always was a little too bright, the people a little too loud and the reality a little too real. I knew I wanted to live ‘there’. In the movies. As a little kid I would always think to myself “I want to move to the movies”.

And move I did. 2023, after my Highschool Graduation and exceedingly long covid years, I finally “moved to the movies”. Growing up, I was fortunate to travel to Los Angeles often, thanks to my family, who gave me the gift of exploring the world from a young age. So I would say that the move wasn’t as scary for me as for most internationals who have to deal with ‘LA’ in addition to being far away from home. And even though my family would rather me fall in love with a different line of work they always contributed to my limitless dreaming and love for the arts and to this day are my biggest supporters.

So, there I was in LA, April 2023 with just one suitcase and a big dream. I’ve just been accepted to ‘The Michelle Danner Acting Studio’ and was ready to conquer Hollywood by storm. It might sound kitschy but everything started out very easy. My second day, I landed a job in a music video and by the third week I was running through LA like a native, quietly giggling to myself that I wasn’t a tourist anymore. Every teacher at ‘The Michelle Danner Acting Studio’ was an inspiration to me and I regularly left my classes feeling so empowered I almost wanted to cry.

Now, after almost two and a half years, of course there have been obstacles, disappointments over jobs unbooked or the old familiar question of “Why can’t I be happy doing something else”, “What makes a dreamer anyway” but I strongly believe that my love and almost childlike naivety for the business have helped me so much, especially starting out. Sometimes I almost miss that naive sense of wonder I had in the beginning when everything was new and exciting. Still I find myself in moments where a sudden tidal wave of gratitude hits me and the reality of simply being able to do what I love envelops my entire body and I could scream out like a kid saying “aren’t I lucky”.

Although I do believe that luck only plays a small part in Showbusiness. Hollywood may sound glamorous and magical, and it is, but it’s also a lot of hard work. Your love and stamina for the craft gets tested every day as you constantly have to put yourself out there, reinvent ideas or create a new niche for yourself. I never know what to say when people ask me “what is it like to be an actress in Hollywood”. Because the truth is, it’s not just one thing. It consists of every single emotion life has to offer. It’s amazing, funny, rewarding, frustrating, glamorous, hopeful, discouraging, rewarding, tragic, fulfilling, exhausting. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve met some of the most amazing people here and our friendship and sisterly bond will last a lifetime.

Early on I was lucky enough to work on Michelle Danner’s latest movie ‘The Italians’, 4 of the most amazing weeks of my life. Almost 2 years ago I performed as Antonia in ‘Man of La Mancha’ and the following year I spent 2 months in New York doing plays with the Atlantic Theater Company. Recently, my first feature in a starring role ‘Storm of the Heart’ was playing at the Regal Theater in Hollywood and I almost pinched myself seeing my face on the big screen. That evening was beyond magical.

Acting encompasses so many passions for me and traveling is definitely one of them. In May I was lucky enough to shoot a psychological short in Michigan. The project was so creatively fulfilling and unlike anything I’ve ever done before (spoiler alert: swimming in Lake Michigan in May is freezing, but we got the shot). I always love growing as an artist and deepening my own sense of self. I’m now in the middle of filming an indie feature, where I get to portray Autumn, a runaway turned stripper who’s fighting for her life on the streets. These types of roles always consummate my soul as they challenge my viewpoints. It forces me to go deep and if I’m lucky I discover new things about myself. It’s the most scary and liberating feeling one can have.

I’m really proud that within a short period of time I established myself in this business and I’m able to work and stretch myself in any creative direction. Right now, I’m in the process of writing two feature films while also in pre production of my own short called ‘The Party’. I’m a strong believer that when the right opportunity doesn’t present itself you create one for yourself and I am lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing friends who share my sentiments and my family who always supports me.

What sets me apart always feels like such a self indulgent question for me. Our whole business already creates the feeling of competition and comparison over who is prettier or better or has more credits. My belief is that there is always enough space for everyone to carve out their individuality and fulfill their dreams. For me kindness and compassion are pertinent factors in achieving your goals and never losing yourself on the way.

A quote from E.E Cummings comes to mind. “To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting”.

Ultimately what sets me apart is my love for acting and my deep need to express myself creatively. I never stop being curious. The Film Business and my almost nerdy admiration for this industry will always make me a fan as well as a contributor.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me art heals the world. There have been countless moments in my life where I watched someone onstage or on screen and I felt this indescribable sense of home. The people up there, they were my friends, because they made me feel like I belong. They invited me into their world. Have you ever seen a performance and suddenly the actor’s face or their way of phrasing a sentence starts to create an electric buzz through your entire body. It’s magical and somehow inexpressible. Yet those moments stay with you forever because you finally feel less alone.

