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Helmut Berger (; born Helmut Steinberger; 29 May 1944) is an Austrian
actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...
, known for his portrayal of
narcissistic Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive interest in one's physical appearance or image and an excessive preoccupation with one's own needs, often at the expense of others. Narcissism exists on a co ...
and sexually-ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of the
European cinema Cinema of Europe refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Europe. Europeans were the pioneers of the motion picture industry, with several innovative engineers and artists making an impact especially at the end of th ...
in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is regarded as a
sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor t ...
and pop icon of the period. He is most famous for his work with
Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the ...
, particularly in his performance as
King Ludwig II of Bavaria King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ti ...
in '' Ludwig'', for which he received a special
David di Donatello The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award cat ...
award, and his performance in '' The Damned'' for which he was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
.


Early life and education

Berger was born in
Bad Ischl Bad Ischl (Austrian German ) is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden ''Ahorn'', ''Bad Ischl'', ''Haiden ...
, Austria, into a family of hoteliers. After receiving his
Matura or its translated terms (''Mature'', ''Matur'', , , , , , ) is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, C ...
, Berger initially trained and worked in this field, even though he had no interest in
gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...
or the
hospitality industry The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, theme parks, travel and tourism. It includes hotels, tourism agencies, restaurants and bars. ...
. At age eighteen, he moved to
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, where he did odd jobs while taking acting classes. After studying languages at
University of Perugia University of Perugia (Italian ''Università degli Studi di Perugia'') is a public-owned university based in Perugia, Italy. It was founded in 1308, as attested by the Bull issued by Pope Clement V certifying the birth of the Studium Generale. Th ...
in
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, Berger moved to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
.


Career


1964 to 1976

He first met the film director
Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the ...
in 1964. Visconti gave him his first acting role in the film '' Le streghe'' (''The Witches'', 1967) (in the episode "La Strega Bruciata Viva"), but he gained international prominence as the amoral Martin von Essenbeck in Visconti's '' The Damned'' (1969). In that film, in what is perhaps his best-known scene, he pretends to be
Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...
in the film ''
The Blue Angel ''The Blue Angel'' (german: Der blaue Engel) is a 1930 German musical comedy-drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg, and starring Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings and Kurt Gerron. Written by Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller and Rober ...
'' (1930). It was followed by the title role in the
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
adaption ''
Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical '' Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''The Picture of Dorian G ...
'' (1970) and a leading role in the Oscar-winning Italian drama film '' The Garden of the Finzi-Continis'' (1970). In Visconti's '' Ludwig'' (1972), Berger portrays
Ludwig II of Bavaria Ludwig II (Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886) was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He is sometimes called the Swan King or ('the Fairy Tale King'). He also held the titles of Count Palatine of the ...
from his youth to his dissolute final years.
Romy Schneider Romy Schneider (; born Rosemarie Magdalena Albach; 23 September 1938 – 29 May 1982) was a German-French actress. She began her career in the German genre in the early 1950s when she was 15. From 1955 to 1957, she played the central chara ...
starred alongside him in the film. This performance earned him a
David di Donatello The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award cat ...
award. In 1974, Berger starred with
Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...
in Visconti's ''
Conversation Piece A conversation piece refers to a group portrait in a domestic or landscape setting depicting persons chatting or otherwise socializing with each other.Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). It is observed by Catholics in the ...
'' (1973) alongside
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
and
Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...
. Another film was ''
The Romantic Englishwoman ''The Romantic Englishwoman'' is a 1975 British film directed by Joseph Losey and starring Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, Helmut Berger. It marks the feature-length screen debut for Kate Nelligan. The screenplay was written by Tom Stoppard and ...
'' (1975) alongside
Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...
and
Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson (born 9 May 1936) is an English actress and former Member of Parliament (MP). She has won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice: for her role as Gudrun Brangwen in the romantic drama ''Women in Love'' (1970); and again for ...
. He also appeared in
Tinto Brass Giovanni "Tinto" Brass (born 26 March 1933) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In the 1960s and 1970s, he directed many critically acclaimed avant-garde films of various genres. Today, he is mainly known for his later work in the er ...
's controversial film, ''
Salon Kitty Salon Kitty was a high-class Berlin brothel used by the Nazi intelligence service, the ''Sicherheitsdienst'' (SD), for espionage purposes during . Created in the early 1930s, the salon was taken over by SS general Reinhard Heydrich and his sub ...
'' with Ingrid Thulin in 1976. Well-known photographers including
Helmut Newton Helmut Newton (born Helmut Neustädter; 31 October 192023 January 2004) was a German-Australian photographer. The ''New York Times'' described him as a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-a ...
,
Mary Ellen Mark Mary Ellen Mark (March 20, 1940 – May 25, 2015) was an American photographer known for her photojournalism, documentary photography, portraiture, and advertising photography. She photographed people who were "away from mainstream society and t ...
, and
David Bailey David Royston Bailey (born 2 January 1938) is an English photographer and director, most widely known for his fashion photography and portraiture, and role in shaping the image of the Swinging Sixties. Early life David Bailey was born at Wh ...
published series of pictures of him.
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
made polaroids of him and produced serigraphs. Berger was also, in 1970, alongside his then-girlfriend
Marisa Berenson Vittoria Marisa Schiaparelli Berenson (born February 15, 1947) is an American actress and model. She appeared on the front covers of ''Vogue'' and ''Time'', and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as ...
, the first man on the cover of ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
''.


