Maria Happel

Maria Happel is a German actress, director, and puppeteer who is mostly known for being the former two while being the latter in her early career. In 1986, she performed Leonie Lowenzahn in her first two appearances on Sesamstrasse before Andrea Bongers took over the role in 1990. Maria also puppeteered on Hallo Spencer from 1984-1985 as Casimir and Karl-Heinz. Happel is probably more known for both acting and directing for the stage (most notably in Vienna) or appearing on camera. Some of her film credits, usually acting, include Die Braut, Berlin '36, The Almost Perfect Man, and Alles inklusive, to name a few. She also made appearances on Grossstadtrevier and Tatort, not to mention being a regular on the crime series SOKO Wien since 2010. I wonder what sort of productions Maria Happel directed since most of her credits involved acting and (early on) puppetry. Some of her latest film acting credits include The Pool, Sachertorte, and Chantal im Marchenland (Chantal in Fairland in English). Some of the other puppeteers she worked with include Benita Steinmann, Joachim Hall, Friedrich Wollweber, and many others, in the early years that is. Maria is probably going to continue to act and direct for both stage and screen but there should be a resume of what projects she directed. Happel probably forgot the early years in which she puppeteered since she's stopped doing in decades ago (1986 to be precise). If only the original Sesamstrasse performers could see her now, whether they're alive or dead. Meanwhile she should get interviewed on television again soon and talk about her upcoming productions for the near future, you never know when that'll happen. Maria Happel, you're an excellent actress and director and I think puppetry earlier in your career made you who you are today. Keep working on SOKO Wien and other projects so that you'll be legendary. If you ever run into an original Sesamstrasse performer, try to remember them, but it might not happen at all. Great work Maria. You're a real star Happel!

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