Hans-Joachim Heist stars in new ZDFneo comedy ‘Die Abräumer’

Actor Hans-Joachim Heist, widely recognized for his role as the choleric Gernot Hassknecht on the satire program ‘heute-show’, will showcase a different side of his acting in the ZDFneo comedy ‘Die Abräumer’.

In the film, Heist plays Freddy, a lovable loner and regular at a bowling alley. The plot follows Karo, a former bowling talent, who must assemble a team to compete in a tournament to save her family's bowling alley from financial ruin.

Heist addressed concerns regarding his intense performance style in ‘heute-show’, noting that some viewers feared his high-energy character might cause him health issues like a heart attack. He clarified that he treats the role like an athlete, using a controlled ‘switch’ to raise and lower his pulse and blood pressure, and confirmed that medical check-ups have shown him to be in good health.