Helmut Berger (; ''né'' Steinberger; 29 May 1944 – 18 May 2023) was an Austrian actor, known for his portrayal of

narcissistic Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive preoccupation with oneself and one's own needs, often at the expense of others. Narcissism, named after the Greek mythological figure ''Narcissus'', has evolv ...

and sexually ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of European cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is regarded as a

sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British St ...

and pop icon of that period. He is most famous for his work with

Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, theatre and opera director, and screenwriter. He was one of the fathers of Italian neorealism, cinematic neorealism, but later ...

, particularly in his performance as King Ludwig II of Bavaria in '' Ludwig'', for which he received a special

David di Donatello The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David (Donatello, bronze), David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (the Academy of Italian Cin ...

award, and his performance in '' The Damned'' for which he was nominated for a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

Early life and education

Berger was born in Bad Ischl, Austria (then part of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

), into a family of hoteliers. After receiving his

Matura or its translated terms (''mature'', ''matur'', , , , , ', ) is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech ...

, Berger trained and worked in this field, though he had no interest in

gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between Human food, food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well ver ...

or the

hospitality industry The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and beverage services, event planning, theme parks, travel agency, tourism, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Sector ...

. At age eighteen, he moved to London where he did odd jobs while taking acting classes. After studying languages at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia in Italy, Berger moved to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Career

1964 to 1976

He met the film director

in 1964. Visconti gave him his first acting role in the film '' Le streghe'' (''The Witches'', 1967) (in the episode "La Strega Bruciata Viva"). He gained international prominence as Martin von Essenbeck in Visconti's '' The Damned'' (1969). In that film, in what is perhaps his best-known scene, he pretends to be

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

as she appeared in the film ''

The Blue Angel ''The Blue Angel'' () is a 1930 German musical comedy-drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings and Kurt Gerron. Written by Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller and Robert Liebmann, with uncredite ...

'' (1930). He then performed the title role in the

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

adaption ''

Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical ''Lippincott's Monthly M ...

'' (1970) and a leading role in the Oscar-winning Italian drama film '' The Garden of the Finzi-Continis'' (1970). In Visconti's '' Ludwig'' (1972), Berger portrays

Ludwig II of Bavaria Ludwig II (Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886), also called the Swan King or the Fairy Tale King (), was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He also held the titles of Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke ...

from his youth to his dissolute final years.

Romy Schneider Rosemarie Magdalena Albach (23 September 1938 – 29 May 1982), known professionally as Romy Schneider (), was a German and French actress. She is regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time and became a cult figure due to ...

starred alongside him. This performance earned him a

award. In 1974, Berger starred with

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor. Initially known for playing tough characters with tender hearts, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-year caree ...

in Visconti's '' Conversation Piece''. The story of ''Conversation Piece'' is often considered an allegory of the personal relationship between Berger and Visconti. On several occasions Berger mentioned this film as his favorite. He then played leading roles in such international productions as ''

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent: the seven weeks of Christian prayer, prayer, Religious fasting#Christianity, fasting and ...

'' (1973) alongside

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

and

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in Hollywood. On screen and stage, he often portrayed characters who embodied an everyman image. Bo ...

and '' The Romantic Englishwoman'' (1975) alongside

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...

and

Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson (9 May 1936 – 15 June 2023) was an English actress and politician. Over the course of her distinguished career she received List of awards and nominations received by Glenda Jackson, numerous accolades including two Academy ...

. He also appeared in

Tinto Brass Giovanni "Tinto" Brass (born 26 March 1933) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In the 1960s and 1970s, he directed many critically acclaimed avant-garde films of various genres. Today, he is mainly known for his later work in the Erot ...

's controversial film ''

Salon Kitty Salon Kitty was a high-class Berlin brothel used by the Nazi intelligence service, the ''Sicherheitsdienst'' (SD), for espionage purposes during . Created in the early 1930s by Katharina "Kitty" Schmidt, the salon was taken over by Nazi secre ...

