Actor Julian Krenn joins the cast of the German daily soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten as Benni, the 16-year-old son of John Bachmann, with his first appearance scheduled for September 11, 2026.
The long-running daily drama is introducing a major family twist as John Bachmann—played by Felix von Jascheroff—discovers he has a teenage son who grew up in Canada, according to reporting from RTL. The arrival of the character Benni marks the beginning of an emotional storyline centering on missed time, deep connection, and the question of how the two will find each other.
Julian Krenn Steps Into the Role of Benni Starting in Episode 8.606
Julian Krenn takes on the role of Benni, hitting screens beginning with episode 8.606 on September 11, 2026 at 19:40 Uhr bei RTL. Benni wächst außerhalb Deutschlands auf und zieht anschließend nach Berlin. Krenn describes the 16-year-old as impulsiv und extrovertiert, arriving in the capital to discover the city, live, and finally gain experiences. As a casting opportunity arises for the newcomer, John sets everything in motion to get his son there on time, though initially in vain until a daring rescue action by Laura, played by Chryssanthi Kavazi, might change everything.
Krenn brings an impressive international resume to the German soap opera set. Born in Budapest to German-Austrian parents, the multilingual actor—who also speaks English, Hungarian, French, Italian, and Czech—has already worked on international productions. According to RTL, his credits include the Emmy-prämierte Serie Fallen, FBI: International, and the Netflix-Produktion Death by Lightning. For Pretty Lethal, Krenn stood in front of the camera with Uma Thurman, Lana Condor, and Maddie Ziegler, and also filmed scenes with Adam Driver and Elle Fanning. Before joining GZSZ, his only appearance in the German-speaking market was in a single scene of the ZDF film Die Frau ohne Gesicht.
Julian Krenn, actor, stated that honestly, he still had not fully realized it, adding that sometimes he could hardly believe it and had to pinch himself.
Behind the Character’s Lässigkeit and the Connection to Felix von Jascheroff’s Departure
Benni enters the Berlin neighborhood bringing both youthful lightness and turbulent consequences. While the character is fascinated by the size of the city, the fashion world, and the feeling that all doors are suddenly open to him through a model agency, Krenn notes that a deep injury drives much of that behavior.
Julian Krenn, actor, explained that it had caused him a lot of pain that his father was not always there, noting that he still carried this pain within himself, though it was more important to him to simply have a normal, good time with him now.
Felix von Jascheroff (43) is slated to exit Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten in the coming year after 25 years on the show. Viewers are already tracking whether the sudden appearance of John’s son in Berlin has something to do with his farewell storyline.
Moving to Potsdam and Adjusting to Daily Soap Production
To take on the shooting schedule, Krenn relocated his home base from Budapest to Potsdam. The move marks a distinct shift as he joins the ensemble of the successful daily soap, with Emily—played by Anne Menden—also sharing the screen as John and Benni meet.
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For Krenn, the transition offers a personal milestone: the chance to regularly speak German in his everyday life again, experiencing it as if he were discovering himself anew. Between his multilingual upbringing across Budapest, Prague, and Hungary, the young actor spent much of his life navigating questions of personal identity and home—parallels that he shares closely with his new on-screen persona.
