Götz George (; 23 July 1938 – 19 June 2016) was a German actor, the son of actor couple

Berta Drews Berta Emilie Helene Drews (; 19 November 1901 – 10 April 1987) was a German stage and film actress. She appeared in more than 60 films from 1933 to 1983. She was married to actor Heinrich George. The couple had two sons, including actor ...

and

Heinrich George Georg August Friedrich Hermann Schulz (9 October 1893 – 25 September 1946), better known as Heinrich George (), was a German stage and film actor. Early life George was born in Pomerania to August Friedrich Schulz, a former Deck Officer in t ...

. His arguably best-known role is that of

Duisburg Duisburg (; , ) is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine (Lower Rhine) and the Ruhr (river), Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruh ...

detective Horst Schimanski in the TV crime series ''

Tatort ("Crime Scene") is a German-language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with 30 feature-length episodes per year, making it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed by the German public-se ...

''.

Early life

George was born in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Wannsee Wannsee () is a locality in the southwestern Berlin borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Germany. It is the westernmost locality of Berlin. In the quarter there are two lakes, the larger '' Großer Wannsee'' (Greater Wannsee) and the '' Kleiner Wannse ...

into a well known acting family: his father,

, was a famous film and theater actor, and his mother,

, a character actress. George is named after his father's favorite, Imperial Knight

Götz von Berlichingen zu Hornberg (, ; 15 November 1480 – 23 July 1562), also known as Götz of the Iron Hand (German language, German: Eisenfaust), was a 16th-century Germany, German (Franconian) Imperial Knight (''Reichsritter''), mercenary and poet. He wa ...

. His father was imprisoned by the Soviets and starved in the Soviet concentration camp NKVD special camp Nr. 7. George grew up in

with his elder brother Jan and his mother. He attended school in Berlin-Lichterfelde and later attended the Lyzeum Alpinum in Zuoz, Switzerland.

Career

Stage

George made his stage debut in 1950, performing a role in

William Saroyan William Saroyan (; August 31, 1908 – May 18, 1981) was an Armenian-American novelist, playwright, and short story writer. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, and in 1943 won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film ''The ...

's '' My Heart's in the Highlands''. From 1955 to 1958 he also studied at the Berlin UFA-Nachwuchsstudio, though he received the crucial part of his acting education between 1958 and 1963. Following his mother's advice he occasionally played at the Deutsches Theater in

Göttingen Göttingen (, ; ; ) is a college town, university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the Capital (political), capital of Göttingen (district), the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. According to the 2022 German census, t ...

under the direction of Heinz Hilpert. After Hilpert's death, George would never join a fixed theater company again, although he did regularly perform on tours and as a guest performer. Hansgünther Heyme signed him in 1972 to the Kölner Schauspielhaus, where George played

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

in Dieter Forte's ''Martin Luther und Thomas Münzer''. His most important stage achievement, in his own opinion, was the lead role in Büchner's ''

Danton's Death ''Danton's Death'' (''Dantons Tod'') was the first play written by Georg Büchner, set during the French Revolution. History Georg Büchner wrote his works in the period between Romanticism and Literary realism, Realism in the so-called Vormär ...

'' during the

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...

in 1981. In 1986 and 1987, George, together with Eberhard Feik and Helmut Stauss, stage-managed

Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works " The Nose", " Viy", "The Overcoat", and " Nevsky Prosp ...

's ''

The Government Inspector ''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' (, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the play was revised for an 1842 edition. Base ...

''. Performing in

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...

's '' Platonov'', George went on his last theater tour.

