Interview

“I will never leave Austria completely”

(Bild: Starpix / A. Tuma)

After his cinema success "Greece", Thomas Stipsits is now promoting his second home country. In the "Krone" talk, the audience favorite spoke about freedom, obligations and what his perfect last day of vacation would look like...

Don't be surprised if Thomas Stipsits smiles at you from everywhere over the next few days or if you hear him on the radio more often. The author, cabaret artist and actor has now joined the ranks of advertising faces. As a testimonial for Billa Reisen, Stipsits is supposed to whet your appetite for the sea. An obvious choice, not only because he made one of the most successful films in local cinema history last year with "Greece" - sponsored by Billa Reisen - but also because the public's favorite has found his second home on the island of Karpathos.

"Krone": When was your last vacation?

Thomas Stipsits: I was in Greece with my children during the fall vacations.

How was it?

I think the sea embodies this feeling of freedom and I never get bored when I look at the sea. It has this threat, it can't be controlled, it's this constant movement.

When did you first feel this sense of freedom?

In the beginning, it was the classic trip to Lignano with my parents - the great freedom. Dad thought he was clever and we set off at three in the morning so we wouldn't have any traffic - thousands of others thought the same. Back then as a child, it was sensational to see the sea for the first time. And then came Greece. It was love at first sight. The best time I had there was when I was 20, when I also met my best friend, Ilias. We slept on the beach for weeks and went out on the boat almost every evening to fish for calamari. Often not even to catch anything, but more for the atmosphere. And that's when I learned that if you really like someone, you can - well, with a friend you can keep quiet and still communicate. That may sound very romantic and romanticized, but the truth is: what do you actually need? Back then, I had two swimming trunks, a toothbrush, a towel, my guitar and a writing pad with me. And we never got bored.

Stipsits during the recording of the radio spots.

(Bild: Billa Reisen/I. Pertramer)

What does traveling mean to you today?

First and foremost, giving up commitments. People go on vacation in different ways. Some want to see as much as possible while they're on the road. I tend to be someone who doesn't make any plans on vacation. I think it's great to have the luxury of not having to do anything. I'm a live-in-the-day kind of person. And Greece in particular is a country where plans can change very quickly. That's why it's good if you don't have any plans. If you approach people openly, something will automatically come up that you can do. You can leave that rucksack of worries that everyone carries with them at home. Just do nothing - doing nothing is also an action. And one of the luxuries of my job is that I can take these times off. I always come back to Austria with a rucksack full of Mediterranean lifestyle. I often want to have the serenity that these people have there.

What do you have to leave at home to get closer to this serenity?

I try to leave my cell phone at home, but that doesn't always work. It could be Hollywood calling - or Billa Reisen. But I've gotten better at it and often turn my cell phone off. But the one thing I can't have is stress. I'm often there alone and have now learned that when I arrive, I'm immediately downstairs.

Is there a ritual when you arrive?

My best friend, Ilias, always picks me up from the airport. Then we drive to my place, sit on the terrace, drink a beer and look out to sea.

The finished result of the campaign with Stipsits.

(Bild: Billa Reisen/I. Pertramer)

As S.T.S. sang so beautifully: "Und irgendwann bleib I dann durt" - would that be an option?

I will never leave Austria completely, but I already have a plan for myself. I'm over 40 now, I've been working hard for 25 years and I've paid a price for all that work. I can well imagine doing it like Gert Steinbäcker, who is a dear friend of mine. When they were 50, S.T.S. only played a small tour every two years and took many steps back. I can see that for myself too, because 50 is not an age, but when I think I'm 50 and then, if things go well, I still have 25 summers left. That doesn't sound like much anymore. So I think I'll be spending a lot of my time there because I love island life.

And what would the perfect last day of your vacation look like?

I would sit on the beach with my guitar. And if I can be really cheeky, I'd wish for a sunset. That would be wonderful.