1976 to 1999

The death of his partner Luchino Visconti in 1976 plunged him into a personal crisis. Exactly one year after Visconti died, Berger tried to commit suicide but was found in time to be saved. In the following time the abuse of drugs and alcohol shadowed his acting career. In 1980 Berger was cast by
Claude Chabrol Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues a ...
as Fantômas before he went to America to work in television in the role of Peter De Vilbis in nine episodes (1983–1984) of the American prime time
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
''
Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
'', which he said he did only for money. He would later say he was "crying on the way to the set but laughing on the way to the bank". This was his last appearance in a television series. He continued working in the US on various projects, most notably starring in '' Code Name: Emerald'' in 1985. In Europe, he acted the TV-miniseries '' The Betrothed'' in 1989. In 1990, Berger appeared in ''
The Godfather Part III ''The Godfather Part III'' is a 1990 American crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegn ...
'' as corrupt banker Frederick Keinszig. He later appeared in the music video to
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's song "
Erotica Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use ...
" in 1992, and also appeared in Madonna's book '' Sex''. In 1993, Berger reprised his role as King Ludwig II. in the critically acclaimed film '' Ludwig 1881''. Throughout the second half of the 1990s, he concentrated mainly on European productions, acting in films directed by
Christoph Schlingensief Christoph Maria Schlingensief (24 October 1960 – 21 August 2010) was a German theatre director, performance artist, and filmmaker. Starting as an independent underground filmmaker, Schlingensief later staged productions for theatres and festivals ...
,
Yves Boisset Yves may refer to: * Yves, Charente-Maritime, a commune of the Charente-Maritime department in France * Yves (given name), including a list of people with the name * ''Yves'' (single album), a single album by Loona * ''Yves'' (film), a 2019 Fre ...
and many others. In 1997,
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...
included some archive footage of the film ''
Beast with a Gun ''Beast with a Gun'' ( it, La belva col mitra) is a 1977 Italian noir- poliziotteschi crime film written and directed by Sergio Grieco. The film would be Grieco's final film, as he died in 1982. The main character of the film, Nanni Vitali, wa ...
'' in his film ''
Jackie Brown ''Jackie Brown'' is a 1997 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, based on Elmore Leonard's 1992 novel '' Rum Punch.'' It stars Pam Grier as Jackie Brown, a flight attendant who is caught smuggling money. Samuel L. Jac ...
'' and thanked Berger in the closing credits for his performance.


