Alexandra Maria Lara and Sam Riley are right at home on film sets, in different countries, and speaking different languages. In this interview, the two acting stars reveal why they never travel without books or a notebook, which hotel feels like a second home, and why Japan is at the top of their shared bucket list.
Actress Alexandra Maria Lara gained international recognition for her role as Hitler's secretary in the film Downfall (2004). Actor Sam Riley became a star virtually overnight in 2007 with his role as Joy Division singer Ian Curtis in Control. On the set of Control, in which Lara plays the singer’s lover, the two fell in love, got married, and have been living in Berlin with their son Ben ever since. He is British, she was born in Bucharest and grew up in Germany.
In an interview, Falstaff TRAVEL reveals where the couple feels at home; amidst languages, countries, and movie sets.
Falstaff TRAVEL: Which one of you travel pros is better at packing?
Lara: We both know pretty well what we need to pack. Unfortunately, it always takes me forever to pack up. It's always been that way, and it certainly won't change. On the way there, we're both still pretty organized, but on the way back, Sam's suitcase usually looks pretty chaotic.
What's one thing you absolutely can't leave out of your luggage?
Lara: At least two books. I'm a fast reader, and I always factor in the possibility of a delay or a flight cancellation. For example, I recently read Calla Henkel's 'Ein letztes Geschenk', Maud Ventura's 'Der Rache Glanz', and Céline Spierer's 'Bevor es geschah'; all three were brilliant!
Riley: I always have to carry a notebook and a pen in my carry-on, because I really enjoy drawing and sometimes write songs, too.
What's your absolute favorite hotel?
Lara: The Stanglwirt in Tyrol. When we get there, it feels like a vacation and coming home all at once. For me, that’s partly due to the beautiful scenery, and partly because you can still feel the warmth and attention to detail with which the hotel is run. The staff there really goes above and beyond, and that's a level of service you don't find very often these days. The hotel owner has since become a good friend of ours. But even before we got together, we were already regulars there, and we keep running into friends there.
What was the best meal you've ever had while traveling that you fondly remember?
Lara: Many years ago, I shot a movie in New Orleans. The trip from Berlin took forever, about 18 hours, and we arrived exhausted and hungry, then headed straight for Magazine Street. There, we ate what was probably the best burger of our lives at a small diner. It was probably just because, at that moment, he helped us relax a bit after the exhausting journey.
What was your funniest travel moment together?
Lara: Sam is a big fan of Elvis Presley. Once, when we were in the U.S. for a film shoot, I treated him to a trip to Memphis to visit Graceland. In the spirit of romance, I had booked a room at the Heartbreak Hotel and had been looking forward to it for a long time. When we finally pulled up in front of it after a long drive, the reality was quite different from what we had imagined: The hotel looked more like a run-down roadside diner. Since I'd been raving about it so much beforehand, we both burst out laughing and couldn't stop.
Which travel destination is still on your bucket list?
Riley: Japan . We've both been there before, but never together. Our son Ben would like us to explore the country together.
Lara: We all love Japanese cuisine, and Ben is also a big manga fan. When I was filming in Tokyo a long time ago (for the German-Japanese co-production The Fisherman and His Wife, 2025, Editor’s note), one of the things I learned was how to tie an obi properly. I would have loved to stay much longer, precisely because everything was so different and so exciting.
Which city feels like a movie scene to you?
Lara: Paris. When you walk through the streets there together, it always feels like you're in a movie. We're also big fans of French movies.
Is there a place that has changed forever for you because of a film shoot?
Riley: Nottingham. Exactly twenty years ago, I took on the role of Ian Curtis in Control here. The film has become a success story in its own right and changed both of our lives by bringing us together. For me, Control also marked the beginning of a new chapter in my career as an actor.
Which festival is a must-see this summer?
Lara: It may not be a festival in the traditional sense, but it’s a truly unique event that we highly recommend to everyone: the Locarno Film Festival, when the Piazza Grande is transformed into one of Europe’s most beautiful open-air movie theaters, with up to 8,000 spectators. That's just magical.
In which movies or TV shows can we see you now and in the future?
Lara: Sam is in front of the camera in Berlin right now, and I'm in London. Both are wonderful projects, but both are top secret.
Riley: Plus, we were actually on camera together from September through January of this year. Unfortunately, we can't reveal any more details about this production yet, but it is expected to air this fall.
Lara: For those who want to catch us on screen in the meantime, Sam plays the reluctant leader of a Glasgow crime family in Mint on the BBC, and I recently appeared in the German dog comedy, Eat Pray Bark.
