Otto Mellies (19 January 1931 – 26 April 2020) was a German actor on stage, in film and television, and a voice actor. He was known for his performance of the title role of Lessing's ''

Nathan the Wise ''Nathan the Wise'' (original German title: ', ) is a play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing from 1779. It is a fervent plea for religious tolerance. It was never performed during Lessing's lifetime and was first performed in 1783 at the Döbbelinsch ...

'' on stage 325 times.

Life and career

Mellies was born in Schlawe, now Sławno in Poland. At age 16, he applied successfully for acting education at the Staatstheater Schwerin, learning with

Lucie Höflich Lucie Höflich (born Helene Lucie von Holwede; 20 February 1883 – 9 October 1956) was a German actress, teacher and head of the Staatliche Schauspielschule (State Drama School) in Berlin.

, the director of drama. He worked at various theatres, such as in Neustrelitz, Stralsund, Rostock and Erfurt, learning a broad repertoire. He played the Tempelherr in Lessing's ''

Nathan der Weise ''Nathan the Wise'' (original German title: ', ) is a play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing from 1779. It is a fervent plea for religious tolerance. It was never performed during Lessing's lifetime and was first performed in 1783 at the Döbbelinsch ...

'' in Stralsulnd at age 20. From 1956, he was a member of the

Deutsches Theater Berlin The Deutsches Theater is a theater in Berlin, Germany. It was built in 1850 as Friedrich-Wilhelm-Städtisches Theater, after Frederick William IV of Prussia. Located on Schumann Street (Schumannstraße), the Deutsches Theater consists of two ad ...

, engaged by

Wolfgang Langhoff Wolfgang Langhoff (6 October 1901 in Berlin, German Empire – 26 August 1966 in Berlin, German Democratic Republic)The Internet Movie Database"Wolfgang Langhoff" Accessed 17 August 2007. was a German theatre, film and television actor and theat ...

. He turned to character roles such as Pylades in the 1976 production of Goethe's ''Iphigenie'' by Thomas Langhoff, with

Inge Keller Inge Keller (15 December 1923 – 6 February 2017) was a German stage and film actress whose career on stage and screen spanned seventy years. She was one of the most prominent performers in the former German Democratic Republic. Thomas Langhoff ...

in the title role. During his 55 years on stage, he excelled as Lessing's Nathan, staged by Friedo Solter in 1987, which he played 325 times. Mellies died on 26 April 2020.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mellies, Otto 1931 births 2020 deaths German male film actors German male stage actors People from Sławno People from the Province of Pomerania