2000s to present

From the early 2000s to 2009, Berger largely withdrew from the acting world, moving to
Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
to his mother who was in need of care. She died in 2009. Since then, he has acted in bigger film productions again. In 2012,
Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf Verlag The Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf Verlag is a German publishing house founded in 1992 by Oliver Schwarzkopf in Berlin. It includes popular non-fiction and picture books as well as the woman erotic series ANAIS, named after the French writer Anaïs Ni ...
published ''Helmut Berger – A Life in Pictures'', a
coffee table book A coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and from which it can serve to inspire convers ...
about his life, featuring many previously unreleased photographs of his life and films plus essays in German, English, Italian and French. The book was well received by the press. In the
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
''
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...
'' (2009), Berger played Shrager, an aging character believed to be an old SS commander responsible for murdering
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. In the early 2010s, Berger starred in two films directed by Peter Kern – ''Blutsfreundschaft'' (shown at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival (2010)), and ''Mörderschwestern'' (2011). In 2014, Berger appeared in '' Saint Laurent'' as old Yves Saint Laurent for which he was "celebrated" at
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
. The short film ''Art!'', in which Berger had a starring role, had its world premiere at
Paris Independent Film Festival The Paris Independent Film Festival is an annual film festival showcasing international independent films that takes place in Paris, France. It features a competition and awards films in various categories. It has a special emphasis on films th ...
2015. He starred in the role of Professor Martin in the 2016 film ''
Timeless Timeless (or atemporal) or timelessness (or atemporality) may refer to: * Agelessness, the condition of being unaffected by the passage of time * Akal (Sikh term), timelessness in Sikhism * Eternity, timeless existence or infinite duration * Im ...
'' directed by Alexander Tuschinski. In 2015, Austrian filmmaker
Andreas Horvath Andreas Horvath (born 25 August 1968) is an Austrian photographer and filmmaker. Career Andreas Horvath studied photography at the "Graphische Bundes- Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt" in Vienna (1990-1992) and film at the Multimedia Art School in Salz ...
released a feature-length documentary about Helmut Berger called ''Helmut Berger, Actor''. The film premiered at the
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
. In the magazine
Artforum ''Artforum'' is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art. The magazine is distinguished from other magazines by its unique 10½ x 10½ inch square format, with each cover often devoted to the work of an artist. Notably ...
American film director
John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...
chose ''Helmut Berger, Actor'' as the ''Best Motion Picture of the year 2015''. Berger later filed a lawsuit against Horvath. On February 22, 2018, the premiere of
Albert Serra Albert Serra (Catalan pronunciation: �lß'ɛɾ sɛrəborn 9 October 1975) is a Spanish independent filmmaker and manager of the production company Andergraun Films, set up by Montse Triola primarily to produce Serra's films. He is best known fo ...
's play, ''Liberté'', starring Helmut Berger and
Ingrid Caven Ingrid may refer to: * Ingrid (given name) * Ingrid (record label), and artist collective * Ingrid Burley, rapper known mononymously as Ingrid * Tropical Storm Ingrid, various cyclones * 1026 Ingrid, an asteroid * InGrid, the grid computing project ...
was performed at the
Volksbühne The Volksbühne ("People's Theatre") is a theater in Berlin. Located in Berlin's city center Mitte on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz (Rosa Luxemburg Square) in what was the GDR's capital. It has been called Berlin's most iconic theatre. About The Vol ...
theatre in Berlin. It was the first stage role in Berger's career. In 2019, another documentary film ''Helmut Berger, meine Mutter und ich'' was released, dealing with his personality and an attempted comeback. After suffering several bouts of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...
, Berger announced his retirement from acting in November 2019 and that he wanted to spend his remaining years away from the public.


Awards and honours

In 1969, Berger was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
for his role in ''The Damned'', and in 1973, he won a
David di Donatello The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award cat ...
 – the Italian equivalent of an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
 – for his performance in ''Ludwig''. In 2007, he received a special
Teddy Award The Teddy Award is an international film award for films with LGBT topics, presented by an independent jury as an official award of the Berlin International Film Festival (the Berlinale). In the most part, the jury consists of organisers of gay ...
at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival (2007) for his overall professional achievements. In 2010, Berger received two Prix Lumières at the
Lumière Film Festival The Lumière Film Festival is an annual film festival held each October in Lyon Metropolis, France, since 2009. The festival is named in honor of the Lumière Brothers, who invented the Cinematography in Lyon in 1895, and is organized by the I ...
in
Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...
and also the "golden key" of the city. In 2011, he received a Kristián Award, awarded at the
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...
film festival
Febiofest Prague International Film Festival - Febiofest is one of the largest film festivals in the Czech Republic and the second most prestigious festival in the country (after Karlovy Vary). The festival presents a wide spectrum of contemporary and retr ...
"for Contributions to World Cinema".


