"It never gets better" Senta Berger talks about the death of her husband Michael Verhoeven
"Every loss is cruel all over again": Senta Berger talks about the death of her husband. The 85-year-old is currently nominated for the German Film Award for her role in the movie "Ach, diese Lücke, diese entsetzliche Lücke".
24.05.2026, 21:24
24.05.2026, 21:25
dpa
Actress Senta Berger has always found her profession humiliating.
"Every time you do screen tests and then someone else is chosen for a role, it hurts. Why this one or that one, why am I not worth anything? You can't be calm about it. You feel helpless," she told Stern magazine.
The 85-year-old is currently nominated for the German Film Award for Best Female Lead for her role in the film "Ach, diese Lücke, diese horrendous Lücke", directed by Berger's son Simon Verhoeven.
Berger: "Don't get your hopes up, it never gets better"
The film also deals with death - a topic that affects Senta Berger directly. Her husband, director Michael Verhoeven, died in 2024.
One scene in the film, in which a coffin is carried out of the house, was shot with caution by her son. He took her by the hand and said: "We have to get through this now, even if it's difficult."
Asked about the deaths of her husband Michael Verhoeven and her longtime friend and film partner Mario Adorf, Senta Berger tells Stern:
"Don't get your hopes up at all, it never gets better, every death of a loved one is cruel all over again. You never get used to it."
