In a game of Russian roulette between life and death, a couple confronts the fading echoes of the love they once shared. What was once vibrant now flickers like a dying star—fragile, fleeting, and powerless against the pull of inevitable endings. ‘Love is a Gamble’ is a surreal and haunting editorial that navigates the fragile boundary between love, fate, and mortality.
Fate rarely makes itself known. Sometimes it feels more like a prophecy – cosmic and unavoidable – slipping through the side door disguised as coincidence, wrapped in chaos. Other times, it lurks within calculated choices that shape everything. For Richard Harmon, fate didn’t arrive with a grand reveal, but in quieter moments: a childhood sleepover movie, a lifelong love of horror, and a steady pull toward characters who live in the grey.
Now starring in ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’, he’s reshaping the mythology of fate with wit, depth, and a technical sharpness that anchors even the wildest plot twists. Behind the scenes, Richard is far from the intense antiheroes he so often plays. Raised by filmmakers, he learned early on that being a good actor isn’t just about performance – it’s what happens between takes.
In conversation with Schön!, Richard Harmon takes us behind the scenes of ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’, building confidence, and the value of being a crew cast member.
Congratulations on ‘Final Destination’! A huge franchise with a serious cult following. What drew you to the project?
I was part of that cult. I saw the second one when I was 11 at a sleepover, after that, I went backwards and watched them consecutively. I’m a horror movie fan, and a huge fan of ‘Final Destination’. In a weird way, it sort of makes light of death — you root for death for an hour and a half, which we never do because it’s the thing we fear the most. So, in making a fun franchise serious, I think that’s why it works.
As a horror fan, how did it compare being an actor versus the audience?
It’s the best because I know what I would want to see out of certain types of horror movies. Being a part of actually making a horror movie, I’ve made so many over my career now. It seems like some sort of magnetic pull between me and loving horror movies. Maybe my auditions are better when I’m doing a horror because they always seem to cast me. Maybe it’s just my face. I have no idea. But for some reason, we keep coming back together, which I have no problem with.
full look. Zadig & Voltaire
opposite
suit set. H&M Studio
shirt. ORTTU
ring. Sterling Forever
‘Final Destination’ is all about fate and trying to outrun it. What’s your take on fate?
I believe we make our own fate. That might be my Catholic upbringing, but I don’t want to sit here and think that everything laid out in front of us is already fated to be done. Why would we try to do anything then? We’ll just be lulled into a sense of, I guess, whatever the universe has in mind. We all wake up every morning in the centre of the universe, I think. From our own set of eyes, we see what we see, and we perceive the world in our own way. And I think only you can kinda make what you want out of your life. And then, you know, death will get you when it gets you. [Laughs]
Like life, the movies have these crazy plot twists, and your character was part of quite a few. I found you played Erik Campbell quite differently after each twist. Was that intentional?
That’s a good catch. I think after the first one in the tattoo parlour, Erik’s still under the impression that none of it is real. How could it be? It’s not part of our reality that death could be doing this just because you can’t cheat it. I think Erik thinks this is just a wild coincidence. He’s also grieving from the loss of his father, whom he loved very much, and then he almost gets hit by a truck. At this point, it was actually a really good point that the directors made to me, that he’s probably manic. That Erik’s like, “Maybe I’m invincible,” so he gets that into his head. From then on, he really believes there’s no possible way death could get him until death gets him.
full look. H&M Studio
shoes. Marc Nolan
jewellery. Sterling Forever
socks. Wax London
Did you have any theories on how you were going to die before you got the script?
I had zero idea. My audition was the scene leading up to my death, of me trying to convince my little brother to eat a peanut butter cup. Which, when I was talking to my little brother, I thought he was, like, a 12-year-old when I auditioned, and maybe that added something to the scene — I was unaware that Bobby was also an adult. I had no clue that was, in fact, the scene where I would die.
I read the script as if I were watching a ‘Final Destination’ movie. I kept hoping I would make it further and further, then thought, “Wow, this is incredible, how far I’ve made it.” And right when I thought that, I died. But I think I would have been disappointed if I made it out alive. No actor wants to come into ‘Final Destination’ thinking they’ll make it out. You want to die. You want to die horrifically because that’s your imprint on the franchise. And I think I made a pretty darn good one.
Truly a fantastic way to go. Huge spoiler, but you had a near-death death, then the final one where you had all of the metal extracted from you. Just seeing that there were more than the standard piercings was quite comedic.
