Helena Zengel on Meeting the Woman She Plays in Drugs Trade Thriller Series ‘Westend Girl’: ‘When She First Saw a Few Clips, She Cried’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Jun 9, 2026 7:11am PT Helena Zengel on Meeting the Woman She Plays in Drugs Trade Thriller Series ‘Westend Girl’: ‘When She First Saw a Few Clips, She Cried’ (EXCLUSIVE)

By Leo Barraclough

Plus Icon

Leo Barraclough

International Features Editor

LeoBarraclough

Latest

• Helena Zengel on Meeting the Woman She Plays in Drugs Trade Thriller Series ‘Westend Girl’: ‘When She First Saw a Few Clips, She Cried’ (EXCLUSIVE) 49 minutes ago
• Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger to Be Formally Investigated by U.K. Competition Watchdog 2 hours ago
• Future Frames Unveils 10 Young European Filmmakers Joining the Karlovy Vary Film Festival Program 6 hours ago

See All

Courtesy of Elliott Kreyenberg, FlareFilm, WDR, Arte

The sun sets over the bay of Cassis, a charming seaside resort near Marseille, as a young woman gazes toward the horizon.

It’s the concluding episode of thriller “Westend Girl,” a German series starring Helena Zengel, a rising international star. The show, which is being distributed worldwide by Beta Film, premieres today at Seriencamp, a TV series festival in Cologne.

Zengel plays Ronja, who has been raised in a wealthy neighborhood, and is about to begin medical school. But the day after her 18th birthday party, everything changes: Her picture-perfect parents are arrested and accused of running the largest cocaine ring in the region. The series is based on a true story.

Related Stories

'Top Gun: Maverick' Actor James Handy Killed by Girlfriend's Son