Luxembourgish-Portuguese actress Hana Sofia Lopes has captivated millions in Germany with her breakout role in Flucht aus Lissabon, a political thriller that drew 5.83 million viewers on ZDF.

Luxembourgish-Portuguese actress Hana Sofia Lopes has garnered significant attention for her leading role in the film Flucht aus Lissabon ('Escape from Lisbon'). Airing on Germany's ZDF channel on 17 March, the thriller has garnered approximately 5.83 million viewers, achieving a 22.8% market share.

This impressive viewership is nearly double the 2.95 million who tuned in to watch Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on a competing channel that evening.

Lopes expressed her astonishment upon learning of the film's success, noting that the producer informed her of the high ratings, and that she was inundated with messages from journalists the following day. "Whether it's journalists, friends, family: phone calls come from all sides. I gave more interviews in ten days than in ten years! I hope to live up to everything that happens to me."

Flucht aus Lissabon delves into themes of artificial intelligence and electoral manipulation. Lopes portrays a scientist/journalist investigating the spread of fake news, "they are trying to manipulate me to rig elections in Africa. And to put pressure on me, they kidnap my son", Lopes confirms. "My character then has to choose between saving her son or saving a nation."

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The film's success not only underscores Lopes' exceptional talent but also brings attention to Luxembourg's growing prominence in international cinema.

Having trained at the Lisbon Higher School of Theatre and Cinema and then at the Paris Conservatory of Dramatic Art, the polyglot actress, who speaks seven languages, is excited to showcase the city of Lisbon in a "more modern" way. She had never starred in a German-language film before.

"It was a challenge, and to be honest, I thought I would audition for a secondary role, even though I was officially there to apply for the lead role. I thought they would choose a German star and that my accent would be a problem, but it’s the opposite: it’s valued. For me, it was a golden opportunity", says Lopes of her casting in the feature.

This opportunity that might not have come to be if the actress hadn’t made bold choices in the past. "I haven’t always been understood", she says, referring to the direction she took in her career after the success she had in the long-running Portuguese telenovela Coração d’Ouro (2015–2016). She was only in her twenties at the time.

"In Portugal, I was on in front of 2 million viewers every night. People told me to enjoy it to the fullest, but I preferred to go for projects that were sometimes more low-key. I returned to the theatre in Luxembourg. I travelled a lot, filmed in many countries. My priority has always been to be involved in stories I love, not in visibility or fame."

One thing is certain: the success of Flucht aus Lissabon is a "key step" in her career and Lopes has many more projects in the works, though she cannot reveal details at the moment.

"I have opportunities I have to turn down some because they don’t fit the path I want for my career. It’s difficult, but I want to stay true to my vision." In the meantime, she admits that she needs to take a few days to "rest and recharge".

Hopefully her phone will stay quiet enough for her to get some peace.

Lopes' appearances in Luxembourg co-productions include the financial drama Bad Banks (2018), crime thriller Capitani's second season (2022), and Luxembourg soap opera Comeback (2012–2013).