'' with

Ingrid Thulin Ingrid Lilian Thulin (; 27 January 1926 – 7 January 2004) was a Swedish actress and director who collaborated with filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. She was often cast as harrowing and desperate characters, and earned acclaim from both Swedish and in ...

in 1976. Well-known photographers including

Helmut Newton Helmut Newton (né Neustädter; 31 October 192023 January 2004) was a German-Australian photographer. The ''The New York Times, New York Times'' described him as a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically ch ...

, Mary Ellen Mark, and

David Bailey David Royston Bailey (born 2 January 1938) is an English photographer and director, most widely known for his fashion photography and portraiture, and role in shaping the image of the Swinging Sixties. Bailey has also directed several televisio ...

published a series of pictures of him.

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

made Polaroids of him and produced serigraphs. Berger was also, in 1970, alongside his girlfriend Marisa Berenson, the first man photographed for the cover of '' Vogue''.

1976 to 1999

The death of Luchino Visconti in 1976 plunged him into a personal crisis. Exactly one year after Visconti died, Berger tried to commit suicide but was found in time to be saved. Drug and alcohol abuse began to shadow his acting career. In 1980 Berger was cast by

Claude Chabrol Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues an ...

Fantômas Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914). One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared ...

before he went to the United States to work in television in the role of Peter De Vilbis in nine episodes (1983–1984) of the U.S. prime time soap opera ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

'', which he said he did only for money. He later said he was "crying on the way to the set but laughing on the way to the bank". This was his last appearance in a long-running television series. He continued working in the U.S. on various projects, most notably starring in '' Code Name: Emerald'' in 1985. In Europe, he acted in the TV-miniseries '' The Betrothed'' in 1989. In 1990, Berger appeared in ''

The Godfather Part III ''The Godfather Part III'' is a 1990 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Jo ...

'' as corrupt banker Frederick Keinszig. He later appeared in the music video of

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

's song "

Erotica Erotica is art, literature or photography that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erot ...

" in 1992 and appeared in Madonna's book ''

Sex Sex is the biological trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. During sexual reproduction, a male and a female gamete fuse to form a zygote, which develops into an offspring that inheri ...

''. In 1993, Berger reprised his role as King Ludwig II in the critically acclaimed film '' Ludwig 1881''. Throughout the second half of the 1990s, he concentrated mainly on European productions, acting in films directed by Christoph Schlingensief,

Yves Boisset Yves Félix Claude Boisset (14 March 1939 – 31 March 2025) was a French film director and screenwriter. Early life Boisset was born 14 March 1939, in Paris, France. He studied at the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques (IDHEC). ...

, and many others. In 1997,

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...

included some archival footage of the film '' Beast with a Gun'' in his film ''

Jackie Brown ''Jackie Brown'' is a 1997 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, based on the 1992 novel ''Rum Punch'' by Elmore Leonard. It stars Pam Grier as Jackie Brown, a flight attendant who smuggles money between the United Sta ...

'' and thanked Berger in the closing credits for his performance.

2000s to 2023

From the early 2000s to 2009, Berger largely withdrew from the acting world, moving to

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

to care for his mother, who died in 2009. He then returned to acting in bigger production films. In 2012, Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf Verlag published ''Helmut Berger – A Life in Pictures'', a

coffee table book A coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and which can serve to inspire conversation o ...

about his life, featuring many previously unreleased photographs plus essays in German, English, Italian, and French. The book was well received by the reviewers. In the

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

'' (2009), Berger played Shrager, an aging character believed to be an old SS commander responsible for murdering Jews during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In the early 2010s, Berger starred in two films directed by Peter Kern, ''Blutsfreundschaft'' (shown at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival (2010)) and ''Mörderschwestern'' (2011). In 2014, Berger appeared in '' Saint Laurent'' as the older Yves Saint Laurent for which he was "celebrated" at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

. The short film ''Art!'', in which Berger had a starring role, had its world premiere at the Paris Independent Film Festival 2015. In 2015, Austrian filmmaker Andreas Horvath released a feature-length documentary about Berger called ''Helmut Berger, Actor''. The film premiered at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

. In the magazine ''

Artforum ''Artforum'' is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art. The magazine is distinguished from other magazines by its unique 10½ × 10½ inch square format, with each cover often devoted to the work of an artist. Notably ...

