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Götz George’s talent, versatility, and memorable performances have left an indelible mark on German film and television. His legacy continues to inspire and entertain audiences to this day.
In today’s article, we take a look into his life as we find out more about him as well as his death and how it all took place.
Götz George’s Biography
Götz George was a renowned German actor, best known for his role as Duisburg detective Horst Schimanski in the TV crime series Tatort.
George was born on July 23, 1938, in Berlin-Wannsee, Germany, into a well-known acting family. Heinrich George, his father, was a well-known cinema and theatre actor, and Berta Drews, his mother, was a character actress. George was called after Imperial Knight Götz von Berlichingen, a favourite of his father.
George’s boyhood was shaped by his father’s terrible circumstances. The Soviets imprisoned and starved Heinrich George at the Soviet detention camp NKVD special camp Nr. 7.
Despite these obstacles, George spent his childhood in Berlin with his older brother Jan and his mother. He went to school in Berlin-Lichterfelde and then to the Lyceum Alpinum in Zuoz, Switzerland.
George made his stage debut in William Saroyan’s drama My Heart in the Highlands in 1950. From 1955 until 1958, he polished his acting skills at Berlin’s UFA-Nachwuchsstudio.
However, the most important element of George’s acting schooling occurred between 1958 and 1963. Following his mother’s guidance, he occasionally performed at Heinz Hilpert’s Deutsches Theatre in Göttingen. George never joined a fixed theatre company again after Hilpert’s death, despite performing on tours and as a guest performer.
George was signed by Hansgünther Heyme to the Kölner Schauspielhaus in 1972 when he played Martin Luther in Dieter Forte’s play Martin Luther und Thomas Münzer.
According to George, his greatest notable theatrical achievement was playing the lead in Büchner’s drama Danton’s Death at the Salzburg Festival in 1981.
In 1986 and 1987, George worked with Eberhard Feik and Helmut Stauss to stage-manage Gogol’s The Government Inspector. His most recent theatre tour was in Anton Chekhov’s Platonov.
George’s film and television career spans several decades. He rose to prominence in 1953, when he co-starred in When the White Lilacs Bloom Again with Romy Schneider.
His breakout performance was in the 1959 picture Jacqueline, for which he received the Bundesfilmpreis and the Preis der Filmkritik. For his fame as an actor, he got the Bambi Award in 1962.
George displayed his versatility throughout the 1960s by taking on a variety of roles. He participated in films like as Kirmes and Herrenpartie, in which he played a desperate Wehrmacht deserter. George rose to prominence when he portrayed Fred Engel, the farmer’s son, in the Karl May film series.
In the 1970s, he primarily appeared on stage and in television shows such as Der Kommissar, Tatort, Derrick, and The Old Fox.
George’s most popular triumph came in the 1980s with the TV series Tatort, in which he played working-class cop Horst Schimanski. Schimanski’s character became a cultural icon in Germany.
During this time, he also received the Bambi Award twice. George wowed audiences in the 1990s with performances in films such as The Sandman, Deathmaker, and The Bubi Scholz Story. These roles allowed him to demonstrate his ability to portray complicated and disturbed characters.
George’s personal life was distinguished by relationships and familial duties aside from his professional career. From 1966 to 1976, he was married to Loni von Friedl, with whom he had a daughter named Tanja-Nicole. He began dating Hamburg journalist Marika Ullrich in 1997, and they married in 2014.
George’s most popular triumph came in the 1980s with the TV series Tatort, in which he played working-class cop Horst Schimanski. Schimanski’s character became a cultural icon in Germany. During this time, he also received the Bambi Award twice.
George wowed audiences in the 1990s with performances in films such as The Sandman, Deathmaker, and The Bubi Scholz Story. These roles allowed him to demonstrate his ability to portray complicated and disturbed characters.
Sadly, Götz George died in 2016 at the age of 77, following a brief illness. He garnered various prizes and plaudits for his services to the world of acting throughout his career.
Götz George’s Cause Of Death
Götz George’s cause of death is unknown as there is no information about what led to his demise on the internet.
