The "Verbotene Liebe" couple Christian Mann (Thore Schölermann) and Oliver Sabel (Jo Weil) are also causing a stir abroad. Now "Chrolli" - as fans like to affectionately combine the two role names - has travelled to New York. And something came out of it for a good cause.
Events in Canada and interviews in Italy and England were followed by the international fan meeting "Gays of our lives" in New York. At the beginning of April, Jo and Thore appeared in front of fans there together with their colleagues from the RTL soaps "Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten" and "Alles was zählt", who also mimic homosexuals. Stars such as Hal Sparks ("Queer as Folk"), Gregory Michael ("Dante's Cove") and Nicholas Rodriguez ("One Life to Live") were also there.
The event brings fans together with their favourite actors who play homosexuals in well-known TV series. It combines meet & greets and parties with a commitment to a good cause: all profits go to the Cologne AIDS service organisation and the American "Trevor Project". Two weeks after the end of the meeting, the accounts were still not complete, but at least a four-figure sum had already been promised to the Cologne AIDS organisation.
Jo and Thore actually receive letters and emails from all over the world. Even parcels with the most exotic postmarks end up in their wardrobe: fans send cuddly toys from New Zealand, T-shirts from America and even an iPod from Singapore.
The fan scene outside Germany obtains the latest episodes of the series via online file-sharing platforms, including the provision of subtitles that can be superimposed on the picture using a video player on the computer. Jo and Thore are definitely delighted with the enthusiasm of their fans and the waves their series story is making: "It's great and makes me proud that we have become a role model for many people and that they draw strength from it for their private lives," says Jo Weil. (cs)
http://gaysofourlives.org