'', American film director

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

chose ''Helmut Berger, Actor'' as the 'Best Motion Picture of the year 2015'. Berger later filed a lawsuit against Horvath. On 22 February 2018, the premiere of Albert Serra's play, ''Liberté'', starring Berger and

Ingrid Caven Ingrid Caven (born 3 August 1938) is a German film actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in several films directed by her husband, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, including '' Love Is Colder Than Death'' (1969), '' Why Does Herr R. Run Am ...

was performed at the

Volksbühne The Volksbühne ("People's Theatre") is a theater in Berlin. Located in Berlin's city center Mitte on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz (Rosa Luxemburg Square) in what was the GDR's capital. It has been called Berlin's most iconic theatre. About The V ...

theatre in Berlin. It was the first stage role in Berger's career. In 2019, another documentary film ''Helmut Berger, meine Mutter und ich'' was released, dealing with his personality and an attempted comeback. After suffering several bouts of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

, Berger announced his retirement from acting in November 2019 and stated that he wanted to spend his remaining years away from the public eye.

Personal life

Berger was openly

bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

. He was in relationships with his director and mentor Luchino Visconti and actress Marisa Berenson. Berger married Italian writer and model Francesca Guidato on 19 November 1994. After 2010 they lived separately. Berger lived for many years in Rome, but returned to Salzburg in the 2000s to take care of his elderly mother. In the late 1960s and 1970s, Berger was seen as the " it boy of the European

jet set The jet set is a social group of wealthy and fashionable people who travel the world to participate in social activities unavailable to ordinary people. The term was introduced in 1949 and replaced " café society"; it reflected a style of life ...

". According to his 1998 autobiography ''Ich. Die Autobiographie'', the actor's affairs included flings with

Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev (17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer. Nureyev is widely regarded as the preeminent male ballet dancer of his generation as well as one of the greatest ballet dancers of all ...

Britt Ekland Britt Ekland (born Britt-Marie Eklund; 6 October 1942) is a Swedish actress. She appeared in numerous films in her heyday throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in ''The Double Man (1967 film), The Double Man'' (1967), ''The Night They ...

, Ursula Andress, Nathalie Delon,

Tab Hunter Tab Hunter (born Arthur Andrew Kelm; July 11, 1931 – July 8, 2018) was an American actor, singer, film producer, and author. Known for his blond hair and clean-cut good looks, Hunter starred in more than forty films. During the 1950s and 1960s ...

, Florinda Bolkan,

Linda Blair Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. Her portrayal of Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973) established her in popular culture and as a scream queen, earning her a Golden Globe Award ...

, Marisa Mell, Anita Pallenberg, Marilù Tolo, Jerry Hall, and both Bianca and

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

Miguel Bosé Miguel Bosé (born Luis Miguel Dominguín Bosé; 3 April 1956) is a Spanish-Italian Pop music, pop singer and actor. Early life Bosé was born in San Fernando Hospital in Panama City, Panama, the son of Italian actress Lucia Bosè (1931–202 ...

writes about his affair with Berger in his autobiography. From the 1980s on, Berger's private life was also in the news for his struggles with alcohol and drugs, which sometimes resulted in eccentric and controversial television appearances. In 2013, Berger appeared on '' Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!'', the German version of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!''. He had to leave for health reasons after only two days.

Death

Berger died on 18 May 2023, at the age of 78.

Awards and honours

In 1969, Berger was nominated for a

for his role in ''The Damned'', and in 1973 he won a

– the Italian equivalent of an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

– for his performance in ''Ludwig''. In 2007, he received a special Teddy Award at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival (2007) for his overall professional achievements. In 2010, Berger received two Prix Lumières at the Lumière Film Festival in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

and also the "golden key" of the city. In 2011, he received a Kristián Award, awarded at the Czech film festival

Febiofest The Prague International Film Festival (), also known as Febiofest, was a film festivals in the Czech Republic. It presented a wide spectrum of contemporary and retrospective examples of high-quality film including alternative, film-school and a ...

"for Contributions to World Cinema".

