Werner Stocker (April 7, 1955 – May 27, 1993) was a German
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 (), li ...
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
Werner Stocker also featured in the fantasy hit '' Highlander: The Series'' as Darius, a 2,000-year-old immortal priest.
The script of the episode " Band of Brothers" describes Darius as a monk with a "hideously ugly face",Episode "Band of Brothers", Final shooting script, p. 1, in ''Highlander the Series'' (season 1) (DVD, Davis-Panzer Productions, Inc., 2001), disc 9. but when the producers cast the part, they chose Stocker, who did not fit this description. Creative Consultant David Abramovitz explains, "Darius, originally in the script, was written as almost to look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, to be physically ugly and with a glorious soul. And when I got to France, I noticed that they cast this young, handsome German actor named Werner Stocker. I said, 'Wait a minute. What's going on here? He's supposed to be ugly.' And it seemed that the Germans, who were putting up a great deal of money, didn't want the only German actor in the show to be ugly; so he wasn't ugly. And this was one of the cases where politics won out and it didn't hurt anything because he was wonderful in the part."David Abramovitz, at , last accessed February 1, 2007
Associate Creative Consultant Donna Lettow says about Darius' character development, "It was always planned that Darius would die in " The Hunters". The original plan for Darius was that he would reappear in flashbacks, much like Fitzcairn does now." Abramovitz confirms, "Darius would have played a bigger part in the show, but Werner passed away."David Abramovitz, in Scott Thomas, ''There Can Be Only One'', ''Retrovision'', n°1, November 1997 issue, p. 47. Stocker's unexpected illness effectively prevented this. Producer
Bill Panzer
William Norton Panzer (September 6, 1942 – March 18, 2007) was an American television and film producer best known as one half of Davis-Panzer Inc, the production company behind the '' Highlander'' franchise.
Biography
Panzer was born in New ...
remembers that Stocker "had announced that he had a brain tumor," and that it happened "before we started shooting The Hunters" just before. It involved a tremendous amount of rewriting." The season 1 promotional booklet recounts, "Just days before going into production actor Werner Stocker was stricken ill and was unable to work. By now the character of Darius had become an integral part of the story and the writers had to scramble to adjust the story line."Season 1 promotional booklet, in ''Highlander: The Series'' (season 1), (DVD, Davis-Panzer Productions, Inc., 2001) Abramovitz recalls, "This was the episode when we learned that Werner Stocker was extremely ill. (...) I got a call at three o'clock in the morning, saying Werner would not be available, we were shooting in a day and a half, and there was fear if we were going to have to shut down. I went into work, wrote twenty-five straight hours, without a break, and got out a script and the show went on and it turned out pretty well." The promotional booklet further says, "Footage from previous episodes was successfully used to fill in for the absent actor and the season finale went on to mark a huge shift in the ''Highlander'' saga, forever altering the future of the series with the introduction of "
Hunters
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
" and "Watchers"."
Commenting on Stocker's performance as Darius, Abramovitz says, "He had an elegance, presence, and I was happy with the episode "Band of Brothers"."
Adrian Paul
Adrian Paul Hewett (born 29 May 1959) is an English actor best known for the titular role of Duncan MacLeod on the television series '' Highlander: The Series''. In 1997, he founded the Peace Fund charitable organisation.
Early life
Paul was ...
thinks, " ehad a very ethereal quality himself and I think Werner played ariusvery well."Adrian Paul, AOL Live Chat, May 1997 transcript last accessed February 1, 2007 The promotional booklet reports that Darius was "played with soulful grace by (...) Stocker. Stocker was an instant hit with fans." Stocker died on May 27, 1993 of a
brain tumor
A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...
*1983 (''Deutscher Darstellerpreis'') as Best Young Actor
*1988
Bavarian Film Award
The Bavarian Film Awards (german: Bayerischer Filmpreis) have been awarded annually since 1979 by the state government of Bavaria in Germany for “exceptional achievement in German filmmaking.” Along with the German Film Awards, these are the ...
