Clarissa von Anstetten

Clarissa von Anstetten
Isa Jank as Clarissa von Anstetten
Verbotene Liebe
Portrayed by	Isa Jank
Duration	1995-2001, 2011-present
First appearance	Episode 1 January 2, 1995
Created by	Reg Watson
Profile
Nickname(s)	Clarissa
Aliases	Clara Prozeski (birth name) Veronika Schwarz
Gender	Female
Occupation	Former owner of fashion company 'Ligne Clarisse' Former owner of the music label 'AMG'
Title	Dowager Countess of Anstetten
Residence	Apartment Clarissa von Anstetten Mallorca, Spain
Relationships Parents Erna Prozeski (deceased) Sibling(s) Walter Prozeski (deceased) Spouse(s) Peter Kaufmann (divorced) Christoph von Anstetten (invalid) [1976-1998] Christoph von Anstetten (widowed) [2000] Romances Arno Brandner Roberto Florani Max Orbis Alex Wiegand Peter Kaufmann Max Jannsen Children Jan Brandner Julia von Anstetten Grandchildren Leonie Richter Timo Mendes Nieces and nephews Nick Prozeski Ulli Prozeski Jessica Prozeski Other relatives Marie von Anstetten (goddaughter; deceased) Ricardo Mendes (son-in-law)

Clarissa von Anstetten (née Prozeski and formerly Kaufmann) is a fictional character on German soap opera Verbotene Liebe (Forbidden Love). The character was played by actress Isa Jank from the show's debut on January 2, 1995 to September 5, 2001^[1]. Jank left the show after a disagreement with the producers. A return of her alter ego was rumored several times, but the actress debarred the possibility. In March 2011 followed the surprise when Jank decided to return to the show.^[2] She returned on-screen on June 21, 2011.^[3]

Casting

The producers of show knew from the beginning, thanks to the Australian soap opera Sons and Daughters - which Verbotene Liebe was based on, what impact the character Clarissa would have on the show. They needed a strong and powerful actress in the role, who would click with viewers from the first scene. Isa Jank was eventually cast in the role and the producers soon saw that they succeed with the plan to find the right actress to play the role. She gave her debut in the show's premiere and for years seemed to be the center of Verbotene Liebe. Clarissa became known as the German Alexis Colby and brought the mark glamor soap to the show.

In 1999, Clarissa's story was partly rewritten with the introduction of her ex-husband Peter Kaufmann. Clarissa was supposed to be married to him way before she even met Christoph von Anstetten and no less Arno Brandner. But as the beginning of the series showed, Clarissa was just eighteen years old when she was pregnant by Arno. The background to the Peter Kaufmann story also showed a very cruel Clarissa at a young age. It simple made no sense and the story was not favored by fans nor Isa Jank herself. The actress began to have disagreements with the producers over her role and it ended in leaving the show only a little over a year after the Peter Kaufmann story was finished. It would take almost ten years to win Isa Jank back into her iconic role.

Storyline

Clarissa is an attractive, manipulative and scheming woman and married to Christoph von Anstetten, a wealthy aristocrat with a huge empire. She loves her rich life, after she grow up in a poorly family. When she was in a young age, Clarissa met the architect student Arno Brandner and fell in love with him. But Arno wasn't a man with much money and when Clarissa got pregnant with twins, she gave birth to them, and left Arno with their son Jan. She took their daughter Julia with her and became the countess of Anstetten with her marriage to Christoph, who loved Julia and adopted her. Julia and Christoph's son Henning grow up as siblings and believed that Christoph were the father of both of them. Clarissa kept the truth as a secret and made that to the lie of her life. As Christoph's wife, Clarissa became successful and has now her own fashion label, Ligne Clarisse. She considers for Julia to marry the wealthy Gero von Sterneck, who is a long-time friend to the Anstetten family. But Julia falls in love with a young man, named Peter Neumann. Clarissa tries to impedes the relationship, so that Julia can have a future with Gero and take him as her spouse. Even though, Julia and Peter have to face many problems, they seem to always find their way back to each other. When Clarissa realizes that Peter really is her son Jan, she is shocked. Jan already knows that Julia is his sister and tries to stay away from her. He wants to tell her the truth, so that she knows why she and Jan can't be together, but Clarissa warns him that the truth would destroy Julia. Even though, Jan sees that Clarissa only wants to keep her secret, because even Christoph doesn't know about Jan's existents, but he agrees that Julia shouldn't know the truth. Jan disappears, which almost costs Julia her life, when she tries to kill herself. Gero, Henning and Christoph can rescue her. After that, Julia falls into deep depressions. Clarissa is concerned, but keeps saying to herself, that Julia sooner or later will get over it. But Gero anticipates that something else is going on and wants Julia to see a doctor.

