It’s a pleasure to meet a fellow performer and coach—especially on this Sankt Hans day, the Danish midsummer tradition of fire… and, true to form, a little rain!
I was drawn to speak with you because of our shared
passion: the intersection of acting, coaching, and psychology. But to begin, the obvious – what brought you to the glory of Denmark?
Yes! I was born in Stuttgart, studied acting in Berlin, but I discovered Denmark by chance while shooting a commercial at a beach here.
I instantly fell in love with the place—the calm, the quality of life, the culture. Not long after, I made my first short film here, and I eventually decided to move.
Denmark has since become a constant source of inspiration and support. And as an Austrian German, it’s been really enriching to learn Danish and immerse myself in a new culture.
Let’s talk about your journey into acting and coaching. What first inspired you to explore these paths?
It actually began during my final year of acting school in Berlin. I wasn’t planning to become a coach, but I reached a point where I felt emotionally stuck within the acting.
My teachers said I wasn’t performing at the level they believed I potentially could, and though I
couldn’t quite see it then, I later understood it was
emotional—something deeper was blocked.
So I looked outside the school system for support and found an online coaching platform based in New
York. It offered a range of specializations—emotional intelligence, trauma, etc.
I picked a coach and committed to working with them for a year. That decision truly changed my life.
Who was the coach, and what kind of work did you do with them?
His name is Peter Sabbeth — an architect and coach based in New York. His approach helped unlock something that had been closed off in me for a long time. Emotionally, creatively, even spiritually.
I gained access to a new level of vulnerability—and clarity.
A revelation perhaps?
Yes. Peter told me that he believed I had the potential to become a coach myself. That I had a natural talent for it. I took those words to heart.
Before acting, I had actually studied and worked as a journalist, so coaching felt like a return to deep listening and holding space for stories—only now more personal and transformative.
What began as self-guidance has now become guidance for others.
So now, you work professionally as a coach alongside your acting?
Exactly. I currently coach over 20 mostly acting clients, focusing on personalized, one-on-one sessions.
I also do career coaching for actors—helping them take charge of their careers through action-based
work: building habits, networking, attending festivals, creating their own work. It’s all about shifting from passively waiting to actively creating.
Let’s go back to your acting training. Where did you study?
I studied at Berlin Chekhov Studio in Berlin and graduated in 2021. It was an incredibly formative and intense period. The training was rigorous, and it really shaped how I approach both stage and screen
work.
That is great school and one of the main State approved acting educations. And led by the brilliant Jobst Langhans. I know him from the exchanges we made between that school and the school I led here.
Yes, the education was amazing, and he was a very inspirational leader.
Since graduating, how have you developed your artistic voice?
Work, work, and more work. The first year out of school was nonstop.
Despite the pandemic I was fully booked and loved every second of it. I felt like a testing ground: What can I do with this body and voice I’ve trained? How far can I stretch emotionally, physically, artistically?
There was a lot of theatre!
And yet, you shifted your focus more toward film?
Yes. I realized I had to make a choice, and I let go of theatre to fully commit to film and television. I love the intimacy of the camera. And I especially love deep character work—roles where the character transforms over time.
That kind of transformation, when you’re truly wearing the character like a second skin, is the highest form of acting to me.
Can you give an example of a role that challenged or transformed you?
Absolutely. In a recent Danish film, ‘Moder’, I played ‘Christine’, the lead role who of the mother who suffered from severe postpartum depression. I went very deeply into that role and it was by far the most
mentally demanding role I’ve taken on.
It was directed by Tara Salas and featured Sofie Lassen-Kahlke, and has been selected for the Odense Film Festival.
That is a quite a dark role. Is that type of character you are typically cast in?
Interestingly, I often get cast as characters with darker emotional layers—even though I have freckles and red hair, which people associate with more “light” roles.
I’ve played endless roles from a model to an FBI agent to a stalker, an abuse survivor, and now this depressed mother. Those who have cast me seem to have picked up on something deeper in me—a capacity to go to emotionally complex places.
You also write and direct your own films. What is your process when beginning a new work?
It usually begins with vivid memories—especially from my childhood.
These scenes play in my mind like little movies, and I feel the need to put them on screen. Over time, I’ve become deeply interested in the idea of filmmaking as a healing process—not just for the audience, but for
the cast and crew as well.
I’m also fascinated by the practical side: How do we make beautiful films with no money? How do we secure sponsorship? It becomes both an artistic and logistical adventure.
Do you follow certain rituals or is it more an intuitive paths?
My creative process is intuitive, but always anchored in big research questions. I usually begin by asking: How can we create emotionally and logistically sustainable sets? How can we build environments where people grow—not just perform?
It’s less about having a fixed ritual and more about starting with the right question to guide the entire process.
What are you working on at the moment?
Two main projects. First, a period film called, ‘Ma Demi Soeur’, set in the 1780s. We’ll be shooting in a castle near Paris.
It tells the story of two illegitimate daughters being forced into marriage. But beneath that, it’s a symbolic resistance against patriarchal systems—a political
allegory with emotional grounding.
The second is a reimagining of Anton Chekhov’s “Swan Song” with the main roles played by women. It is a theatre piece about a former star turned
alcoholic, and the other character fascinated by the star’s faded glory.
It explores fame, aging, and the emotional weight of “what happens after the break with celebrity.” We’re currently in the funding stage and hope to premiere by the end of the year.
And what is it you like so much about Denmark?
Denmark feels like a small circle. People know each other, and everything is nearby. There’s also this beautiful balance between work and life—between art and nature. It feels like a retreat, and the sea is always close.
I’ve really come to love it and appreciate being here a
lot.
And Finally…You seem to be in a period of professional expansion. How does a ‘Lisa Riesner’ relax?
Other than work? I love to read and spend time in nature or by the sea. I love to drink coffee and have a carrot cake with it!
I am very grateful for a simple life! I adore walking barefoot, beach walks, and time with my family.