(''Bayerischer Filmpreis'') shared with
Dana Vávrová
Dana Vávrová (; 9 August 1967 – 5 February 2009) was a Czech-German film actress and director. She was one of the most popular German actresses throughout 1980s and early 1990s. After her role in Herbstmilch as Anna Wimschneider in 1989, she ...
Dana Vávrová
Dana Vávrová (; 9 August 1967 – 5 February 2009) was a Czech-German film actress and director. She was one of the most popular German actresses throughout 1980s and early 1990s. After her role in Herbstmilch as Anna Wimschneider in 1989, she ...
SOKO 5113
Soko ( sh-Cyrl, Соко) was a Yugoslav aircraft manufacturer based in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina. The company was responsible for the production of many military aircraft for the Yugoslav Air Force.
SOKO was created in 1950 by the rel ...
'' (TV series) "Rosis Brüder" Part 1 and Part 2
* 1981 - '' Exil'', directed by
Egon Günther
Egon Günther (30 March 1927 – 31 August 2017) in:
(TV miniseries)
* 1981 - ''Der Richter'', directed by (TV film) … Edwin
* 1981 - ', directed by (TV film) … Peter Urack
* 1982 - ''Warum hast du so trauige Augen'', directed by (TV film)
* 1982 - '' Die Weiße Rose'', directed by
Michael Verhoeven
Michael Verhoeven (born 13 July 1938) is a German film director.
Life and work
Verhoeven is the son of the German film director Paul Verhoeven (not to be confused with the Dutch film director Paul Verhoeven). He married actress Senta Berger in ...
… Christoph Probst
* 1982 - ''Die fünfte Jahreszeit'' (TV miniseries) … Leopold Perwanger
* 1984 - ''
Derrick
A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and ...
'' (TV series) - Season 11, Episode 02: "Die Verführung" … Willi Stein
* 1984 - ''Abenteuer aus dem Englischen Garten'', directed by Margit Saad (TV film) … Emil
* 1984 - ', directed by Radu Gabrea … Walter/Armand
* 1984 - ''Rambo Zambo'', directed by Reinhard Donga (TV film) … Xaver
* 1984 - '' The Old Fox'' (TV Series) - Episode 80: "Reihe 7 Grab 11" … Ludwig Huber
* 1984 - ''
Die Wiesingers
''Die Wiesingers'' is a German television series.
See also
*List of German television series
The following is a list of television series produced in Germany:
Current
Drama
* '' 4 Blocks'' ( TNT Serie, 2017–2019)
* '' Alarm für Cobra ...
'', directed by (TV series, Episodes 1-10) … Ferdinand Wiesinger
* 1984 - ''Le dernier civil'', directed by (TV film) … Hungrich
* 1985 - ''Die Unbekannten im eigenen Haus'', directed by (TV film) … Luska
* 1985 - ''
Flight into Hell
''Flight into Hell'' is a 1985 television miniseries about German pilot Hans Bertram and his co-pilot who go missing in 1932, based on Bertram's book of the same name, and in what was also known as 1932 Kimberley rescue.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Aust ...
'', directed by
Gordon Flemyng
Gordon William Flemyng (7 March 1934 – 12 July 1995) was a Scottish television and film director. He was also a writer and producer. He directed six theatrical features, several television films and numerous episodes of television series, some ...
(TV miniseries) … Adolph Klausmann
* 1985 - ', directed by … Hoffmann
* 1986 - ', directed by (TV miniseries) … Kalle Grossmann
* 1986 - ', directed by … Tom
* 1987 - '' The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission'', directed by
Lee H. Katzin
Lee H. Katzin (12 April 1935 - 30 October 2002) was an American film director.
Early life and education
He was born in Detroit, Michigan, and became a TV director in the late 1960s, including episodes for ''Bonanza, Mission: Impossible ''and '' ...
(TV film) … SS Sergeant
* 1987 - ''Aquaplaning'', directed by Eva Hiller (TV film) … Herrmann Ort
* 1988 - ''Der Condor'', directed by
Jobst Oetzmann
Jobst Christian Oetzmann (born 4 November 1961) is a German film director and screenwriter. He is best known for directing several episodes of the police crime drama series ''Tatort'', but he also made films based on literature, such as '' Die Ein ...
