Bruno Ganz
Encyclopedia
Bruno Ganz (ˈbruːno ˈɡants; born March 22, 1941) is a Swiss actor, known for his roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire
and Adolf Hitler
in Downfall
.
to a Swiss mechanic
father and a northern Italian
mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university. He was equally drawn to stage and screen but initially enjoyed greater success in the theater.
, his cinematic debut was not particularly successful and it was only many years later that his career in film got off the ground. Ganz made his theatrical debut the following year and devoted himself primarily to the stage for almost two decades thereafter. In 1970, he helped found the Berliner Schaubühne ensemble and two years later performed in the Salzburg Festival
premier of Thomas Bernhard
's Der Ignorant und der Wahnsinnige, under the direction of Claus Peymann. The German magazine Theater heute (Theater Today) solidified Ganz’s reputation as a stage actor by pronouncing him Schauspieler des Jahres (Actor of the Year) in 1973. One of Ganz's most physically demanding stage portrayals was the title character in Peter Stein
’s 2000 production of Goethe's Faust
(Parts I and II), as he suffered injuries during rehearsals and his assumption of the role was delayed.
Ganz made his film breakthrough in a major part in the 1976 film Sommergäste, launching a widely recognized film career in both Europe and the U.S. He has worked with directors Werner Herzog
, Wim Wenders
, Éric Rohmer
, and Francis Ford Coppola
, among others. In 1979 he starred opposite Klaus Kinski
in Herzog’s Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
(Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night).
Ganz played a professor opposite Sir Laurence Olivier
in the thriller The Boys from Brazil
(1978), about Nazi fugitives.
Ganz is probably best known for his role in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire
, as the angel Damiel. He co-starred with Dennis Hopper
in Wenders' The American Friend
, an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith
's novel Ripley's Game
.
He went on to portray Adolf Hitler
in Der Untergang (The Downfall) (2004). Ganz did four months of research on Hitler in preparation for the role.
Ganz recently appeared in The Reader and Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
, which were both nominated for the 81st Academy Awards (best picture and best foreign language film).
It has been announced that he will play Italian
journalist Tiziano Terzani
in an upcoming biopic.
Ganz has also served as a speaker in classical music
works, including a recording of Luigi Nono
's Il Canto Sospeso with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
.
, he resides in Venice
and Berlin.
Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
and Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in Downfall
Downfall (film)
Downfall is a 2004 German/Italian/Austrian epic war film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, depicting the final ten days of Adolf Hitler's life in his Berlin bunker and Nazi Germany in 1945....
.
Early life
Bruno Ganz was born in ZürichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
to a Swiss mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
father and a northern Italian
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university. He was equally drawn to stage and screen but initially enjoyed greater success in the theater.
Career
In 1960, Ganz landed his first film role, in Der Herr mit der schwarzen Melone (The Gentleman in the Black Derby). Despite the support of lead actor Gustav KnuthGustav Knuth
Gustav Knuth was a German film actor. He appeared in 128 films between 1935 and 1982.-Selected filmography:* Friedemann Bach * Das Grosse Spiel * Die Mücke * Sissi...
, his cinematic debut was not particularly successful and it was only many years later that his career in film got off the ground. Ganz made his theatrical debut the following year and devoted himself primarily to the stage for almost two decades thereafter. In 1970, he helped found the Berliner Schaubühne ensemble and two years later performed in the Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
premier of Thomas Bernhard
Thomas Bernhard
Thomas Bernhard was an Austrian novelist, playwright and poet. Bernhard, whose body of work has been called "the most significant literary achievement since World War II," is widely considered to be one of the most important German-speaking authors of the postwar era.- Life :Thomas Bernhard was...
's Der Ignorant und der Wahnsinnige, under the direction of Claus Peymann. The German magazine Theater heute (Theater Today) solidified Ganz’s reputation as a stage actor by pronouncing him Schauspieler des Jahres (Actor of the Year) in 1973. One of Ganz's most physically demanding stage portrayals was the title character in Peter Stein
Peter Stein
Peter Stein is a critically acclaimed German theatre and opera director who established himself at the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, a company that he brought to the forefront of German theatre....