I would hope that the movies that I am a part of create exactly those moments for people and that even if it’s just for the duration of that movie they are able to forget their heartaches. I am striving to form commonality and relief in knowing that no one is alone. It always touches me deeply that movies have the ability to inspire us in so many ways. Isn’t it just absolutely incredible that a single line of dialogue can provoke so many different emotions and you can leave the theater laughing hysterically or in tears.

I was thinking about this quite a lot lately. And for me one of the most rewarding aspects about acting is helping people feel less alone. I would hope to create a safe space for sharing our uniqueness and need to somehow fit in this crazy business we call life. I strongly believe that movies bond people together. And whether an audience will remember the actors, the director or even the title of said movie every single one of us can recall a moment when we witnessed something so real and pure and honest onscreen it almost scares us, because we suddenly feel exposed as if someone has truly seen us for the first time in our lives.

To know I was a part of someone’s personal story, something they carry within themselves in moments of feeling lost would be the greatest gift I could ever hope for as an artist. For me the business of acting is one of the most humbling experiences as it always forces you to look inward and search deeply within yourself. The bravest thing is to uncover those truths that are trying very hard not to be found. And if you are fortunate you learn a lot about yourself along the way. In fact you never stop learning.

I remember doing a particularly challenging scene in class one day and my acting coach -encouraging me to reach deeply into the very darkest places of my soul-, was yelling at me to find the part that wants to hurt people. My first instinct was to argue, let him know what I thought about that stupid assumption. But I took that plunge in search for anger I never expressed. And what’s scary is, I found it.

Ultimately I believe that actors are storytellers. It provides us with a license to express ourselves creatively in a way we could never do in our everyday life. The answer as to why you are an actor should make you emotional. So, to me acting is always very personal. When I’m onstage I feel the safest. I know exactly when to speak, where I should sit and when I should get up and leave. It’s incredibly freeing to know the audience is watching that particular character when I’m always honestly and unapologetically being myself, with all the bruises and ugly parts we would never show in real life.

For me life is the real Showbusiness. I always say that speaking my character’s lines helps me finally return to real life again. The relief of that realization is gobsmacking. Honestly, and this might sound a bit cheeky, not a day goes by when I’m not quietly pleased to call myself an actor.

The most rewarding and simple moments are the ones when you receive a script that is so daring and deep your hands shake when you read it. It’s the moment of witnessing someone else’s soul through a performance that is life changing. It evokes this sense of wonder and hope to one day inspire the same reaction and help someone else simply by being brave enough to tell your own truth, which ultimately becomes theirs and everyone else’s for that matter.

Acting unites people from all over the world. And the fact that I get to even be a tiny part of something so human is the greatest gift I could wish for.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal and mission definitely comes from within. For me acting is not just something that I do, it’s a fundamental part of who I am. Actors are storytellers, so my goal is to inspire, educate and touch people’s hearts through my art.

I think all of us creatives live close to the ‘edge of that cliff’. Some movies challenge you to take that leap of faith and jump not knowing what’s about to happen. These are the moments you feel almost dangerously alive. As an audience member I can sense that feeling being translated through the screen and it always humbles and inspires me to my core.

I would hope that the movies I’m doing help someone else in their own creative journey to humanity. Isn’t that why we all go to the movie theater in the first place? To be inspired, to learn, but most importantly to feel. We want to see that character on the big screen go through the same trials and tribulations life throws at us. It gives us a sense of relief in knowing that we are not alone.

Moviemaking has the gift to inspire us in so many ways. Another goal of mine would be to offer some distraction and light in moments of pain. To help people forget their troubles if even just for the duration of my movie would touch me beyond words. The actors I look up to all share the same raw and truthful humanity that inspires me daily to rise to my best possible self.

My mission as an artist has always been rooted in a deep desire to help others — to be a voice for the voiceless and to shine a light on the stories that too often go unheard. Through my work as an actor, storyteller, and writer, I aim to bring awareness to the societal issues and human struggles that need more attention, compassion, and understanding.

Art has the power to shift perspectives, to spark conversations, and to create empathy and I believe that by telling meaningful, truthful stories, we can open hearts and minds. My goal is to use my craft to inspire change, promote healing, and help create a more connected, humane, and peaceful world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://anniehautmann.com/contact/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anniiccc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@annihautmann8532
• Other: IMDb:

  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15147446/

Image Credits

Greg Crowder and Denni Christopherson.