That was actually my idea. It was in the script that I got my earrings ripped out, my nose ripped out, and my nipples ripped out. Two days before we filmed that scene, I came up to Zach and Adam, our directors, and I said, “Looking at my character, I don’t think he would have stopped.” And they said, “We had a similar thought a couple of days ago. You wanna do it? You wouldn’t be embarrassed?”
I should be embarrassed by death — it’s ‘Final Destination’. I didn’t know if they were gonna do it or not when I showed up on that day. Danny, one of my friends in the wardrobe, came up to me and said, “Come here, we gotta go to the bathroom.” They had a fishing line with a little ball that they put through my jeans. So all it is, is Danny standing behind the camera pulling the line, which makes the impression that the jeans are being stretched by, well, something else.
Something else that made me laugh was at the tattoo parlour where you switch from heavy metal to more mellow, moody music. Which mood is more like you?
Erik’s ‘Sad Mix’ is definitely more me. I respect the heck out of metal, I think it’s impressive music, though it’s never really been my style. I like everything, but I’m a blues and jazz guy myself if I had to choose. I love folk. That’s why I loved ‘Sinners’ so much, there were two of my favourite types of music — blues and Irish folk. I just wanna go on the record and state there’s not a single evil thing about Irish folk.
It’s interesting hearing that you love folk so much, considering you’ve played quite a few antiheroes. Do you gravitate to those roles because they’re perhaps more villainous in nature, or is it something else? The challenge, the director, the script?
That’s a great question. ‘Final Destination’ was an actual dream of mine to be able to do that. If I got to, I would have chosen ‘Final Destination.’ That’s not true for every one of the roles I’ve ever played, but I love every single thing I’ve ever done. Truly. Except for maybe me with the streaky blonde hair, while I don’t say anything in ‘Percy Jackson’, but that’s not here or there. I just didn’t speak.
These antiheroes that you speak of, again, it might be my face. I have a little bit of a rougher look. My mum and dad are angels. I don’t know how they made me. But the things I do sometimes can come off as comical, which can levity someone who’s not exactly a hero. If you are villainous, but you want to make him an antihero, probably the shortest way to do that is comedy. I do have the capability of doing comedy, I think. I like making people laugh. Whatever it is, I’ll say this:
Whether it be John Murphy on ‘The 100’, or Erik Campbell in ‘Final Destination’, or this villain I played in ‘Van Helsing’, I love playing these villains, these antiheroes. Heroes are the ones with morality. You have to check in before you do anything if you’re playing a hero because they wouldn’t do most things. They’re like, “Oh, there’s no way they would do that, they’re such a kind person.” As an antihero or as a villain, you never need to check in with yourself before. You let yourself do something because why wouldn’t they do it? And to me, as an actor, that’s the most fun character to get to play. I hope they keep casting me as this type of thing.
full look. H&M Studio
opposite
jacket + trousers. Rhyan Rhyse
Yes, your characters have been quite unpredictable at times, intense, sometimes a bit dark. How do you stay grounded when living with those characters for a while?
Oh, I’m a guy who leaves work at work. I’m sure there are probably method actors that don’t, but I leave a character the second you call cut. I’m just there to have fun. My job is the most fun thing in the world to me. I’m there to make sure everyone else around me is having fun. I’m certainly not in the middle of a scene playing a villain, making the other actors scared. They know they’re safe. I know they’re safe. We all know we’re all safe.
That’s one of the most important things about working on a film. Even when it’s not a villainous storyline, film sets can be dangerous places. There’s a lot of heavy stuff moving around. There are a lot of egos. Making sure everyone knows everyone else is safe is one of the most important things. A great run film set, which doesn’t start with me, it starts with other people — your directors, your first AD, everyone — a safe film set, which ‘Final Destination’ undoubtedly was, is not a rarity, but it’s an important thing. It’s something that should be applauded. They had that on ‘Final Destination’.
I also wanted to say, just quickly going back to your perhaps ‘rougher face’, I don’t know if you’ve seen, but you’ve got a huge fan base that make these drool-worthy compilations of you.
We got a lot of sickos out there. No, I love it, I’m so happy there are people out there — I hear you, and you’re appreciated. It’s amazing to have people behind me who have enjoyed me for not just one show but in many different roles, and have stuck with me, supported me. It’s an incredible feeling. I’ve been doing this for twenty-four years, and it certainly wasn’t always like that, albeit I was a kid. To have that feeling and to be supported, it’s pretty awesome. I live a pretty surreal life. Again, I don’t think I’m on that A-List, but to me, I’m living it. I’ve been on a seven-time victory lap as far as I’m concerned.
Has knowing that you have this huge fan base behind you, that energy, changed how you see your work?