Cinema and television

In 1953, he was able to get a small film role next to

Romy Schneider Rosemarie Magdalena Albach (23 September 1938 – 29 May 1982), known professionally as Romy Schneider (), was a German and French actress. She is regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time and became a cult figure due to ...

in '' When the White Lilacs Bloom Again''. In the same year he played, as he would often do from then on, next to his mother in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

''. After small movie parts during the 1950s, Götz George broke through with audiences and critics in the film ''Jacqueline'' (1959). George was awarded the Bundesfilmpreis and the Preis der Filmkritik for his role. In 1962 he received the Bambi Award as the most popular actor. In the sixties, George got the chance to show that he is able to do more than playing sappy peasants, through roles in movies such as '' Kirmes'', playing a desperate

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

deserter, and '' Herrenpartie''. More often, though, he performed in comedies and action-oriented movies which benefited from his physical presence. He became well known to a broad audience when, during his theater tour in Göttingen, Horst Wendlandt persuaded him to play in one of the Karl May series of films, which he started in 1962 with '' Der Schatz im Silbersee''. It was originally planned to give him the lead role, but this plan was abandoned when Lex Barker was hired to play the role of Old Shatterhand, so George played the farmer son Fred Engel. George performed all stunts himself, even in his lead role as sheriff in '' Sie nannten ihn Gringo''. In the 1970s, he turned primarily to stage roles and to television, including the many episodes of '' Der Kommissar'', ''

'', ''

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 Guy-wire, guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower ...

'', and '' The Old Fox'' for which he would become famous. It was not until 1977 that he was cast in a prominent role again, playing Franz Lang in '' Death Is My Trade'', a character modeled after

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

commander Rudolf Höß. George probably had his greatest popular success in the eighties on TV: in Tatort episodes of the WDR, broadcast from 1981 to 1991, he portrayed working-class police officer Horst Schimanski, who eventually became a cult figure in Germany. In 1984 and 1987 he again won the Bambi Award as the most popular actor. The series of '' Schulz & Schulz'' movies, starting in 1989 and dealing with the issue of the

German reunification German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...

, gave him the opportunity to show his talents as a comedian in a double role, as did the role of the industry consultant in the series of the same name, which is rather far removed from the roughneck charm of senior commissar Schimanski. Among George's most impressive roles in the nineties were his appearances in the television movie ' ('The Sandman'), in which he portrayed the alleged serial killer and writer Henry Kupfer as a cold, calculating and manipulative intellectual, the movie '' Deathmaker (Der Totmacher)'', in which he portrayed

Fritz Haarmann Friedrich Heinrich Karl "Fritz" Haarmann (25 October 1879 – 15 April 1925) was a German serial rapist and serial killer, known as the Butcher of Hanover, the Vampire of Hanover and the Wolf Man, who committed the sexual assault, murder, mutil ...

(The Butcher of Hanover), and in the television movie ' (based on Bubi Scholz), the trauma of an aged, broken boxer.

Personal life and death

George was married to Loni von Friedl from 1966 to 1976; the couple's daughter, Tanja-Nicole, was born in 1967. From 1997, he lived together with Hamburg journalist Marika Ullrich; the couple married in 2014. He died in 2016 at the age of 77 after a short illness.

Awards

*1995: Bavarian Film Award, Best Actor * 1995: Volpi Cup, Best Actor

Filmography (movies)

* '' When the White Lilacs Bloom Again'', 1953 ... Klaus * '' The Great Test'', 1954 ... Peter Behrend * '' Old Barge, Young Love'' (''Alter Kahn und junge Liebe'' ''Sonne über den Seen''), 1957 ... Kalle Borchert * ', 1958 ... Eberhard Römer * '' Jacqueline'', 1959 ... Gustav Bäumler * '' The Fair'' (''Kirmes''), 1960 ... Robert Mertens * '' Carnival Confession'', 1960 ... Clemens * ', 1961 ... Peter Joost * ', 1961 ... Hein Kersten * '' Our House in Cameroon'', 1961 ... Georg Ambrock * '' Her Most Beautiful Day'', 1962 ... Adam Kowalski * '' Das Mädchen und der Staatsanwalt'', 1962 ... Jochen Rehbert * '' Treasure of the Silver Lake'' (''Der Schatz im Silbersee''), 1962 ... Fred Engel * ', 1962 ... Chris Kronberger * '' Love Has to Be Learned'', 1963 ... Hansgeorg Lehmbruck * '' Man and Beast'' (''Mensch und Bestie''), 1963 ... Franz * '' Destination Death'' (''Herrenpartie''), 1964 ... Herbert Hackländer * '' Waiting Room to the Beyond'' (''Wartezimmer zum Jenseits''), 1964 ... Don Micklem * ''

Among Vultures ''Among Vultures'' (German: ''Unter Geiern'') is a 1964 Red Western film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Stewart Granger, Pierre Brice, Elke Sommer and Götz George. It was also released as ''Frontier Hellcat''. The film was a co-product ...