’s 2000 production of Goethe's Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
(Parts I and II), as he suffered injuries during rehearsals and his assumption of the role was delayed.
Ganz made his film breakthrough in a major part in the 1976 film Sommergäste, launching a widely recognized film career in both Europe and the U.S. He has worked with directors Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
, Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
, Éric Rohmer
Éric Rohmer
Éric Rohmer was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter and teacher. A figure in the post-war New Wave cinema, he was a former editor of Cahiers du cinéma....
, and Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
, among others. In 1979 he starred opposite Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
in Herzog’s Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
Nosferatu the Vampyre is a 1979 West German vampire horror film written and directed by Werner Herzog. Its original German title is Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht...
(Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night).
Ganz played a professor opposite Sir Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
in the thriller The Boys from Brazil
The Boys from Brazil (film)
The Boys from Brazil is a 1978 British/American science fiction/thriller film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. It stars Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier, with James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen and Steve Guttenberg in supporting roles...
(1978), about Nazi fugitives.
Ganz is probably best known for his role in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
, as the angel Damiel. He co-starred with Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
in Wenders' The American Friend
The American Friend
The American Friend is a 1977 film by Wim Wenders, loosely adapted from the novel Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith. The film is of the neo-noir genre, and features Dennis Hopper as career criminal Tom Ripley and Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Zimmermann, a terminally ill picture framer whom Ripley...
, an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith was an American novelist and short-story writer most widely known for her psychological thrillers, which led to more than two dozen film adaptations. Her first novel, Strangers on a Train, has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times, notably by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951...
's novel Ripley's Game
Ripley's Game
Ripley's Game is a psychological thriller by Patricia Highsmith, the third in her "Ripliad" series.-Plot summary:In the third Ripley novel, Tom Ripley is a wealthy man in his early thirties. He lives in Villeperce, France, with his French wife, Heloise...
.
He went on to portray Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in Der Untergang (The Downfall) (2004). Ganz did four months of research on Hitler in preparation for the role.
Ganz recently appeared in The Reader and Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
The Baader Meinhof Complex is a 2008 German film by Uli Edel. Written and produced by Bernd Eichinger, it stars Moritz Bleibtreu, Martina Gedeck and Johanna Wokalek. The film is based on the 1985 German best selling non-fiction book of the same name by Stefan Aust...
, which were both nominated for the 81st Academy Awards (best picture and best foreign language film).
It has been announced that he will play Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
journalist Tiziano Terzani
Tiziano Terzani
Tiziano Terzani was an Italian journalist and writer, best known for his extensive knowledge of 20th century East Asia and for being one of the very few western reporters to witness both the fall of Saigon to the hands of the Vietcong and the fall of Phnom Pehn at the hands of the Khmer rouge in...
in an upcoming biopic.
Ganz has also served as a speaker in classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
works, including a recording of Luigi Nono
Luigi Nono
Luigi Nono was an Italian avant-garde composer of classical music and remains one of the most prominent composers of the 20th century.- Early years :Born in Venice, he was a member of a wealthy artistic family, and his grandfather was a notable painter...
's Il Canto Sospeso with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
The Berlin Philharmonic, German: , formerly Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester , is an orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. In 2006, a group of ten European media outlets voted the Berlin Philharmonic number three on a list of "top ten European Orchestras", after the Vienna Philharmonic and the...
.
Personal life
Bruno Ganz is separated from his wife Sabine, whom he married in 1965, and with whom he had his only son Daniel (b. 1972). When not in his hometown of ZürichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, he resides in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and Berlin.
Awards
- 1973 "Actor of the Year" in German magazine Theater heute (Theatre Today)
- 1976 German Film AwardsDeutscher FilmpreisThe Deutscher Filmpreis is the highest German movie award. From 1951 to 2004 it was awarded by a commission, since 2005 the award has been given by the Deutsche Filmakademie...
- 1979 Deutscher Darstellerpreis (Chaplin-Shoe)
- 1991 Hans-Reinhart-RingHans-Reinhart-RingThe Hans-Reinhart-Ring is a prestigious Swiss award in theatre....
, given by The Swiss Society for Theatre Culture - 1996 Iffland-RingIffland-RingThe Iffland-Ring is a diamond-studded ring with the picture of August Wilhelm Iffland ....
