Benita Bailey: Family business

As an advocate for intersectional diversity, the Ethiopian-German actress and filmmaker Benita Bailey is dedicated to empowering females and minority narratives. In her latest project, the series ECHT Friends!, she is starring alongside her son Noah. In a joint interview with Discover Germany, Switzerland & Austria, they explain how working together has shaped their relationship, and more.

DISCOVER GERMANY: You are both actors – do you remember the moment you first appeared in front of the camera together?

Noah: “I think the first time we were both in front of the camera together was during the shoot of a classroom scene in ECHT Friends!, so there were a lot of kids. It kind of spread around that my mom played the teacher, and some kids came to me and asked me how it feels. On one hand I was proud to be on set with my mom, both as actors, and on the other hand I was wondering what the others were thinking when mom gave me that occasional wink.”

Benita: “It was a pleasant and warm feeling to be in front of the camera with Noah. It was the first time we played mother and son. Of course, that was very familiar to us and worked very well.”

DISCOVER GERMANY: Noah, you play a leading role in the series ECHT Friends! – and your mom was part of the cast for the first two seasons. Is that more of a team effort or a family affair?

Noah: “I mean, it’s kind of both. I was always marvelling at my mom’s work when it came to acting and I decided that I wanted to do that as well. So, when you zoom out, so to say, and you look at the job as a whole, I would call it a family business, but when you’re in the moment on set, it’s definitely teamwork.”

DISCOVER GERMANY: Benita, what goes through your mind when you watch your son play – as a colleague and as a mother?

Benita: “I enjoy watching him play. He is very natural in front of the camera and doesn’t overthink and that’s a great gift as a mother. I’m definitely proud of him and it fills me with joy that he is excited about something that I’m very passionate about as well and as a colleague, I’m just impressed how seamless he’s doing it.”

DISCOVER GERMANY: Noah, you went to school in Toronto and are now back home in Berlin. How has this change shaped you – as a person and as a young actor?

Noah: “I would say the ‘living both worlds’ type of thing opened my eyes to different perspectives. Mom kept traveling to and from Germany for work, so she wasn’t at home a lot. I did go to a German school in Toronto, but it was still different to Germany, obviously. Living in two different continents gives one a lot of cultural experience, and I learned French as well in Montreal. I’m really happy to bring all this into acting.”

DISCOVER GERMANY: Benita, you’re not just in front of the camera, but you’re also actively shaping structures in the industry – most recently by founding your own production company, JABEZA Films, together with Jane Chirwa. What is your vision – and how does it feel to break new ground as a black, female-owned company?

Benita: “It does feel really good, especially since we both Jane and I grew up in an environment where we didn’t have these role models around us in the industry. It’s important to us that we change the narrative around representation on screen around the topic of empowering others to tell their true stories and also about working and creating with care.”

DISCOVER GERMANY: There are already three artists in your family – mom is an actress, dad is a musician, and Noah is on his way to becoming both? Are there artistic Sundays or is it sometimes just ‘snack time instead of stage’ at home?

Noah: “Yes, I really liked jamming with my dad on the drums as a little kid and we used to have jam Sundays back in Germany where we would invite friends over and play music. In Toronto I took percussion lessons and was part of a band and an orchestra in the royal conservatory of music. During this time, I learned a lot about playing music in ensembles. Now, I play the drums and the ukulele, and I like improvising on the piano. I am still unsure if i want to do this professionally, but I enjoy doing both acting and music.”

DISCOVER GERMANY: Noah, you’ve done voice acting, film acting, and are regularly on set. What do you enjoy most – and what’s the most challenging part?

Noah: “My favourite part of being on set is the community. I like chatting with the crew and the actors, getting to know how everything works, and I always make sure that I learn everybody’s names right away. Something that is very frustrating is when something funny happens right before we shoot, because then it is quite hard for me to get it out of my head. So when we shoot, I start laughing and we need to do it again. And when I’m working on pulling myself together, I forget my lines. Although I’ve been improving, I still have the fear of this happening at every shoot.”

DISCOVER GERMANY: Benita, you also advocate for visibility behind the camera and politically – how important is that to you for Noah’s generation?

Benita: “It’s very important to me. I feel that if you have the opportunity to tell your stories – and with that, you’re given a stage or a screen to reach many people – you also carry a responsibility. Becoming a mother marked the beginning of my journey toward being a role model, at least to one person. So yes, if there’s one thing I want to pass on to Noah in this life, it’s that he uses the power he’s been given responsibly, thinking of the community, of others, and of the consequences of his actions.”   DISCOVER GERMANY: If you had to describe each other in three words – what would they be?

Noah: “Loving. Dedicated. Deep.”

Benita: “Curious. Playful. Empathetic.”

DISCOVER GERMANY: And last but not least: What do you wish for each other for the next five years – on and off stage?

Noah: “I wish my mom a lead role in an action movie, or generally a Hollywood movie, an Oscar, and more time to chillax.”

Benita: “I wish for Noah to find something he’s truly passionate about and to grow into a well-rounded, healthy human being who makes solid choices for himself and for the people and environment he’s responsible for. Above all, what matters most to me is that he always knows he is loved and not alone.”