'' (''Unter Geiern''), 1964 ... Martin Baumann Jr. * '' A Holiday with Piroschka'', 1965 ... Thomas Laurends * '' Man Called Gringo'' (''Sie nannten ihn Gringo''), 1965 ... Mace Carson * '' Winnetou and the Crossbreed'', 1966 ... Jeff Brown * ''

The Long Day of Inspector Blomfield ''The Long Day of Inspector Blomfield'' is a 1968 Cinema of Germany, German crime film directed by Rudolf Zehetgruber and starring Götz George, Werner Pochath and Anthony Steel (actor), Anthony Steel. It was one of a number of movies Steel made i ...

'', 1968 ... Eddie Blomfield * ''

The Blood of Fu Manchu ''The Blood of Fu Manchu'' (, ), also known as ''Kiss of Death'', ''Kiss and Kill'' (U.S. title) and ''Against All Odds'' (original U.S. video title), is a 1968 British adventure crime film directed by Jesús Franco, based on the fictional A ...

'', 1968 ... Carl Jansen * ''

Commandos A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as opp ...

'', 1968 ... Oberleutnant Rudi * '' Wind from the East'', 1970 ... Soldier * '' Death is My Trade'', 1977 ... Franz Lang (based on

Rudolf Höss Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Höss (also Höß, Hoeß, or Hoess; ; 25 November 1901 – 16 April 1947) was a German SS officer and the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp. After the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II, he w ...

) * ''

Abwärts Abwärts ("Downwards") is a German post-punk band from Hamburg. Members FM Einheit and Mark Chung would leave the group in the early 1980s to join West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western pa ...

'', 1984 ... Jörg * ', 1985 ... Horst Schimanski * ', 1987 ... Horst Schimanski * ''

The Cat The Cat may refer to: Nickname * Mathilde Carré (1910-2007), French spy, double and possibly triple agent * Peter Bonetti (1941–2020), English footballer * Greg Cattrano (born 1975), American lacrosse player * Ernest Miller (born 1964), Amer ...

'', 1988 ... Probek * ', 1989 ... Walter Graf * ', 1989 ... Johann Neudorf * '' Schtonk!'', 1992 ... Hermann Willié * ', 1993 ... Bruno * ', 1995 ... Robot Max * '' Deathmaker'' (''Der Totmacher'') 1995 ...

* ', 1997 ... Uhu Zigeuner * ', 1998 ... Zobel * ', 1998 ... Bernie Kominka * '' After the Truth'' (''Nichts als die Wahrheit''), 1999 ... Dr. Mengele * '' Viktor Vogel – Commercial Man'', 2001 ... Eddie Kaminsky * ''Gott ist tot'', 2003 ... Heinrich Lutter * ', 2006 ... Jost * ', 2009 ... Schlomo Herzl * ', 2012 ... Chancellor Olli Ebert

Filmography (made-for-TV movies and series)

* ''Kolportage'', 1957 ... Erik Stjernenhö * ''Alle meine Söhne'', 1961 ... Christian Keller * ''Alle meine Söhne'', 1965 ... Chris Keller * ''Der Werbeoffizier'', 1967 ... Captain Plume * ''Schlehmihls wundersame Geschichte'', 1967 ... Peter Schlemihl * ''Match'', 1968 ... André * ''Der Eismann kommt'', 1968 ... Rocky Pioggi * ''Spion unter der Haube'', 1969 ... Cazmio * ''Ein Jahr ohne Sonntag'', 1969 (TV series, 13 episodes) ... Robert Sonntag * '' 11 Uhr 20'', 1970 (TV miniseries) ... Mûller * '' Der Kommissar: Tod einer Zeugin'', 1970 ... Wolfgang Karrass * ''

