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Otto Sander
Actor

Otto Sander

30 Jun 1941Born
12 Sep 2013Died
72Age at death
106Credits

Biography

Otto Sander (German: [ˈɔtoː ˈzandɐ]; June 30, 1941 – September 12, 2013) was a German film, theater, and voice actor.

Sander grew up in Kassel, where he graduated in 1961 from the Friedrichgymnasium. After leaving school he spent his military service in 1961/62 with the Bundesmarine and left as reserve fenrik. Sander then studied theatre science, history of art and philosophy. In 1965 he made his acting debut at the Düsseldorfer chamber plays. After his first film work in the same year he abandoned his studies in 1967, and went to Munich to become a full-time actor.

His career is closely connected with the Schaubühne theatre in Berlin under the direction of Peter Stein.

Read the full biography

From 1980 onwards Sander appeared on several of Berlin's theatre stages, among others at the Schillertheater in 1981, at the Freie Volksbühne in 1985 and in 1989 at the Komödie am Kurfürstendamm. More recently he starred in Hauptmann von Köpenick at the Schauspielhaus Bochum (2004).

In 1990, he was a member of the Jury at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.

Among his best-known film roles are the angel Cassiel in Wings of Desire and its sequel Faraway, So Close! by Wim Wenders, and a shell-shocked U-boat commander, Kapitänleutnant Philipp Thomsen, in Wolfgang Petersen's Das Boot. Sander also appeared in The Tin Drum (1979) as a trumpeter and in Comedian Harmonists, a biopic about the musical group of the same name. He also played a professor in the movie The Promise about the division of Berlin by the wall. In 1999 he played a role in Rosa von Praunheim's movie The Einstein of Sex.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 106 credits.

  1. 2025About NarrationFilm
  2. 2012Fly AwayFilm: Eckehardt Tiedgen
  3. 2012Die Schuld der ErbenFilm: Leonhard Asmussen
  4. 2010Life Is Too LongFilm
  5. 2008KrabatFilm: Narrator (voice)
  6. 2007The Heart Is a Dark ForestFilm: Helmut
  7. 2007Little King MaciusFilm: Erasmus (voice)
  8. 2006Unter kaiserlicher FlaggeSeries: Erzähler / Narrator (2 episodes)
  9. 2005Vienna Crime SquadSeries: Conrad Ribarski (1 episode)
  10. 2004Kaluoka'hina: The Enchanted ReefFilm: Narrator (voice)
  11. 2003Aus Liebe zu Deutschland - Eine SpendenaffäreFilm: Voice
  12. 2003The DanubeFilm: Franz
  13. 2003Werner - Gekotzt wird später!Film: Erzähler (voice)
  14. 2002Tödliches VertrauenFilm: Bernd Kortens
  15. 2002Atlantic AffairsFilm: Maitre de Plaisir on Stage
  16. 2002Das Jahrhundert des TheatersSeries: Narrator (6 episodes)
  17. 2001100 ProFilm: Narrator
  18. 2001SassFilm: Vater Sass
  19. 2000Les MisérablesSeries: Monseigneur Bienvenu (4 episodes)
  20. 2000The Einstein of Sex: Life and Work of Dr. M. HirschfeldFilm: Professor Steinach
  21. 2000MarleneFilm: Bühnenmanager
  22. 1999E-m@il an GottFilm: Petrus
  23. 1999Majestät brauchen SonneFilm: Kaiser Wilhelm II (voice)
  24. 1999Girls under investigationFilm: Staatsanwalt Baldur Meixner
  25. 1999Männer sind wie SchokoladeFilm: Vater Lano
  26. 1999Der Kuß des VergessensFilm: Herr Jelke
  27. 1998The ShopSeries (3 episodes)
  28. 1998Stan Becker - Auf eigene FaustFilm: Walker
  29. 1998Am I Beautiful?Film: David
  30. 1997The HarmonistsFilm
  31. 1997Conversation with the BeastFilm: Adolf Hitler Double
  32. 1997Liebe LügenFilm: Vater
  33. 1996Friedemann Brix - Eine Schwäche für MordSeries: Rainer Kleinhundert (1 episode)
  34. 1996The Killer CondomFilm: Mr. Higgins
  35. 1995Matulla und BuschFilm: Korte
  36. 1995Lumière & CompanyFilm: Cassiel (segment "Wim Wenders")
  37. 1995NikolaikircheFilm: kirchlicher Superintendent
  38. 1995The PromiseFilm: Professor Lorenz
  39. 1995BauernschachFilm: Dr. Gerold Stadler
  40. 1995A.S. Gefahr ist sein GeschäftSeries: Freddy Klinke (1 episode)
  41. 1995Das LochFilm: Der Mann
  42. 1994The White Horse Inn in St. WolfgangFilm: Prof. Hinzelmann
  43. 1994Hölderlin-ComicsFilm
  44. 1994Movie DaysFilm: Maður á hesti
  45. 1994Three SistersFilm: Vershinin
  46. 1993The Film NarratorFilm: Salzmann
  47. 1993The Olympic SummerFilm: Sprecher
  48. 1993Faraway, So Close!Film: Cassiel
  49. 1993Inge, April und MaiFilm
  50. 1993SchlusschorFilm
  51. 1992Wolffs RevierSeries: Schenk (1 episode)
  52. 1992Lyrische Suite. Das untergehende VaterlandFilm
  53. 1992Bescheiß kein Kind!Film: Vater
  54. 1990Werner and the Wizard of BoozeFilm: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
  55. 1990VorwärtsFilm
  56. 1990Time of VengeanceFilm: Robert
  57. 1989The BreakFilm: Erwin Lubowitz
  58. 1989Wie du mir..Film: Markus Petarka
  59. 1988The Case of Mr. SpaltFilm: Otto Spalt
  60. 1987Wings of DesireFilm: Cassiel
  61. 1987Close UpFilm: Professor Spalt
  62. 1986Boundaries of Time - Caspar David FriedrichFilm: Gerichtsgehilfe
  63. 1986Drei SchwesternFilm: Alexander Ignatjewitsch Werschinin
  64. 1986Miko: From the Gutter to the StarsFilm: Loan officer Grop
  65. 1986WahnfriedFilm: Richard Wagner
  66. 1986Rosa LuxemburgFilm: Karl Liebknecht
  67. 1986Eine Reise wert… Der Dichter Günter Kunert (be)sucht BerlinFilm: Rezitation
  68. 1985Das BootSeries: Kapitänleutnant Philipp (6 episodes)
  69. 1984Der FahnderSeries: Bähr (1 episode)
  70. 1984Der Mord mit der SchereFilm: Inspector Spalt
  71. 1983A Love in GermanyFilm: Narrator
  72. 1982Remembrance: Film for Curt BoisFilm: Director
  73. 1981Der Mann im PyjamaFilm: Rudi
  74. 1981Das TraumschiffSeries: James Korthals, Johannes Lippelt (1 episode)
  75. 1981Who's Going Crazy Here, Doctor?Film: Nummer Sieben
  76. 1981Das BootFilm: Phillip Thomsen
  77. 1981Strike BackFilm: Kowalski
  78. 1981Gesucht wird... Drei Geschichten um nicht ganz ehrenwerte HerrenFilm
  79. 1981Im Schlaraffenland. Ein Roman unter feinen LeutenFilm: Kalfisch
  80. 1980Die UrsacheFilm

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.