At Klatsch & Klartext

David Scheid on “Dave”, plans & the fear of AI

Interview with actor, DJ and satirist David Scheid.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Eva Manhart)

David Scheid, known to many as "Influencer Dave", was the first to venture into the new, weekly interview format Klatsch & Klartext with ADABEI reporter Maria Eberhöfer and revealed what he is afraid of, what he dreams of and where you can earn the most ...  

"Krone": Tell us, what are you currently working on and what is still to come? 
David Scheid: I'm currently working on my new solo, which premieres in Vienna in October, and I'm still finishing my old program and the "Dave & Jan" show. Then I'll do a bit more filming. And what comes next ... Yes, we'll see what happens.

Die letzten Termine „Dave & Jan – Ein Miststück“ stehen an und es gibt noch Restkarten für die Aufführungen – an jedem Montag im März (10.03., 17.03., 24.03. und 31.03.) im Stadtsaal. 

Aren't you sick of the role of "failed youth reporter Dave"? 
Well, it's a, how should I put it, it's a back and forth. Sometimes I get fed up with it and then it's good again when I can do something else. Working on solos or just scratching around on the turntable for hours, that's relaxing. But it's also rewarding because it's a lot of fun and you get a lot of good feedback. That's why I somehow do myself a favor when I do something with it, because it's simply well received. But of course it's also exhausting to play the fool all the time. And of course I also make sure that I put my feelers out elsewhere so that I don't get stuck in this role forever.

Do you think this role gets in the way of you landing other, more serious-looking roles? 
I believed that for a long time. Then "The Devil's Bath" came along and I thought "Wow", and now I'm getting more and more requests, even for serious and serious roles. And my schedule is kind of tight right now because of the new solo I'm working on. I want to make time for that. That's why I'm leaving a few things out so that I can concentrate on them.

The 42-year-old is more than "just the stumbling reporter from ORF".

(Bild: Eva Manhart)

How did you actually get your role in "Des Teufels Bad"? 
It was a casting request from outside. They wanted to shoot very improvised, with very little predetermined text. And the casting director - shout-out to Henry Steinmetz - then saw Henry Steinmetz's "Dave" and suggested me and said "Look, he can improvise". They then invited me and in the end it actually worked.

What was your initial intention? Was "Dave" just a stepping stone to the big screen, did you actually want to make it as a DJ or what was your plan?
We're currently here at "The Loft", I've played a lot here, but as a DJ you reach your limits at some point. There are 100,000 of them, anyone can buy a controller for €50 and DJ one night, so the competition is tough and there's price dumping. I do enjoy DJing, but my initial intention was actually to become a cabaret artist.

Oh, that's exciting. 
But now I'm already over it again. I think to myself "Well, it's a cool thing, people come to the shows and it's fun", but I wouldn't classify myself as a classic cabaret artist. If you absolutely need a pigeonhole, then maybe that would be it. Then at some point the casting for "Dave" came up and then one thing led to another. That was initially for a section of "Tagespresse Aktuell".

Speaking of "Tagespresse Aktuell": as a public figure, should, may or must you make political statements?
You can, but you don't have to. And whether you should or not is up to you. But if you have a certain reach, then I'm also in favor of drawing attention to things like injustices or inconsistencies. Satire has always been offensive. There's comedy, cabaret, the fun corner, and then there's satire. And it's not that I only want to do political satire, that's relatively dry and gets to you, or rather me, and stresses me out and makes me very uncomfortable. But I do it anyway because it feels like I have to say something about it. And it's also very appropriate, you have to say. Because a lot of things go wrong, and in such strange ways, in such funny ways, that it would often be funny if it weren't so sad.

We met in Vienna at the end of February.

(Bild: Eva Manhart)

How do you actually feel your own celebrity in everyday life?
My life has already changed in that respect. It happens now that people recognize me on the street and there's hardly a day when someone doesn't come up to me. And yes, it's sometimes a bit stressful in private, but on the other hand, people celebrate what I do and I'm happy about it, which is worth a lot. And I'm grateful to them for coming to my shows. Sometimes I just wish I had a bit more composure in the way people approach me. I don't think anyone goes up to Josef Hader and throws their arms around his neck and says "Josef Hader urleiwand kumm her sauf ma ans!" I think that's more likely to happen with me than with him ... So come along. We'll take photos. But stay cool!

Do you have dreams? 
Lots that I won't reveal, and professionally ... I don't see myself doing the same thing my whole life, I get bored relatively quickly. That's why I have lots of ideas in my head and we'll see what happens. Maybe I'll work more behind the camera or write more, maybe a screenplay or a play, I don't know - those are just ideas.

Fortunately, there are lots of opportunities in the industry. Speaking of the industry, you were last seen in "Der Upir", a German series production that I found very amusing. What was the filming like, are there many differences between the German and Austrian way of working?
It's a cliché, but I have to say that while in Austria a lot of things are done very casually, "yes, we'll get there", it at least seemed more structured and clearer there. But of course it makes a difference when you're making a series for such a big client and also that it's private television. Here, I often shoot for public broadcasters with a small team, where everything is more relaxed anyway. The pay is better in Austria.

What are you afraid of? 
I was actually just thinking about artificial intelligence a few days ago and I think it's kind of scary. Not the AI in general, like "help, they're going to take us over", but much more the way it's handled. We're seeing it in America right now, there are people with a really sick lust for power. And when I imagine that huge data packages are collected and then end up in the hands of these companies and their megalomaniac freaks, it scares me, yes.

David Scheid and Maria Eberhöfer at "The Loft".

(Bild: Eva Manhart)

Which date of the whole year are you looking forward to the most? 
The last show before the summer break - both professionally and privately. Because then I know I'll have a long period of peace and quiet again. That doesn't mean that I don't enjoy working and performing, but sometimes it's a lot and then I'm happy to just take a breather when it's foreseeable when things will continue.

And what do you do in this free time for your soul? 
I make sure I get out of the city and if I can't manage that, then I scratch, scratch, scratch on the record player!

Sounds good, thanks for talking to us, David!