Personal life

Berger is openly
bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whic ...
. He was in relationships with his director and mentor Luchino Visconti and actress
Marisa Berenson Vittoria Marisa Schiaparelli Berenson (born February 15, 1947) is an American actress and model. She appeared on the front covers of ''Vogue'' and ''Time'', and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as ...
. Berger married Italian writer and model Francesca Guidato on 19 November 1994. As of 2010, they live separately. Berger lived for many years in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
, but returned to
Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
in the 2000s to take care of his elderly mother. In the late 1960s and 1970s, Berger was seen as the "
it boy ''It Boy'' (French title: ''20 ans d'écart'') is a 2013 French romantic comedy film directed by David Moreau. It stars Virginie Efira and Pierre Niney, and narrates the story of a 38-year-old woman and her relationship with a teenage boy. Ca ...
of the European
jet set In journalism, jet set is a term for an international social group of wealthy people who travel the world to participate in social activities unavailable to ordinary people. The term, which replaced "café society", came from the lifestyle of tra ...
". According to his 1998 autobiography ''Ich. Die Autobiographie'', affairs reportedly included
Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( ; Tatar/ Bashkir: Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев; rus, Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев, p=rʊˈdolʲf xɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ nʊˈrʲejɪf; 17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet ...
,
Britt Ekland Britt Ekland (; born Britt-Marie Eklund; 6 October 1942) is a Swedish actress, model and singer. She appeared in numerous films in her heyday throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in '' The Double Man'' (1967), '' The Night They Raided ...
,
Ursula Andress Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss-German actress, former model and sex symbol who has appeared in American, British and Italian films. Her breakthrough role was as Bond girl Honey Ryder in the first James Bond film, '' Dr. No'' (1962 ...
,
Nathalie Delon Nathalie Delon (born Francine Canovas, also known as Nathalie Barthélémy; 1 August 194121 January 2021) was a French actress, model, film director and writer. In the 1960s, Nathalie was regarded as one of the most beautiful women in the world ...
,
Tab Hunter Tab Hunter (born Arthur Andrew Kelm; July 11, 1931 – July 8, 2018) was an American actor, singer, film producer, and author. Known for his blond, clean-cut good looks, Hunter starred in more than forty films. He was a Hollywood heartthrob of t ...
, Florinda Bolkan,
Linda Blair Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. She played Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for an Academy Award. The film ...
,
Marisa Mell Marisa Mell (born Marlies Theres Moitzi; 24 February 1939 – 16 May 1992) was an Austrian actress. Typecast as a femme fatale in European arthouse and genre films, she is best regarded for her performances as Eva Kant in Mario Bava's criticall ...
,
Anita Pallenberg Anita Pallenberg (6 April 1942 – 13 June 2017) was a German-Italian actress, artist, and model. A style icon and "It Girl" of the 1960s and 1970s, Pallenberg was credited as the muse of the Rolling Stones: she was the romantic partner of the ...
, Marilù Tolo,
Jerry Hall Jerry Faye Hall (born July 2, 1956) is an American model and actress. She began modelling in the 1970s and became one of the most sought after models in the world. She transitioned into acting, appearing in the 1989 film '' Batman''. Hall was t ...
, and both
Bianca Bianca is a feminine given name. It means "white" and is an Italian cognate of Blanche. Variants * Blanche: French * Bianca: Italian * Bianka ( Polish, Hungarian, Slovak, German, English, French, Icelandic, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, C ...
and
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
.
Miguel Bosé Luis Miguel González Bosé (born 3 April 1956), usually known as Miguel Bosé, is a Spanish pop new wave singer and actor. Early life Bosé was born in San Fernando Hospital in Panama City, Panama, the son of Italian actress Lucia Bosè (193 ...
writes about his affair in his autobiography. Since the 1980s, Berger's private life was also in the news for his struggles with alcohol and drugs, sometimes resulting in eccentric and controversial television appearances. In 2013, Berger appeared on ''
Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! ''Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!'', also known colloquially as the ''Dschungelcamp'' (''Jungle Camp''), is a German reality television show, based on the British reality television show '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!''. Th ...
'', the German version of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!''. He had to leave for health reasons after only two days.