Reception

Filmography

''(director in parentheses; all films except as noted)'' * 1967: '' Le streghe'' (''The Witches'') (

) as Young man at Hotel (segment "La Strega Bruciata Viva") * 1968: ' (

Antonio Leonviola Antonio Leonviola, sometimes Leon Viola (13 May 1913 – 4 August 1995), was an Italian screenwriter and film director and co-founder of the "Libera Università del Cinema di Roma". Life and career Leonviola was born in 1913 in Montagnana as ...

) as Dario * 1969: ' ( Maurizio Liverani) as Aldo * 1969: '' The Damned'' (

) as Martin Von Essenbeck * 1970: ''

'' (

Massimo Dallamano Massimo Dallamano (17 April 1917 – 4 November 1976) was an Italian cinematographer, film director, and screenwriter. He is best known for his work on Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy, and for directing several giallo and poliziotteschi films ...

) as Dorian Gray * 1970: '' The Garden of the Finzi-Continis'' (

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement. Widely considered one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, four of the fil ...

) as Alberto * 1971: '' Un beau monstre'' ( Sergio Gobbi) as Alain Revent * 1971: '' The Bloodstained Butterfly'' (

Duccio Tessari Duccio Tessari (11 October 1926 – 6 September 1994) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor, considered one of the fathers of Spaghetti Westerns. Born in Genoa, Tessari started in the fifties as documentarist and as screenwriter ...

) as Giorgio * 1972: '' La colonna infame'' ( Nelo Risi) as Arconati * 1973: ' (

Otto Schenk Otto Schenk (12 June 1930 – 9 January 2025) was an Austrian actor, stage director for plays and opera, and theatre director. He worked internationally at major houses such as the Vienna State Opera and the Metropolitan Opera in New York Cit ...

) as Der Junge Herr / The Youngman / Alfred * 1973: ' ( Sergio Gobbi) as Kosta * 1973: '' Ludwig'' (

) as Ludwig * 1973: ''

'' (

Larry Peerce Lawrence Peerce (born April 19, 1930) is an American film and TV director whose work includes the theatrical feature ''Goodbye, Columbus (film), Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969), the early rock and roll concert film ''The Big T.N.T. Show'' (1965), ''On ...

) as Erich * 1974: '' Conversation Piece'' (

) as Konrad Huebel * 1975: '' Order to Kill'' ( José G. Maesso) as Clyde Hart * 1975: '' The Romantic Englishwoman'' (

Joseph Losey Joseph Walton Losey III (; January 14, 1909 – June 22, 1984) was an American film and theatre director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Wisconsin, he studied in Germany with Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. Hollywood ...

) as Thomas * 1976: ''

'' (

) as Helmut Wallenberg * 1976: '' Victory at Entebbe'' ( Marvin Chomsky) as Wilfried Böse * 1977: '' Beast with a Gun'' (

Sergio Grieco Sergio Grieco (13 January 1917 – 30 March 1982) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Biography Sergio's father was the Italian Communist Party, Italian Communist Ruggero Grieco. Grieco first started in film in the Soviet Union in 1 ...

) as Nanni Vitali * 1977: ''Paperback'' * 1978: '' The Greatest Battle'' (

Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unre ...

) as Lt. Kurt Zimmer * 1978: '' The Fifth Commandment'' (

) as Bernhard Redder * 1979: '' Le rose di Danzica'' ( Alberto Bevilacqua) as Baron Erich von Lehner * 1980: ' (

Juan Luis Buñuel Juan Luis Buñuel (9 November 1934 – 6 December 2017) was a French film and television director, screenwriter, and actor. His films include ''Expulsion of the Devil'' (''Au rendez-vous de la mort joyeuse'', 1973) and ''La Femme aux bottes ...

) (TV miniseries) as Fantômas / Nanteuil / Gurn / Valgrand * 1980: '' Eroina'' ( Massimo Pirri) as Marco * 1981: '' Mia moglie è una strega'' (

Castellano & Pipolo Castellano & Pipolo is the stage name used by the pair of Italian screenwriters and film directors Franco Castellano (1925–1999) and Giuseppe Moccia (1933–2006). Together, they wrote the screenplays for about seventy films, and directed t ...

) as Asmodeo * 1982: ' (

Károly Makk Károly Makk (December 22, 1925 – August 30, 2017) was a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. Five of his films were nominated for the ''Palme d'Or'' at the Cannes Film Festival; however, he won lesser awards at Cannes and elsewhere. He w ...

