Deutschland ’86 star has been tapped to lead Netflix’s The Last Word.
The six-part German-language series will see Engelke as a funeral eulogy speaker who loses faith in her work and loses control over her family. When she realizes she can’t let go, she starts to sabotage her own husband’s funeral — until she finds the right words.
“I am very much looking forward to The Last Word and this work and journey with Netflix, Pantaleon, the wonderful director Aron Lehmann, the fantastic screenplay and amazing colleagues,” Engelke said in a statement. “Just like in real life, drama and humor are clashing constantly. Family and relationships, loss and grief, life and death, the absurdities of life, the rediscovery of strength and lust for life, it is all in there — so beautiful it makes you cry.”
The series, based on an idea from Thorsten Merten, was penned by Aron Lehmann, who is also directing and serving as showrunner.
A rep for Netflix added, “Together with the wonderful showrunner and director Aron Lehmann and his project The last word we have the chance to shed new light on Anke Engelke’s versatility as an actress and present this German megastar to a global audience.”