Reception


Filmography

''(director in parentheses; all films except as noted)'' * 1967: '' Le streghe'' (''The Witches'') (
Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the ...
) as Young man at Hotel (segment "La Strega Bruciata Viva") * 1968: ' (
Antonio Leonviola Antonio Leonviola, sometimes Leon Viola (1913–1995), was an Italian screenwriter and film director and co-founder of the "Libera Università del Cinema di Roma". Life and career Leonviola was born in 1913 in Montagnana as Antonio Leone Viol ...
) as Dario * 1969: ' ( Maurizio Liverani) as Aldo * 1969: '' The Damned'' (
Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the ...
) as Martin Von Essenbeck * 1970: ''
Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical '' Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''The Picture of Dorian G ...
'' (
Massimo Dallamano Massimo Dallamano (17 April 1917 – 4 November 1976), sometimes credited as Max Dillman, Max Dillmann or Jack Dalmas, was an Italian director and director of photography. Life and career Born in Milan, Dallamano began in the 1940s as camera ...
) as Dorian Gray * 1970: '' The Garden of the Finzi-Continis'' (
Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the Italian neorealism, neorealist movement. Four of the films he directed won Academy Awards: ''Shoeshine (film), Sciuscià ...
) as Alberto * 1971: '' Un beau monstre'' (
Sergio Gobbi Sergio Gobbi (born 13 May 1938 in Milan, Italy), born as Sergio Ehrlich, is an Italian-French filmmaker, who was married to Jocelyn Wildenstein.The Bloodstained Butterfly ''The Bloodstained Butterfly'' ( it, Una farfalla con le ali insanguinate) is a 1971 ''giallo'' film directed by Duccio Tessari. It starred Helmut Berger and Ida Galli. Plot A young French woman named Françoise Pigaut (Carole André) meets ...
'' (
Duccio Tessari Duccio Tessari (11 October 1926 – 6 September 1994) was an Italian director, screenwriter and actor, considered one of the fathers of Spaghetti Westerns. Born in Genoa, Tessari started in the fifties as documentarist and as screenwriter of p ...
) as Giorgio * 1972: '' La colonna infame'' ( Nelo Risi) as Arconati * 1973: ' (
Otto Schenk Otto Schenk (born 12 June 1930, in Vienna) is an Austrian actor, and theater and opera director. Life and career Schenk was born to Catholic parents. His father, a lawyer, had Jewish roots and therefore lost his job after the Anschluss in 1938. ...
) as Der Junge Herr / The Youngman / Alfred * 1973: ' (
Sergio Gobbi Sergio Gobbi (born 13 May 1938 in Milan, Italy), born as Sergio Ehrlich, is an Italian-French filmmaker, who was married to Jocelyn Wildenstein.Ludwig'' (
Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the ...
) as Ludwig * 1973: ''
Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). It is observed by Catholics in the ...
'' (
Larry Peerce Lawrence "Larry" Peerce (born April 19, 1930) is an American film and TV director whose work includes the theatrical feature ''Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969), the early rock and roll concert film ''The Big T.N.T. Show'' (1966), ''One Potato, Two Pota ...
) as Erich * 1974: ''
Conversation Piece A conversation piece refers to a group portrait in a domestic or landscape setting depicting persons chatting or otherwise socializing with each other.Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the ...
) as Konrad Huebel * 1975: '' Order to Kill'' (
José G. Maesso José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...
) as Clyde Hart * 1975: ''
The Romantic Englishwoman ''The Romantic Englishwoman'' is a 1975 British film directed by Joseph Losey and starring Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, Helmut Berger. It marks the feature-length screen debut for Kate Nelligan. The screenplay was written by Tom Stoppard and ...
'' (
Joseph Losey Joseph Walton Losey III (; January 14, 1909 – June 22, 1984) was an American theatre and film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Wisconsin, he studied in Germany with Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. Blacklisted ...
) as Thomas * 1976: ''
Salon Kitty Salon Kitty was a high-class Berlin brothel used by the Nazi intelligence service, the ''Sicherheitsdienst'' (SD), for espionage purposes during . Created in the early 1930s, the salon was taken over by SS general Reinhard Heydrich and his sub ...
'' (
Tinto Brass Giovanni "Tinto" Brass (born 26 March 1933) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In the 1960s and 1970s, he directed many critically acclaimed avant-garde films of various genres. Today, he is mainly known for his later work in the er ...