- 2000 Swiss Film Awards
- 2000 Ordre des Arts et des LettresOrdre des Arts et des LettresThe Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
- 2000 David di DonatelloDavid di DonatelloDavid di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006.- History :The...
- 2001 Berliner Filmpreis (Berlin Film Awards)
- 2004 Bavarian Film AwardsBayerischer FilmpreisThe Bavarian Film Awards 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 most highly regarded awards for filmmaking achievement in Germany.The Bavarian Film...
, Best Actor - 2006 Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Filmography
- Der Herr mit der schwarzen Melone (The Man in the Black Derby), 1960
- Chikita, 1961
- Sommergäste (Summer Guests), 1976
- Lumière, 1976
- Die Marquise von ODie Marquise von OThe Marquise of O is a novella by Heinrich von Kleist. It was first published in 1808.-Synopsis:The story begins with a one-sentence paragraph, in which the widowed Marquise von O...
... (The Marquise of O...), 1976 - Die Wildente (Wild Duck), 1976
- Der Amerikanische Freund (The American Friend), 1977
- Die linkshändige Frau (The Left-Handed Woman), 1977
- The Boys from BrazilThe Boys from Brazil (film)The Boys from Brazil is a 1978 British/American science fiction/thriller film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. It stars Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier, with James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen and Steve Guttenberg in supporting roles...
, 1978 - Messer im Kopf (Knife in the Head), 1978
- Nosferatu: Phantom der NachtNosferatu: Phantom der NachtNosferatu the Vampyre is a 1979 West German vampire horror film written and directed by Werner Herzog. Its original German title is Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht...
(Nosferatu the Vampyre), 1979 - Retour à la bien-aiméeReturn to the BelovedReturn to the Beloved is a 1979 French drama film directed by Jean-François Adam.-Cast:* Isabelle Huppert - Jeanne Kern* Jacques Dutronc - Julien* Bruno Ganz - Dr...
(Return to the Beloved), 1979 - 5% de risques, 1980
- Der ErfinderThe InventorThe Inventor is a 1981 Swiss-German comedy film directed by Kurt Gloor. It was entered into the 31st Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Bruno Ganz - Jakob Nüssli* Walo Lüönd - Otti* Verena Peter - Martha Nüssli...
(The Inventor), 1980 - La Dame aux caméliasThe Lady of the Camellias (film)The Lady of the Camellias is a 1981 French-Italian drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini and starring Isabelle Huppert.-Cast:* Isabelle Huppert - Alphonsine Plessis* Gian Maria Volonté - Plessis* Bruno Ganz - Count Perregaux...
(The Lady of the Camellias), 1980 - La provincialeLa provinciale (1981 film)La provinciale is a 1981 French-Swiss drama film directed by Claude Goretta. It was entered into the 31st Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Nathalie Baye - Christine* Angela Winkler - Claire* Bruno Ganz - Remy* Patrick Chesnais - Pascal...
(1981) - Hands Up!, 1981
- Die FälschungDie FälschungDie Fälschung is an anti-war film directed by Volker Schlöndorff and internationally released in 1981. An international co-production, it was an adaptation of Nicolas Born's novel of the same name, which had appeared in 1979...
(Circle of Deceit), 1981 - Krieg und Frieden (War and Peace), 1983
- Dans la ville blancheIn the White CityIn the White City is a 1983 Swiss drama film directed by Alain Tanner. It was entered into the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Bruno Ganz as Paul* Teresa Madruga as Rosa* Julia Vonderlinn as Élisa / The Swiss woman...
(In the White City, directed by Alain Tanner), 1983 - Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire)Wings of DesireWings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
, 1987 - BankomattBankomattBankomatt is a 1989 Italian-Swiss drama film directed by Villi Hermann. It was entered into the 39th Berlin International Film Festival.The story follows a man planing and conducting a bank robbery...
(1989) - StraplessStraplessStrapless is a 1989 film written and directed by David Hare.-Plot summary:An expatriate American doctor in London allows herself to lighten up when her freewheeling younger sister and a mysterious man enter her life. Her inhibitions released, the beautiful doctor learns that freedom has its own...
