Gerd Dudenhöffer (born 13 October 1949 in

Bexbach Bexbach () is a town in the Saarpfalz district, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated on the river Blies, approximatively 6 km east of Neunkirchen, and 25 km northeast of Saarbrücken. The Saarländisches Bergbaumuseum (Saarland Minin ...

Saarland Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the smallest in ...

) is a German cabaret artist and writer.

Life

Dudenhöffer studied graphic and design in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

. Since 1977, he works in Germany as a cabaret artist. His most famous role is ''Heinz Becker''. Dudenhöffer is married and has two children.

Dudenhöffer's character "Heinz Becker"

Heinz Becker is an elderly catholic-conservative working-class man. He lives with his wife and son in a small rural town, a place where each knows everyone else and people often have family ties between them (the model obviously is Dudenhöffer's home town of Bexbach). Becker has poor formal education, speaks the local dialect and often hesitates to find the right words. Technical or sophisticated terms he normally misuses. The corner stones of his simple life are his friends in the local pub, renovating his house and gardening and participation in the activities of the local volunteers firebrigade and soccer club. With this background he comments on many developments and tendencies of modern metropolitan life: "mixed marriages" between Catholics and Protestants, marriages between homosexuals, old age sexuality, vegetarianism, foreigners and immigrants, climate change etc. He often explains his opinion through comparison to banal experiences made in his community and uses highly politically incorrect language. He is the, seemingly stupid, freshwater philosopher who holds a mirror to intellectuals from the big cities and their life style. In 1998 occurred a public controversy whether the stage character of "Heinz Becker" has a negative influence on the reputation of the German land of Saarland. Since then Dudenhöffer performs only outside of his homeland of Saarland.

Filmography

* 1991: ''

Pappa ante Portas ''Pappa Ante Portas'' is a 1991 German comedy film directed by Loriot, who also played the leading role and wrote the script, and Renate Westphal-Lorenz. This was Loriot's second and final feature film, after 1988's Ödipussi. Synopsis Heinrich ...

'' (waiter) * 1992–2004: '' Familie Heinz Becker'' (TV-serie) * 1999: ''Tach, Herr Dokter! – Der Heinz-Becker-Film''

Books

* 1984: ''Die Heinz Becker Story'' (Gerhard Bungert, Gerd Dudenhöffer, Charly Lehnert; Queißer Verlag), * 1986: ''"…alles geschwätzt!" Heinz Becker erzählt'' (rororo tomate), * 1998: ''Opuscula – Lyrische Gedichde (sic!)'', Eichborn, * 1999: ''Tach Herr Dokter'', Eichborn, * 2001: ''Opuscula Nova'', Eichborn, * 2005: ''Die Reise nach Talibu'', Handwerker Promotion,

Awards

* 1994: –

Telestar The Telestar was a former German television award, created by Das Erste and ZDF. It was succeeded in 1999 by the Deutscher Fernsehpreis The Deutscher Fernsehpreis (''German Television Award'') is an annual German award for television programming ...

for "Beste Comedy-Serie": „Familie Heinz Becker“ * 1996: –

Saarland Order of Merit The Saarland Order of Merit () is the highest award of the German State of Saarland. Established on 10 December 1974, the order is presented in recognition for outstanding service to Saarland by the Minister-President of Saarland. Awarded in a ...

* 1997: –

Goldene Europa Goldene Europa award is the oldest German Television award for artists and entertainers. It was awarded from 1968 to 2003. In the years 1989 and 2001, there were no ceremonies. Since 1981, the gala was broadcast on television. The original sculptu ...

by SR: erfolgreichste Comedy-Serie in der ARD: „Familie Heinz Becker“ * 2004: –

Deutscher Comedypreis The Deutscher Comedypreis ("German Comedy Award") is awarded by Brainpool TV. Because Brainpool's in-house productions have received extensive awards, the designation as the ''German Comedy Award'' is controversial. The awards ceremony takes plac ...

: Beste Comedy-Serie: „Familie Heinz Becker“

External links

Official website by Gerd Dudenhöffer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dudenhoffer, Gerd German male comedians People from Saarpfalz-Kreis 1949 births Living people Writers from Saarland Recipients of the Saarland Order of Merit Comedians from Saarland