That’s a good point. I don’t even know if I realised that, but I would have to say yes.
I don’t think that it has had no effect. In probably the last seven years, I think I’ve gotten a lot more bold. I used to just do whatever the script says. Now I first do whatever I feel, and then they can rein me in, which leads to a lot of fun things that get left in the script that weren’t there. They can also tell you, “Rein it in, we need it to be more on script,” and we can do that, too. I’m sure it probably has more to do with me being more comfortable and confident in myself. Also, the choices I’ve been making have led to people enjoying my work and [creating] that following you speak of. That undoubtedly leads to more confidence — that what I’ve been doing has been working because people seem to like it.
I’m glad that people have been, from what I’ve seen, enjoying Erik because it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had playing anything. A big part of that is to do with the amazing set they created, Craig and Sheila, Zach and Adam, everyone, and the rest of my cast, who are across the board, the nicest cast I’ve ever worked with. I’ve been lucky enough to work with plenty of amazing people over the years, but there was not a single problem with any person on this cast. They were incredible. I was literally texting them. We have a group chat together, ‘The Final Dipshits’.
Love the name. Have any standout moments or lessons from set stuck with you?
Oh, god. It’s endless. You need to learn from every single actor put opposite you. Thankfully, most of them have been good lessons, but you learn just as many lessons from the bad actors as you do from the good ones — and I don’t even mean bad actors as in that guy’s a hack. He’s got no talent. I really don’t mean that. That would be rude because everyone’s just trying to get better. I mean bad as in, you treat people like shit, and I’m not going to do that in my career. You learn those lessons real fast.
I learned a lot from Michael Eklund, who’s like my big brother. We worked together when I was 19, and we’ve been friends since. I’ve had that a million times with William Miller and JR Bourne and all these dudes who were on ‘The 100’ with me. Usually, the villains, I learned more from them. Adina Porter on ‘The 100’ — you wanna know what a boss looks like as an actor? That woman’s it. She’s become a friend of mine. That’s the great thing about acting is the people that you learn from, a lot of the time, can be around you in life afterwards.
I’ve been lucky enough to fill my life with people I look up to and lucky enough for them to return that sentiment and say that they look up to me, which to me is a wild thing. I’m not saying that any of the people I just named have ever said they look up to me [laughs].
I’m sure they do — you’ve talked about technical acting before, being situationally aware and connected with the crew makes a whole world of difference.
Technical acting to me is the most important because, at the end of the day, you get in there after the crew does, and you go home before the crew does. These people have families. I grew up with crew members. My dad was a first AD when I was young; he’s now a director. My mom was the same thing, a producer. You’d never get to see them growing up. So, as an actor, I think your job is just to get the crew home to their family. Don’t waste anyone’s time. Don’t stay in your trailer for an extra second after they tell you they need you. Be where you need to be when they call you. Be ready to say your lines. Get this day done and send people back to their kids, because that affected me when I was a kid.
jacket. Rhyan Rhyse
opposite
full look. Zadig & Voltaire
That’s so refreshing to hear. You have a lot of empathy.
I hope so. You do it for the crew. My mum and dad taught me that when I was young. They said, “It’s better to be a part of the crew than it is to be a part of the cast.” So be part of the cast that’s a part of the crew. If you gain their respect on the crew, then you’ve done your job. If the crew is just placating you because they feel like they have to, then you haven’t done your job, no matter how good you were in the scene. You need to be a part of the crew, to have their acceptance somehow, and that can take time. Show up early, shake everyone’s hands. Yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, ma’am. No, ma’am. That’s it. Those were the four things my parents taught me to say when I was a kid.
Really good advice for people who are getting into acting. You don’t hear this side from actors and actresses enough, how much the crew really does play a huge role.
Literally, they’ll make your entire scene. You think you’re the one making your scene because you dropped that tear at the right moment, then the crew’s like, “Did you notice you were a foot in front of your mark? None of that’s usable.” If you’re good with that and you’re good with communicating with the crew, then they’ll steal you scenes from places that aren’t your take. If the camera’s looking at this person and they’re leaving, I’ll just dawdle over to react, and I’m in their shot. If I’m friends with that cameraman, they’re going to follow. If I’m friends with the focus puller, they’re gonna pull focus. And then look at that, I got an entirely extra shot that nobody else planned for and nobody else wanted. And then, editors, I love you. I’ve done horrible jobs in scenes, then I’ll look at the scene and be like, “How the hell did they pull that off? Or, wow, that was a great scene. I don’t know how the editor did that.”