, 1989 - ErfolgSuccess (film)Success is a 1991 German drama film directed by Franz Seitz, Jr.. It was entered into the 41st Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Bruno Ganz as Jacques Tüverlin* Franziska Walser as Johanna Krain* Peter Simonischek as Dr...
(Success), 1991 - La Domenica specialmente (Especially on Sunday), 1991
- The Last Days of Chez NousThe Last Days of Chez NousThe Last Days of Chez Nous is an Australian drama, directed by Gillian Armstrong and written by Helen Garner. Made in a style which emphasizes naturalism over melodrama, the film centres around what happens after Vicki arrives at the house of her older sister Beth, whose French husband falls for her...
, 1992 - Brandnacht (Night on Fire), 1992
- PraguePrague (1992 film)Prague is a 1992 British drama film directed by Ian Sellar. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Alan Cumming - Alexander Novak* Sandrine Bonnaire - Elena* Bruno Ganz - Josef* Raphael Meiss - Ralph...
, 1992 - In weiter Ferne, so nah! (Faraway, So Close!), 1993
- L'Absence (The Absence), 1994
- Saint-ExSaint-ExSaint-Ex is a 1997 British film biography of French author-adventurer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, filmed and distributed in the United Kingdom, and featuring Bruno Ganz, Eleanor Bron, and Miranda Richardson. The script was by Frank Cottrell Boyce, while the writer's sons, Aidan and George, portrayed...
, 1997 - Mia aioniotita kai mia meraEternity and a DayEternity and a Day is a 1998 Greek film starring Bruno Ganz, and directed by Theo Angelopoulos. The film won the Palme d'Or and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
(Eternity and a Day) 1998 - Pane e Tulipani (Bread and Tulips)Bread and TulipsBread and Tulips or Pane e tulipani is an award-winning 2000 romance comedy film directed by Italian Director Silvio Soldini, and starring Licia Maglietta and Bruno Ganz...
, 2000 - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Faust, 2001 TV
- Epsteins Nacht (Epstein's Night), 2002
- Behind Me - Bruno Ganz, 2002
- LutherLuther (2003 film)Luther is a 2003 biopic about the life of Martin Luther . It was an independent biopic and was partially funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, starring Joseph Fiennes....
, 2003 - The Manchurian CandidateThe Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)The Manchurian Candidate is a 2004 American thriller film based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Richard Condon, and a reimagining of the previous 1962 film....
, 2004 - Der UntergangDownfall (film)Downfall is a 2004 German/Italian/Austrian epic war film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, depicting the final ten days of Adolf Hitler's life in his Berlin bunker and Nazi Germany in 1945....
(Downfall), 2004 - Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul IIHave No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul IIThe biopic Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II explains in biographical form the life story of the late head of the Roman Catholic church, Pope John Paul II.- Plot :...
(2005) - Baruto no GakuenBaruto no Gakuenis a Japanese film released in 2006 and based on the true story of the Bandō Prisoner of War camp in World War I. It depicts the friendship of the German POWs with the director of the camp and local residents at the stage of Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture in Japan....
(バルトの楽園; Ode an die Freude), 2006 - VitusVitus (film)Vitus is a drama film written and directed by Fredi M. Murer. It was released on February 2, 2006, in Switzerland. It stars real-life piano prodigy Teo Gheorghiu, Bruno Ganz, Julika Jenkins, and Urs Jucker.-Plot:...
, 2007 - Youth Without Youth, 2007
- The Reader, 2008
- Der Baader Meinhof KomplexDer Baader Meinhof KomplexThe Baader Meinhof Complex is a 2008 German film by Uli Edel. Written and produced by Bernd Eichinger, it stars Moritz Bleibtreu, Martina Gedeck and Johanna Wokalek. The film is based on the 1985 German best selling non-fiction book of the same name by Stefan Aust...
(The Baader Meinhof Complex), 2008 - Dust of Time (Η Σκόνη του Χρόνου), 2009
- Satte Farben vor Schwarz (Colours in the Dark), 2010
- Das Ende ist mein Anfang (The End Is My Beginning), 2010
- Unknown, 2011
External links
- theartsdesk Q&A: Bruno Ganz on Playing Hitler (5 December 2010)