Otto Sander (; 30 June 1941 – 12 September 2013) was a German film, theater, and voice actor.
Life
Education and early career 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.
Theatre His career is closely connected with the Schaubühne theatre in Berlin under the direction of Peter Stein. 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).
Film 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.
In 1990, he was a member of the Jury at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.
Voice acting Because of his warm, strong voice, which earned him the sobriquet "The Voice" (the English term is used), he has been used frequently as narrator for television documentaries, and numerous talking books in the 1990s.
Personal life and death He was married to the actress Monika Hansen and was stepfather to the actors Ben Becker and Meret Becker. He had two brothers, the lawyer Adolf Sander, the scientist Chris Sander, and a sister, the book dealer Marianne Sander.
Sander died, aged 72, in Berlin on 12 September 2013. No cause of death was given, though he had been diagnosed with cancer several years before his death.Otto Sander, Wings of Desire actor dies at 72, BBC, 12 September 2013
Filmography As actor Year Title Role Notes1970 Don't Fumble, Darling Revoluzzer Otto1974 One or the Other of Us Rulle 1975 Lehmanns Erzählungen Lehmann TV film Meine Sorgen möcht' ich haben Harald Bornemann 1976 Pjotr Suslov The Marquise of O Der Bruder, Der Forstmeister Vier gegen die Bank Eberhard Winter TV film1979 The Tin Drum Musiker Meyn 1980 Palermo or Wolfsburg Prosecutor The Cause of the Crime Anton Seiler TV film1981 Kowalski Das Boot Phillip Thomsen The Man in Pyjamas Rudi In the Land of Cockaigne Kaflisch TV film1982 Number Seven 1984 Der Mord mit der Schere Inspector Spalt Short1986 Rosa Luxemburg Karl Liebknecht Miko: From the Gutter to the Stars Kreditberater Grop Wahnfried Richard Wagner Boundaries of Time: Caspar David Friedrich Gerichtsgehilfe 1987 Wings of Desire Cassiel 1988 Otto Spalt 1989 Lubowitz 1990 Time of Vengeance Robert Vorwärts Backward Pedestrian Short1991 Amaurose Amaurose 1992 Lyrische Suite. Das untergehende Vaterland 1993 Inges Vater Faraway, So Close! Cassiel Salzmann 1994 Hölderlin-Comics Friedrich Hölderlin - Elder Movie Days Maður á hesti Three Sisters Vershinin The Promise Professor Lorenz 1996 Killer Condom Mr. Higgins Conversation with the Beast Hitler double Truck Stop Short1997 Comedian Harmonists Bruno Levy 1998 Der Traum von der Freiheit Anton Melbye Am I Beautiful? David 1999 Father Lano TV film Baldur Meixner Der Einstein des Sex Prof. Steinach 2000 Marlene Bühnenmanager Les Misérables Monseigneur Bienvenu TV miniseries2001 Sass Vater Sass 2002 Bernd Kortens TV film2003 Donau, Duna, Dunaj, Dunav, Dunarea Franz 2007 Der kleine König Macius – Der Film Erasmus Voice Helmut 2010 Life Is Too Long Guest 2012 Die Schuld der Erben Leonhard Asmussen TV film Eckehardt Tiedgen
As Narrator Year Title Notes1983 A Love in Germany 1990 Werner – Beinhart! 1993 The Olympic Summer 2001 2003 Werner – Gekotzt wird später! 2006 Perfume: The Story of a Murderer 2008 Krabat
References
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