) as Helmut Wallenberg * 1976: '' Victory at Entebbe'' (
Marvin Chomsky Marvin Joseph Chomsky (May 23, 1929 – March 28, 2022) was an American director and producer who worked both in television and film. Early life and career Chomsky born in the Bronx and raised in Brooklyn. He attended Stuyvesant High School ...
) as Wilfried Böse * 1977: ''
Beast with a Gun ''Beast with a Gun'' ( it, La belva col mitra) is a 1977 Italian noir- poliziotteschi crime film written and directed by Sergio Grieco. The film would be Grieco's final film, as he died in 1982. The main character of the film, Nanni Vitali, wa ...
'' ( Sergio Grieco) as Nanni Vitali * 1977: ''Paperback'' * 1978: ''
The Greatest Battle ''The Greatest Battle'' ( it, Il grande attacco, lit=The Great Attack) is a 1978 Euro War film co-written and directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring an all-star ensemble cast, including Giuliano Gemma, Helmut Berger, Stacy Keach, Ray Lovelock, S ...
'' (
Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unr ...
) as Lt. Kurt Zimmer * 1978: ''
The Fifth Commandment ''The Fifth Commandment'' ( it, L'alba dei falsi dei, german: Das fünfte Gebot) is a 1978 Italian-German drama film directed by Duccio Tessari. Cast * Helmut Berger as Bernhard Redder * Peter Hooten as Leo Redder * Evelyne Kraft as Evelyn ...
'' (
Duccio Tessari Duccio Tessari (11 October 1926 – 6 September 1994) was an Italian director, screenwriter and actor, considered one of the fathers of Spaghetti Westerns. Born in Genoa, Tessari started in the fifties as documentarist and as screenwriter of p ...
) as Bernhard Redder * 1979: '' Le rose di Danzica'' (
Alberto Bevilacqua Alberto Bevilacqua (27 June 1934 – 9 September 2013) was an Italian writer and filmmaker. Leonardo Sciascia, an Italian writer and politician, read Bevilacqua's first collection of stories, ''The Dust on the Grass'' (1955), was impressed and ...
) as Baron Erich von Lehner * 1980: ' (
Claude Chabrol Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues a ...
, Juan Luis Buñuel) (TV miniseries) as Fantômas / Nanteuil / Gurn / Valgrand * 1980: '' Eroina'' ( Massimo Pirri) as Marco * 1981: ''
Mia moglie è una strega ''Mia moglie è una strega'' () is a 1980 Italian comedy film directed by Castellano & Pipolo. Plot The spirit of Finnicella, a witch burned at the stake, is liberated. She immediately goes on the trail of a descendant of the cardinal who ord ...
'' (
Castellano & Pipolo Castellano & Pipolo is the stage name used by the pair of Italian screenwriters and film directors Franco Castellano (1925–1999) and Giuseppe Moccia (1933–2006). Together, they wrote the screenplays for about seventy films, and directed tw ...
) as Asmodeo * 1982: ' (
Károly Makk Károly Makk (December 22, 1925 – August 30, 2017) was a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. Five of his films were nominated for the ''Palme d'Or'' at the Cannes Film Festival; however, he won lesser awards at Cannes and elsewhere. He wa ...
) as Boris * 1983: '' Femmes'' (Tana Kaleya) as Helmut * 1983: '' Veliki Transport'' (V. Bulajic) as Colonel Glassendorf * 1982: '' Victoria! La gran aventura de un poble'' (
Antoni Ribas Antoni Ribas i Piera (27 October 1935 – 3 October 2007) was a Catalan Spanish film director and screenwriter. He directed 15 films between 1966 and 2007. His 1973 film ''La otra imagen'' was entered into the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. Fi ...
) as Tinent Rodríguez Haro * 1983: '' Victoria! 2: El frenesì del 17'' (Antoni Ribas) as Tinent Rodríguez Haro * 1983–1984: ''
Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
'' (television series) as Peter De Vilbis * 1984: '' Victoria! 3: La razon y el arrebato'' (Antoni Ribas) as Tinent Rodríguez Haro * 1985: '' Code Name: Emerald'' ( Jonathan Sanger) as Ernst Ritter * 1988: '' Faceless'' (
Jess Franco Jess is a unisex given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Jessica, Jesse, Jessie, etc., and a surname. It may refer to: Given name * Jess Atkinson (born 1961), American football player * Jess Cain (1926–2008), American radio host * J ...
) as Docteur Flamand * 1988: '' Act of Revenge'' ( Salvatore Nocita) * 1989: '' La Puritana'' (
Nini Grassia Nini may refer to: Geography * Nini River, Ghana * Nini Suhien National Park, Ghana Film and television * '' Ninì Tirabusciò: la donna che inventò la mossa'', an Italian comedy film * '' Nini's Treehouse'', a children's television series * Ni ...
) as Carlo Martora-Doctor * 1990: ''
The Godfather Part III ''The Godfather Part III'' is a 1990 American crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegn ...
