The Big Picture

The Tattooist of Auschwitz
showcases a love story set amid the horrors of the Holocaust.
The series explores the true story of Lale Sokolov, a Jewish prisoner tasked with tattooing other Jewish prisoners.
Jonah Hauer-King shares his poignant experience shaving his head for the role in a moving moment.

Over the past year, it seems as though every streaming service has tried its hand at delving into the horrors of the Holocaust, including Peacock which is set to premiere The Tattooist of Auschwitz on May 2. The series stars Jonah Hauer-King and Anna Próchniak as lovers who meet amid the soul-crushing terror and uncertainty of Auschwitz. Ahead of the release date, I had the pleasure of chatting with the pair about working on the series and their experience exploring this tragic period of history.

Based on Heather Morris’ critically acclaimed novel by the same name, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on true events relayed to Morris by the late Lale Sokolov (played by Hauer-King), who survived Auschwitz alongside a fellow prisoner who would eventually become his wife. In addition to the budding romance between Lale and Gita (Próchniak), the Peacock series also showcases the deeply uncomfortable “friendship” Lale formed with a volatile Nazi officer by the name of Stefan Baretzki (Jonas Nay) whose cat-and-mouse torment is his only gateway to spending time with Gita.

Having recently interviewed Maisie Williams for Apple TV+’s World War II-era series The New Look, where we discussed her experience with shaving her head for the role, I was eager to ask Hauer-King and Próchniak about their own experience with shaving their heads to play Lal e and Gita. The short but riveting conversation also included discussing what it was like to explore a love story amid the horrors of the Holocaust, and Hauer-King gave his first public comments about his upcoming role in Rich Flu. You can watch the full interview in the player below or scroll on to read the full transcript of our conversation.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz Based on the eponymously titled novel, this is the powerful real-life story of Lale Sokolov, a Jewish prisoner who was tasked with tattooing ID numbers on prisoners’ arms in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War Two.Release Date May 2, 2024 Main Genre Drama Seasons 1

Jonah Hauer-King Underestimated How Shaving His Head Would Feel

COLLIDER: My background is actually in history, so I was really excited to get to do this interview today because it kind of marries my two interests of history and entertainment together in one. A few months back I got to talk with Maisie Williams about her work on The New Look, and we talked a lot about shaving her head for that role and the emotions that are involved with that. I was curious for both of you what that process was like with this role and if there were any of those emotions that it brought up, making it more impactful for both of you?

JONAH HAUER-KING: For me, it definitely did. I think I underestimated, actually, what a moment it might be. I think beforehand I thought it could just be an innocuous moment and just part of the process, and kind of the least of my worries. Then, I think I found that when it actually came to doing it, particularly in this context and with all the associations and the reasons why we were shaving our head, and the process of dehumanization and taking away of someone’s identity, suddenly it became this massive, poignant thing. I think we all, one by one, did it the first time, and particularly when people had so much hair to be losing, it was definitely quite a moving thing.

ANNA PRÓCHNIAK: I think for me, it’s one of the most memorable moments of this production. I remember when I looked at myself in the mirror for the first time, with my head shaved in a costume, with the tattoo on my arm, it was very powerful and quite emotional. It just got me closer to the character in that moment. It was a very profound moment. Very much so. There was something very physical about it. Very emotional, but physical too. It wasn’t just about changing the appearance. There was so much more to it.

Even just watching two episodes of this series, I felt like I was haunted by what I was seeing. I was curious for both of you, what aspects of your characters stuck with you after you wrapped on the show?

PRÓCHNIAK: I think Gita is such an amazing character to play. It’s also, of course, a great responsibility to play a real character. It was scary at first, but I fell in love with her instantly. I think she’s so multidimensional, so complex. I love how fragile she is, how her vulnerability is something deeply moving, and her strength and resilience is something that I admire about her so much. She’s a true inspiration.

HAUER-KING: It was the same for me, I think. When we’re trying to portray such a dark and traumatic history, it’s interesting that really what has stuck with us is the light that we were able to find in the darkness, and specifically the light that they were able to find. Lale was a person of such compassion and kindness and commitment to helping others, even when he was in these impossible situations and given these impossible choices. So, I think somehow holding on to his humanity and having the capacity to show love to others, and even receive love as well, is an incredible lesson and has stuck with me.

What Was It Like to Tell a Love Story in the Middle of the Holocaust?

You bring up an interesting point there. Something I liked about this show so much is that even though there are these horrible things going on, it’s still very much a love story between these two characters. Jonah, you’ve played a romantic lead in a lot of different projects, but what is it like to get to explore romance within such extreme emotions and situations?

HAUER-KING: The stakes feel incredibly high because it feels like love against all odds and love at any cost. I think everything feels even more heightened and more extreme and more intense in a situation like this. The fact that they were even able to have this love was so extraordinary and so unique, and is definitely a big part of what drew me into this project and drew me into the story, I think. Because it was so surprising and so unlikely, it shines even brighter than maybe a love story in a different context.

As we wrap up, I do have one more question for you, Jonah. I feel like everyone’s going to be trying to sneak in a Doctor Who question for you, so I wanted to do a curveball and ask you, what can you tell me about Rich Flu, because I am so excited for that film. That cast list is just incredible.

HAUER-KING: You’re the first person to ask me about that. Thank you. We shot it a little while ago now. It finished filming at the end of [2022], I think, well over a year for sure. I recently went in and did some ADR for it. It’s a completely bonkers and wacky and funny film. [To Anna] I actually don’t know if I’ve even told you about it. But it was super fun. I was playing an incredibly outlandish, villainous, terrible guy, and it was great fun. [Laughs] So, yeah, I’m hoping that it will be out this year. So, fingers crossed.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is set to premiere on Peacock on May 2, 2024.

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