So you mentioned that you leave work at work. What do you do outside of set? Any hobbies? Obsessions?
Well, here’s the thing. I leave work at work, but then have a couple of beers with some of the people after work. Then I love watching movies, honestly, I try to watch two a day. I think I’ve seen over 200 movies this year so far, which is actually low compared to last year, but I’ve been working and stuff, which is good. I’d rather be working than watching movies.
I also love golf, love to cook. I love cooking with my girlfriend. We do it together and enjoy beautiful meals. We’ve gotten pretty good at it. I just like hanging out with my friends and family. I think just spend all the time in the world you can with the people you love. That’s my hobby. That’s it. That’s all I need.
‘Final Destination’ is all about unexpected turns. So, looking back at your own journey, what’s one twist you didn’t see coming but are now grateful for? And what’s next?
I mean, I can get mushy with it. That a dear friend of mine for ten years became the love of my life. I’m shooting something right now, I’m not allowed to say what it is yet, but I’m very excited. It’s a great script, and has a bit of a connection to my father’s life. It’s a period piece. Other than that, I’m just gonna keep enjoying my time.
full look. H&M Studio
shoes. Marc Nolan
jewellery. Sterling Forever
socks. Wax London
Final Destination: Bloodlines is in theatres now and is available on digital now.
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Brenda wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
This short film, part of the fashion editorial Just Us, is an exploration of the relationship between Black youth, their hair, and its connection to their identity. Shot by director and photographer Tricia Turner in a style that is quiet, contemplative, and straightforward, Just Us offers an intimate and honest portrayal of its subjects. The project exists to give them space to express themselves on their own terms and in their own words, blending fashion and storytelling to celebrate individuality and cultural heritage.
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Alex wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Justin wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Justin wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Monica wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Adol wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Seynabou wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Justin wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Adol wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Theresa wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Alex wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Monica wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Justin wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Theresa wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Alex wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Anne Ratte Polle is no stranger to roles that ripple beneath the surface. The celebrated German actress has spent years embodying characters who navigate the undercurrents of human experience—whether in the precision of her theater work or the visceral realism of her screen performances. In ‘BLINDGÄNGER,’ she dives deeper than ever before, portraying Lane, a bomb disposal expert whose work is equal parts physical risk and emotional fallout. “She is so tough, funny, free, and unfree at the same time,” Ratte-Polle tells Schön! “I had never played a woman like her.”
In ‘BLINDGÄNGER’, directed with searing sensitivity by Kerstin Polte, Lane navigates two days in which the lines between inner trauma and outward danger collapse. A woman trained to defuse literal explosives, Lane is also burdened with emotional shrapnel passed down through generations. “She’s inheriting the ‘inner bomb’ of her mother,” Ratte-Polle says, reflecting on the script’s generational themes. “That hit very close to home. My own parents were war children. I realized I was carrying similar feelings.”
Known for dissolving the barrier between performance and truth, Ratte-Polle delivers a tour-de-force here that radiates beyond the screen. On a set powered by 80% FLINTA* crew, ‘BLINDGÄNGER’ becomes not just a film about emotional resilience but it becomes a space where lived experience, collective trust, and unflinching storytelling coalesce. Ratte-Polle’s preparation for the role was intense, even transformative. From shadowing real-life bomb disposal experts in Hamburg to stepping into queer spaces Lane finds solace in, she inhabited the character with a fluidity she describes as “like a dolphin—liquid, bisexual.” That physical and psychological immersion paid off in two harrowing panic attack scenes, which pushed the actress into unfamiliar territory.
Can you tell us who your character is in ‘BLINDGÄNGER’, and what drew you to her?
I was totally thrilled by the character Lane. She is a bomb disposal expert. There is currently no woman in Germany holding this job. On one side, she is very cool; on the other, super sensitive. I had never played a woman like her. She was so tough, funny, free, and unfree at the same time. It was a big pleasure to feel her, especially to come into her body. She seemed to me very liquid, bisexual, like a dolphin.
What was your initial reaction when you read the script? Did anything surprise or challenge you?
My initial reaction was to be very happy to have such a brilliant and complex script in my hands. And I was surprised, especially about my character’s story with her mother. Somehow, Lane is inheriting the ‚inner bomb’ of her mother. It was reminding me of my relationship with my parents. Like Lane’s mother, they were war children too, and I discovered and explored somehow my own ‘inner bomb.’
Was there a particular scene or moment that felt especially emotionally demanding or transformative for you?
Yes, of course, the two scenes with the panic attack. I‘ve heard a lot of these panic attacks from friends, but fortunately, I have never had such an experience. In the first panic scene, the director Kerstin Polte lent me in a very sensitive way. I don’t think I ever felt so vulnerable, open, and anxious in a movie before.