Meanwhile, Clarissa and Christoph face problems in their marriage, when Christoph finds out that Clarissa worked on destroying the fashion company Cara Donna, where Barbara von Sterneck, a good friend of the family and Gero's mother, is working as head designer. Clarissa elaborates a personal war against Barbara, which leads to many problems between the woman. Clarissa would have liked to see it Barbara come to work for her, but instead she wants to buy Cara Donna and run it herself. Clarissa is outraged by Barbara's plan and gets even more upset, when she finds out that Christoph wants to help and finance her. She tells Barbara that she should offer shares of the company for her loan that Christoph is giving her. Barbara agrees and goes to Christoph to offer him shares. When he discovers that Clarissa went again behind his back, he is very upset and his marriage is going into a serious crisis. Clarissa even begins a short affair with Alex Wiegand. But she ends things with him, when she finds out that he is the son of Max Orbis, another former lover of Clarissa's.

Julia is diagnosed with leukemia, when the truth threatens to come out. Christoph wants to inform Julia's biological father, but Clarissa wants to make sure that it is really necessary. When Fiona Beckmann, who knows all about Clarissa's secret and is like a mother to Jan, finds out how serious Julia's condition is and that she could die, she tells Jan that Julia needs him. When Clarissa finds her son on Julia's bedside, she finally opens up and tells Julia, Christoph and Henning the truth. Christoph is hurt and shocked, when he finds out that Clarissa never told him about Jan and kept it a secret for more than twenty years. Clarissa tries to rescue herself and to find sympathy by her family. But even her loyal daughter Julia no longer wants to see her. When Christoph discovers all of Clarissa's lies and learns that she left Arno all this years ago and not he her, he wants her to leave Castle Friedenau. in 2000 she puts pressure on Christoph to marry her again, only then she can free Carolin von Anstetten. He doesnt see any possibility, so he marries Clarissa again. After Caroline, Henning left Freidenau, Christoph felt into a Depression and lonelyness. He decides to make suicide. When Clarissa comes into his office, he shot himself. Clarissa was so shocked, that she needed to go to a psychiatrist. After Christoph von Anstetten death, Henning sells the Castle Friedenau.

In 2001, Tanja von Anstetten, who became Clarissa's longtime enemy over the years, threatens her with a gun on a plane. Clarissa manages to get the gun, when they find out that the plane will crash. Soon later, the news breaks to Henning and Clarissa's best friend Charlie Schneider that the plane crashed. Clarissa supposedly died as did the pilot. While Tanja survived the plane crash and returned three years later into the high society of Düsseldorf.

Clarissa spent the last ten years innocent in a South American prison and believes that Tanja has died years ago. As she is about to get free, Clarissa wants to use her newfound freedom to make up with her children, Jan and Julia. She feels guilt for the destiny of the twins and their forbidden feelings for each other. But Clarissa's resolution to live a life without scheming gets threaten by the fact that Tanja is still alive and just took her lifework, Ligne Clarisse, out of the assets of Clarissa's goddaughter Marie, who has died.

Notes

1. ^ [1] Deutsche Dailys.de - First and last appearance of Isa Jank (German)
2. ^ Isa Jank finally returns as Clarissa
3. ^ [2] Deutsche Dailys.de - Clarissa's return date