There is no such thing as Money and Blood in the World: Niels Schneider's Great Divide

From a raging trader to an introverted reporter, the French actor tells us about his transformation for the new Arte series.

Exceptional overexcited antagonist of Vincent Lindon In Of Money and Blood (on Canal + at the beginning of the year), Niels Schneider A few months later, he made a 180° emotional turn for The world does not exist (on Arte), an intimate thriller in the north, in which he plays an introverted journalist on the trail of his traumatic childhood. Far from the spectacular madness of trader Jérôme Attias, the taciturn Adam Vollmann allows the 37-year-old French actor to show a completely different side of his acting and the full extent of his palette.

Although he admits that he doesn't have such a well thought-out career plan: “I don't think of one project in relation to the previous one. I just found the series exciting” answers to First Niels Schneidermet at the Séries Mania festival last March. “It's a coincidence that these two characters are so opposite. I approached them in a totally different way as a result. Of Money and Blood had its little effect and I understand that people talk to me about it. But for me, almost a year passed between the two shoots…”

However, between the crazy frenzy of the golden boy created by Xavier Giannoli and the sibylline calm of his character in The world does not existthere is a spectacular gap that the director Erwan the Duke was able to capture it accurately.It's certain that his character is rather in listening. He absorbs what happens around him and it was up to me to film him as best as possible, sometimes in a calm manner quite simply..” the director tells us. Offering a closed and enigmatic face, Adam never reveals his emotions: “I directed it like that. I wanted Niels to bring this strangeness, a form of intensity and density. For us to go and find out with our guts what Adam really thinks. The idea is that the viewer wonders: what is going on in this guy's head? All of this is largely seen through the eyes. And at the same time, we discover his fragility in the flashbacks. This investigation becomes an investigation into him. We are in the most total introspection. And Niels understood this right away in the script.“

But between the brilliant extroverted financier or the moving introverted journalist, who is more fun to play for? Niels Schneider ?

“That's an interesting question, because there's a lot of pleasure in playing a slightly crazy character, completely extroverted, in permanent excess, as was the case for D'Argent et de sang. I take a lot of pleasure in being able to let loose and dare anything. Now, playing a more calm character like Adam, it allows you to make your inner film, if I can say. To reflect on yourself, to be inward. We then touch on something much more troubled, but also much larger..”

The world does not exist thus continues his quest for a thriller unlike any other. Where we never really know where the plot is going, like its taciturn hero. “We are not on a usual thriller highway”confirms Erwan the Dukewho readily quotes David Lynch as inspiration: “When I rewatched the beginning of Twin Peaks, what amazed me was the freedom that David Lynch takes. He's not afraid to be on the edge of the grotesque or bad taste or even ridiculous. He goes for it. I was inspired by that to push the limits and try things. Afterwards, you don't say to yourself: I want to make a French Twin Peaks! I just want to do my own thing…”

The World Does Not Exist, in 4 episodes, to be seen on Arte on Thursdays September 26 and October 3, 2025. Already online for free on Arte.tv