The second panic attack in the movie was very demanding because it was a long scene, a rainy and stormy night shot, and everything was done by machines. There was a lot of set pressure, and I had to play the scene alone, without my colleague. At one moment right before the shooting, a real bomb disposal expert of Hamburg, with whom I did my research for my character, was standing at my side, taking his arm around me and whispering, ‚I am with you.‘
At this moment, I knew I didn‘t have to imagine anything; I could only take his energy and feelings, because this was real. It‘s an everyday situation for him. I truly felt him on my side during this scene.
Lane is a bomb disposal expert facing literal and emotional explosives. How did you approach playing such a layered and high-stakes character?
I did a lot of research about bomb disposals, and I confronted myself, as I said, with my ‘inner bomb.’ Exploring and feeling my deep anxiousness and demons in a way. And I went to gay bars and clubs, because this is Lane’s place for relaxing and feeling alive. As a bomb disposal expert, she is living next door to death. So Lane looks for the contrary in dancing, partying, and having love affairs.
cape. Unvain Studios
shoes. Ann Demeulemeester
tights. Falke
suit + sunglasses. Unvain Studios
opposite
top. MM6 Maison Margiela
skirt. Rundholz
shoes. Ann Demeulemeester
tights. Falke
How did you prepare for this role, emotionally, mentally, or physically?
All three parts belong together. I did a lot of sport, especially yoga, to energize my body and to wind down and calm my nervous system in the evening. This character was mentally very demanding for me, because the movie is about two days in Lane’s life, where she has severe panic attacks. But the shooting time was a month, so I had to keep this energy for a long time.
Were there any unexpected discoveries you made about your character — or yourself — during the shoot?
I recognized that I have more anxiety inside myself than I had expected. You always see your life through your own view. You think this is normal, and everybody feels like this. If you don‘t need to make new experiences, you prefer to stay in your comfort zone. But what if you change your perspective and see from the other side of your comfort zone that your life could be much calmer and more fulfilled? Only by seeing it with another inner attitude? I think it’s one of the main essences of the movie, and I went through a similar process during the shooting, too.
Lane’s relationship with her mother, Margit, is emotionally charged and rooted in generational trauma. What was it like portraying that dynamic?
It reminds me of my parents, as I said before, because they were children of war, too. They were lucky because they never had to suffer hunger or lose their home. But they weren‘t talking a lot of this time, only about how worthy chocolate or healthy food is. They had a modest life and cared a lot for us, children, so that we could go through life safely. There is a book called War Grandchildren – the heirs of a forgotten generation. I read it before the shooting, and it opened my eyes. If a trauma isn‘t processed, it‘s passed on from generation to generation. I noticed that I have similar feelings that are typical for war grandchildren. And I realized that my life could be much calmer.
Did you spend any time researching bomb disposal or PTSD to ground your performance? What was most surprising in that process?
Yes, I did a lot of research at the bomb disposal service in Hamburg. They were very kind and open, and gave me an insight into their lives through this profession. I was surprised by their high energy level. They never have real holidays or weekends, because bombs can be found every day and night, and usually they have a call for a bomb two times a week, five bombs in a month a real bombs. At the same time, they are very sensitive and kind to each other. They have to trust each other. It’s a life very close to death. One of them told me that he said goodbye to this family when leaving the house as if it were the last time. Every day, for 35 years, he had been in this job.
Director Kerstin Polte brings emotional resilience and human connection into focus. How did that vision shape your experience on set?
There were 80 % FLINTA* on set. I think it’s quite special in the film business. It was an easy and sensitive way of working and communicating. Even if the work was very tough, because with less money you have less time. So you have to work quickly and intensively.
Was there a moment during filming that hit you emotionally in a way you didn’t expect?
Yes, as I said, both scenes with panic attacks were very demanding for me. And the way I was supported by Kerstin Polte, and by the bomb disposal expert, especially hit me: I really could dive into my inner self during these scenes, because I felt a big protective connection to them.
The film features a beautifully diverse ensemble cast. What was it like working in such a multi-layered narrative structure with intersecting stories?
It was similar to real life, where you live with different people in the same house or street – know each other, but not really. We were shooting parallel, in joint scenes or isolated. Everyone had their own story, so everybody was important for the movie. There was nearly no hierarchy among the actors.
What do you hope people take away from the film?
I hope that people can take away an energizing experience of a deep connection and a peaceful feeling with themselves and others, whether near or far.
