Kerstin Schulze is a drive 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 stunning kung fu twist on HBO comedy The Righteous Gem stones, Schulze brings a singular mix of bodily self-discipline and grounded presence to each function she inhabits—from her flip as “Exercise Tina” Fey for Reserving.com to her intense efficiency on American Horror Story: Roanoke.
On this dialog, we discover how mindfulness manifests in her coaching, appearing course of, and day by 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 latest season of The Righteous Gem stones. Are you able to talk about what initially drew you to the character Sola, which traits you share together with her, and the way your day-to-day persona differs from hers?
Kerstin Schulze: Once I first acquired the script and audition discover for Sola, the outline known as for a tall, German or Scandinavian girl who may do kung fu and was very centered. And instantly, I assumed—that is me. I felt such a powerful connection to the character; I didn’t should 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 stage. 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 robust. Once I constructed her backstory, I imagined she got here from a rich European household the place, regardless of having all the pieces, she felt emotionally uncared for. That gave her a goal: 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 stage. 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 truly used that precise look within the remaining 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 ultimately. 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 related to the purity and depth of that relationship.
Sola seems like such a grounded and self-aware character, and it struck me that to painting somebody like her convincingly, an actor has to deliver 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 bought the function, I used to be deeply concerned in martial arts and mindfulness practices like meditation. I meditate day by day—it’s a non-negotiable a part of my life. I exploit it to floor myself, and I actually consider within the energy of constructive affirmations. When my thoughts begins drifting into adverse ideas, I attempt to redirect them. That day by day follow of mindfulness helped me keep centered not simply in life, however particularly on set, the place there’s a lot chaos taking place round you.
Once you’re filming, there are a whole bunch of individuals on set—cameras, administrators, crew—so having these instruments got here in useful. I may 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 exhausting to domesticate in myself.
That day by day follow of mindfulness helped me keep centered not simply in life, however particularly on set, the place there’s a lot chaos taking place 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 a number of internal work to know myself extra clearly. I needed to ask exhausting questions, like why I selected a relationship that was so adverse. That journey towards self-awareness modified all the pieces 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 powerful—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’re 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 best way you strategy appearing on the whole?
Our cells maintain all the pieces—our ideas, our feelings—they reside our experiences. I’ve all the time been a troublesome 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 easy methods to be each tender and powerful, and easy methods to 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, conscious, and self-aware we’re. And when who you might be, you may present up authentically—you may really hear 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, after all it’s! However let’s speak concerning the kung fu. Lots of people assembly you for the primary time may not notice you will have a protracted background as an athlete, going all the best way again to childhood. Do you’re feeling that background made it simpler to step into the physicality of Sola—particularly the kung fu facets? Or have been there new challenges that got here with studying and embodying that individual self-discipline?
I’ve been an athlete for so long as I can keep in mind—I competed within the Junior Olympics in Berlin after I was 12—in order that background undoubtedly helped. Once I bought 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 skilled in. I had achieved martial arts, kickboxing, weapons work with sticks and knives, however not kata particularly. So I discovered a kata grasp and skilled each single day. I’m a really visible learner, so I’d examine his actions, then drill them till it appeared and felt genuine.
Due to my athletic coaching, I decide issues up rapidly, and I took this severely—figuring out tens of millions of individuals would see it, I wished it to be proper. I skilled all over the place: within the pool, in resort rooms, at residence. Then, on set, they switched the digicam angles final minute, which meant I needed to improvise and regulate on the spot. Realizing the aim behind every kata motion helped me keep grounded and adapt.
I skilled all over the place: within the pool, in resort rooms, at residence. Then, on set, they switched the digicam angles final minute. Realizing 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 scorching, and I in all probability ran via the routine at the least 10 occasions only for my solo photographs. 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 may safely execute that transfer.
You talked about coaching every single day for this function, however exterior of appearing, you additionally work as a coach with everybody from actors to older adults, and also you’ve developed your individual program, Health for the Busy Way of life. Are you able to speak about how physique consciousness shapes the best way 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 Way of life 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 when you don’t have 10 minutes, you need to meditate for an hour. The purpose is, the busier or extra pressured you might be, the extra you in all probability want that pause. And I feel the identical applies to motion. Certain, there are days when accidents or time constraints make it exhausting, however that doesn’t imply doing nothing. Even a couple of minutes of conscious motion—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 price it. However even one minute of aware respiration can shift your state. Simply being attentive to the breath—the way it feels coming in and going out—grounds you.
The way you begin the day is all the pieces, however most individuals underestimate it. I all the time inform my purchasers to be grateful earlier than they even get away from bed. Be grateful that you simply awakened, that you would be able to stroll, open your fridge, and step exterior. 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—respiration, being alive. Every little thing else—targets, cash, stress—is simply noise. Life is fragile. We overlook 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 5 minutes to talk kindly to ourselves? To maneuver? You don’t want a health club. 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 Progress Over Concern
On a bigger-picture stage, on the subject of memorizing traces, do you will have any mindfulness practices or bodily habits that enable you keep grounded? Are you somebody who struggles with memorization, or do you will have any go-to suggestions or methods for working traces—particularly when you’re feeling caught or underneath stress?
The easiest way I study traces is thru conscious motion—I stroll or train whereas working them. On set, you’re by no means simply sitting nonetheless delivering a line; you’re all the time doing one thing. So studying traces whereas shifting helps make it really feel extra pure in efficiency.
One other massive a part of it’s understanding the which means behind the phrases. Even when I don’t keep in mind each phrase precisely, if I do know what I’m making an attempt to say and what I’m making an attempt to get from the opposite particular person within the scene, it comes via. It’s all concerning the goal—why am I on this scene, what’s my character making an attempt to perform, and the way does that transfer the story ahead? Once you’re clear on that, and the writing is powerful, the traces are inclined to stream naturally.
That stated, I additionally file my traces and take heed to them on repeat, like music—generally 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 traces, however really understanding what I’m saying, similar to in meditation, the place slowing down forces you to listen to your self, which will be scary for some.
Concern of being alone with our ideas is actual. The thoughts doesn’t simply decelerate as a result of we would like it to—and we will’t flip it off. However as a substitute of attaching to each thought or emotion, we will observe them, title them, and allow them to move 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? Perhaps I’ve an excessive amount of on my plate. Then I do know I have to breathe, speak to somebody, or take a step again.
Once 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 unhappiness. As a substitute of labeling it as adverse, I permit it. I ask myself: What’s behind this sense? And I give myself a 10-minute pity occasion if I have to—however then I transfer on.
The very last thing I wish to ask is: In the event you may share one conscious perception that’s helped you deliver Sola to life, or one which’s guiding you in your individual life proper now, what wouldn’t it be?
By means of Sola, I’ve realized that once we really feel that overwhelming imposter syndrome, it usually simply means we’re leveling up.
Once 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 truly been an indication I’m getting into one thing larger.
So now, as a substitute of resisting it, I embrace it. I remind myself: I can do that. I used to be simply supplied one other function in a characteristic movie, and previously, I might 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 will be stunning—since you study, 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, study from it, and don’t choose your self alongside the best way.