: '', 1971 ... Joachim Seidel * '' Diamantendetektiv Dick Donald'', 1971 (TV series, 13 episodes) ... Dick Donald * '' Der Kommissar: Der Amoklauf'', 1972 ... Paul Neumann * ''Der Illegale'', 1972 ... Nikolai Grunwaldt / Kurt Blohm * ''

: '', 1972 ... Jerry * ''Kesselflickers Hochzeit'', 1972 ... Michael Byrne * ''Die Gräfin von Rathenow'', 1973 ... Leopold * '' Der Kommissar: Sommerpension'', 1973 ... Gottfried Schuster * ''Zwischen den Flügen'', 1973 (TV series, 1 episode) * ''Mandragola'', 1974 ... Siro * ''

: '', 1976 ... Martin * ''Hungária kávéház'' (''Café Hungaria''), 1977 (TV series, 1 episode) ... Hadnagy * '' Polizeiinspektion 1: Verfolgungswahn'', 1977 ... Alfred Neumeier * ''Les Diamants du président'' (''The Pawn''), 1977 (TV miniseries) ... Pierre Vidal * ''Vermutungen über Franz Bieberkopf'', 1977 * ''

'' - Season 5, Episode 10: ''"Der Spitzel"'' (1978) ... Georg Lukas * '' The Old Fox: Der schöne Alex'', 1978 ... Alex Bergemann * '' The Old Fox: Der Auftraggeber'', 1979 ... Martens * ', 1980 (TV series) ... Victor * ''Überfall in Glasgow'', 1981 ... Craig Kennan * ''

: '', 1981 ... Horst Schimanski * ', 1981 ...

Frederick William I of Prussia Frederick William I (; 14 August 1688 – 31 May 1740), known as the Soldier King (), was King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death in 1740, as well as Prince of Neuchâtel. Born in Berlin, he was raised by the Hugu ...

* ''Dantons Tod'', 1981 ... Danton * ''

: '', 1981 ... Horst Schimanski * ''

: '', 1982 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Der Regenmacher'', 1982 ... Bill Starbuck * ''

: '', 1982 ... Horst Schimanski * ''