'' (
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...
) as Frederick Keinszig * 1992: ''
Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
'' ( Lucio Gaudino) as Gilas * 1993: ''
Boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, althou ...
'' (Christoph Schrewe) as Richard Schwarzer * 1993: '' Ludwig 1881'' (F. Dubini / D. Dubini) as King Ludwig II * 1995: '' L'affaire Dreyfuss'' (
Yves Boisset Yves may refer to: * Yves, Charente-Maritime, a commune of the Charente-Maritime department in France * Yves (given name), including a list of people with the name * ''Yves'' (single album), a single album by Loona * ''Yves'' (film), a 2019 Fre ...
) as Schwartzkoppen * 1996: '' L'ombra del faraone'' ( S. Ben Barka) * 1996: '' Teo'' (Cinzia TH Torrini) as Signor Mastrovito * 1997: ' (
Christoph Schlingensief Christoph Maria Schlingensief (24 October 1960 – 21 August 2010) was a German theatre director, performance artist, and filmmaker. Starting as an independent underground filmmaker, Schlingensief later staged productions for theatres and festivals ...
) as Himself * 1997: '' Last Cut'' ( Marcello Avallone) * 1999: '' Under the Palms'' (M. Kruishoop) as David * 2004: '' Honey Baby'' ( Mika Kaurismäki) as Karl / Hades * 2005: '' Damals warst du still'' (R. Matsutani) as Fabian Plessen * 2009: '' Zapping Alien'' (V. Zeplichal) as Jack / 00Y / Georg II * 2009: ''Blutsfreundschaft'' ( Peter Kern) as Gustav Tritzinsky * 2009: ''
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...
'' ( Joshua Newton) as Shrager / Vogler * 2011: ''Mörderschwestern'' ( Peter Kern) as Dr. Schleier * 2013: ''
The Devil's Violinist ''The Devil's Violinist'' is a 2013 film based on the life story of the 19th-century Italian violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini. The film had its US premiere on 10 March 2014 at the Miami International Film Festival. Plot Niccolo Paga ...
'' ( Bernard Rose) as Lord Burghersh * 2014: '' Saint Laurent'' (
Bertrand Bonello Bertrand Bonello (; born 11 September 1968) is a French film director, screenwriter, producer and composer. His background is in classical music, and he lives between Paris and Montreal. His work has also been associated with the New French Extre ...
) as Yves Saint Laurent en 1989 * 2015: ''Helmut Berger, Actor'' (
Andreas Horvath Andreas Horvath (born 25 August 1968) is an Austrian photographer and filmmaker. Career Andreas Horvath studied photography at the "Graphische Bundes- Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt" in Vienna (1990-1992) and film at the Multimedia Art School in Salz ...
), documentary film as himself * 2016: ''
Timeless Timeless (or atemporal) or timelessness (or atemporality) may refer to: * Agelessness, the condition of being unaffected by the passage of time * Akal (Sikh term), timelessness in Sikhism * Eternity, timeless existence or infinite duration * Im ...
'' ( Alexander Tuschinski) as Professor Martin * 2019: ''Helmut Berger, meine Mutter und ich'' (Valesca Peters), documentary film as himself * 2019: ''
Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving one ...
'' (
Albert Serra Albert Serra (Catalan pronunciation: �lß'ɛɾ sɛrəborn 9 October 1975) is a Spanish independent filmmaker and manager of the production company Andergraun Films, set up by Montse Triola primarily to produce Serra's films. He is best known fo ...
) as Baron von Walchern


See also

*
List of Austrian film actors This article lists notable Austrian actors. Actors who were active in more than one era are listed only in that era in which they started their acting career. Silent film era (1906-1930) Females: *Sybille Binder *Betty Bird *Hedwig Bleibtreu *C ...


Bibliography

* Coriando, Paola-Ludovika (March 2006). "La poesia del volto: ritratto di Helmut Berger attore viscontiano". '' Cineforum''. Issue #452. * Berger, Helmut, with Heuer, Holde: ''Ich, Die Autobiographie''. Ullstein, Berlin 1998, . * Coriando, Paola-Ludovika: ''Helmut Berger – Ein Leben in Bildern''. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2012, . * Berger, Helmut, with Heuer, Holde: ''Helmut Berger, autoportrait''. Seguier, 2015,


References


External links

*
Article by Alexander Tuschinski about filming with Helmut Berger in 2015.
(PDF; 1 MB) {{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, Helmut 1944 births Living people Austrian male film actors Austrian male television actors 20th-century Austrian male actors 21st-century Austrian male actors Bisexual male actors LGBT entertainers from Austria People from Bad Ischl Kristián Award winners Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! participants