(Short)
* 1988 - ''
Die Wiesingers
''Die Wiesingers'' is a German television series.
See also
*List of German television series
The following is a list of television series produced in Germany:
Current
Drama
* '' 4 Blocks'' ( TNT Serie, 2017–2019)
* '' Alarm für Cobra ...
'', directed by (TV series, Episodes 10-20) … Ferdinand Wiesinger
* 1988 - ''
Ein Fall für zwei
''Ein Fall für zwei'' (''"A case for two"'') is a German television series, which premiered on 11 September 1981 on ZDF. The series, set in Frankfurt am Main, features two main characters who solve crimes: a defense attorney and a private inves ...
'' (TV Series) Episode 59: "Die einzige Chance" … Thomas Stelzer
* 1989 - ''
SOKO 5113
Soko ( sh-Cyrl, Соко) was a Yugoslav aircraft manufacturer based in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina. The company was responsible for the production of many military aircraft for the Yugoslav Air Force.
SOKO was created in 1950 by the rel ...
'' (TV series) "Der große Bruder" … Richard
* 1989 - '' Herbstmilch'', directed by
Joseph Vilsmaier
Joseph Vilsmaier (, 24 January 1939 – 11 February 2020) was a German film director who began his career as a technician and cameraman. He is internationally known for films such as ''Comedian Harmonists''.
Life
Born in Munich. Vilsmaier atte ...
… Albert Wimschneider
* 1990 - '' The Private War of Lucinda Smith'', directed by Ray Alchin (TV miniseries) … Hans
* 1991 - ''Lex Minister'', directed by
Peter Patzak
Peter Patzak (2 January 1945 – 11 March 2021) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He directed 60 films from 1973 to 2021. His film ''Kassbach – Ein Porträt'' was entered into the 29th Berlin International Film Festival and his f ...
* 1991 - ', directed by
Joseph Vilsmaier
Joseph Vilsmaier (, 24 January 1939 – 11 February 2020) was a German film director who began his career as a technician and cameraman. He is internationally known for films such as ''Comedian Harmonists''.
Life
Born in Munich. Vilsmaier atte ...
… Hans Stadler
* 1991 - ''St. Petri Schnee'', directed by
Peter Patzak
Peter Patzak (2 January 1945 – 11 March 2021) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He directed 60 films from 1973 to 2021. His film ''Kassbach – Ein Porträt'' was entered into the 29th Berlin International Film Festival and his f ...
… Dr. Amberg
* 1992 - ''Far from Berlin'', directed by
Keith McNally
Keith McNally (born 1951) is a British-born New York City restaurateur, the owner of several establishments including Parisian brasserie Balthazar, and formerly Nell's nightclub.
Personal life
McNally was born into a working-class family in ...
… Dieter Hausmann
* 1992 - ''Shadows of Love'', directed by Christoph Vorster … Tom
* 1992 - ''Samba Syndrom'', directed by Achim Lenz
* 1992 - ', directed by
Clive Donner
Clive Stanley Donner (21 January 1926 – 6 September 2010)Ronald Berganbr>Obituary: Clive Donner ''The Guardian'', 7 September 2010 was a British film director who was part of the British New Wave, directing films such as ''The Caretaker'' ...
… Franz
* 1993 - ', with
Dana Vávrová
Dana Vávrová (; 9 August 1967 – 5 February 2009) was a Czech-German film actress and director. She was one of the most popular German actresses throughout 1980s and early 1990s. After her role in Herbstmilch as Anna Wimschneider in 1989, she ...
, directed by Radu Gabrea … Emil Lehmann
* 1993 - '' Highlander'' (TV series)
::::The Hunters (1993) … Darius
::::Saving Grace (1993) … Darius
::::The Beast Below (1993) … Darius
::::For Tomorrow We Die (1993) … Darius
::::Band of Brothers (1993) … Darius