: '', 1983 ... Horst Schimanski * ', 1984 ... Craig Murray * ''Tatort: '', 1984 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1984 ... Horst Schimanski * '' Overheard'', 1984 ... Bozidar Popkov-Prokop * ''Tatort: '', 1984 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1985 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1985 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1985 (theatrically released) ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1986 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1986 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1986 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1987 (theatrically released) ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1987 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1988 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1988 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1988 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1989 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1989 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Spielen willst du ja alles. Götz George – rastlos im Einsatz'', 1989 * ''Tatort: '', 1989 ... Horst Schimanski * '' Schulz & Schulz'', 1989 ... Walter Schulz and Wolfgang Schulz * ''Tatort: '', 1990 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1990 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort / Polizeiruf 110: '', 1990 ... Horst Schimanski * '' Schulz & Schulz 2: Aller Anfang ist schwer'', 1991 ... Walter Schulz and Wolfgang Schulz * ''Tatort: '', 1991 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1991 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Tatort: '', 1991 ... Horst Schimanski * '' Schulz & Schulz 3: Wechselspiele'', 1992 ... Walter Schulz and Wolfgang Schulz * '' Schulz & Schulz 4: Neue Welten, alte Lasten'', 1992 ... Walter Schulz and Wolfgang Schulz * '': Kinderkram'', 1993 ... Carl Morlock * '': Die Verflechtung'', 1993 ... Carl Morlock * '': König Midas'', 1993 ... Carl Morlock * '' Schulz & Schulz 5: Fünf vor zwölf'', 1993 ... Walter Schulz and Wolfgang Schulz * '': Der Tunnel'', 1994 ... Carl Morlock * ', 1995 (TV miniseries) ... Stefan Stolze * ''Der König von Dulsberg'', 1995 ... Bruno Bülle * ', 1995 ... Henry Kupfer * ''Der Mann auf der Bettkante'', 1995 ... Jack Förnbeisser * ''Tote sterben niemals aus'', 1996 ... Benno / Theobald * ''Gates of Fire'', 1996 ... Harry Kowa * ''Schimanski: '', 1997 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Schimanski: '', 1997 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Schimanski: '', 1997 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Schimanski: '', 1998 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Schimanski: '', 1998 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Schimanski: '', 1998 ... Horst Schimanski * ', 1998/99 ... Bubi Scholz * ''Die Entführung'', 1999 ... Carl Heidfeld * ''Racheengel – Stimme aus dem Dunkeln'', 1999 ... Dr. Meinfeld * ''Schimanski: '', 1999 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Die Spur meiner Tochter'' ( ''Element des Todes''), 1999 ... Paul Flemming * ''Schimanski: Tödliche Liebe'', 2000 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Schimanski: '', 2000 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Bargeld lacht'', 2001 ... Harry Freundner * ''Schimanski: '', 2001 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Liebe. Macht. Blind.'', 2001 ... Alexander Stahlberg * '' Mein Vater'', 2002 ... Richard Esser * ''Liebe ist die halbe Miete'', 2002 ... Dr. Gottfried Naumann * ''Schimanski: '', 2002 ... Horst Schimanski * ', 2002 ... Vinzenz Kröger * ''Der Anwalt und sein Gast'', 2002 ... Frank Karmann * ''Geheimnisvolle Freundinnen'', 2003 ... Sandmann * ''Familienkreise'', 2003 ... Raimund Parz * ''Alpenglühen'', 2003 ... Hannes Seeger * ''René Deltgen – Der sanfte Rebell'', 2004 * ''Schimanski: '', 2004 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Leaf and Blossom – The Inheritance'', 2004 ... Vincent Gottwald * ''Alpenglühen zwei – Liebe versetzt Berge'', 2005 ... Hannes Seeger * ', 2005 ... Larry * ', 2005 ... John Schlesinger * ', 2005 ... President von Walter * ''Schimanski: '', 2005 ... Horst Schimanski * ', 2006 ... Jens Urban * ''

Commissario Laurenti ''Commissario Laurenti'' is a German television series, with five episodes broadcast 2006–2009, based on the crime novels by Veit Heinichen. It was filmed on location in Trieste, Italy. The episodes are: * ''Gib jedem seinen eigenen Tod'' (200 ...

: Die Toten vom Karst'', 2006 ... Antonio Gubian * ''Als der Fremde kam'', 2006 ... Dr. Robert Stubenrauch * ''Schimanski: '', 2007 ... Horst Schimanski * ', 2007 ... Henry Lichtfeld * ''Die Katze'', 2007 ... Siegmar * ''Meine fremde Tochter'', 2008 ... Johann Bergkamp * ''Schimanski: '', 2008 ... Horst Schimanski * ', 2008 ... Ernst Schmitt * ', 2010 ... Peter Jordan * ', 2010 ... Hape Wegener * ''Schimanski: '', 2011 ... Horst Schimanski * ''Papa allein zu Haus'', 2011 ... Theo Winter * '': '', 2011 ... Bruno Markowitz * ', 2011 ... Jasper Dänert * ', 2012 ... Bruno Theweleit * ', 2012 ... Prof. Arthur Noswitz * ', 2013 ...

* ''Schimanski: '', 2013 ... Horst Schimanski * ', 2014 ... Joseph Komalschek * ', 2016 ... Friedrich Türnitz

References

External links

*
goetz-george.de
{{DEFAULTSORT:George, Gotz 1938 births 2016 deaths Male actors from Berlin German male stage actors German male film actors German male television actors 20th-century German male actors 21st-century German male actors Volpi Cup for Best Actor winners German Film Award winners Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of Merit of Berlin People from Steglitz-Zehlendorf