) as Boris * 1983: '' Femmes'' (Tana Kaleya) as Helmut * 1983: '' Veliki Transport'' (V. Bulajic) as Colonel Glassendorf * 1982: '' Victoria! La gran aventura de un poble'' (

Antoni Ribas Antoni Ribas i Piera (27 October 1935 – 3 October 2007) was a Catalan Spanish film director and screenwriter. He directed 15 films between 1966 and 2007. His 1973 film ''La otra imagen'' was entered into the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. Fi ...

) as Tinent Rodríguez Haro * 1983: '' Victoria! 2: El frenesì del 17'' (Antoni Ribas) as Tinent Rodríguez Haro * 1983–1984: ''

'' (television series) as Peter De Vilbis * 1984: '' Victoria! 3: La razon y el arrebato'' (Antoni Ribas) as Tinent Rodríguez Haro * 1985: '' Code Name: Emerald'' ( Jonathan Sanger) as Ernst Ritter * 1988: '' Faceless'' ( Jess Franco) as Docteur Flamand * 1988: '' Act of Revenge'' ( Salvatore Nocita) * 1989: '' La Puritana'' ( Nini Grassia) as Carlo Martora-Doctor * 1990: ''

'' (

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...

) as Frederick Keinszig * 1992: ''

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

'' ( Lucio Gaudino) as Gilas * 1993: ''

Boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although t ...

'' (Christoph Schrewe) as Richard Schwarzer * 1993: '' Ludwig 1881'' (F. Dubini / D. Dubini) as King Ludwig II * 1995: '' L'affaire Dreyfuss'' (

) as Schwartzkoppen * 1996: '' L'ombra del faraone'' ( S. Ben Barka) * 1996: '' Teo'' (Cinzia TH Torrini) as Signor Mastrovito * 1997: ' ( Christoph Schlingensief) as Himself * 1997: '' Last Cut'' ( Marcello Avallone) * 1999: '' Under the Palms'' (M. Kruishoop) as David * 2004: '' Honey Baby'' (

Mika Kaurismäki Mika Juhani Kaurismäki (; born 21 September 1955) is a Finnish film director. Early life and education Mika Kaurismäki was born in Orimattila. He is the elder brother of Aki Kaurismäki. After high school, Kaurismäki worked as a painter of ...

) as Karl / Hades * 2005: '' Damals warst du still'' (R. Matsutani) as Fabian Plessen * 2009: '' Zapping Alien'' (V. Zeplichal) as Jack / 00Y / Georg II * 2009: ''Blutsfreundschaft'' ( Peter Kern) as Gustav Tritzinsky * 2009: ''

'' ( Joshua Newton) as Shrager / Vogler * 2011: ''Mörderschwestern'' ( Peter Kern) as Dr. Schleier * 2013: '' The Devil's Violinist'' ( Bernard Rose) as Lord Burghersh * 2014: '' Saint Laurent'' (

Bertrand Bonello Bertrand Bonello (; born 11 September 1968) is a French film director, screenwriter, producer, composer and actor. His work has been associated with the New French Extremity. He wrote and directed ''Something Organic'' (1998), '' The Pornographe ...

) as Yves Saint Laurent en 1989 * 2015: ''Helmut Berger, Actor'' ( Andreas Horvath), documentary film as himself * 2019: ''Helmut Berger, meine Mutter und ich'' (Valesca Peters), documentary film as himself * 2019: ''

Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

'' ( Albert Serra) as Baron von Walchern

Bibliography

* Coriando, Paola-Ludovika (March 2006). "La poesia del volto: ritratto di Helmut Berger attore viscontiano". ''Cineforum,'' Issue #452. * Berger, Helmut, with Heuer, Holde: ''Ich, Die Autobiographie''. Ullstein, Berlin 1998, . * Coriando, Paola-Ludovika: ''Helmut Berger – Ein Leben in Bildern''. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2012, . * Berger, Helmut, with Heuer, Holde: ''Helmut Berger, autoportrait''. Seguier, 2015,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, Helmut 1944 births 2023 deaths 20th-century Austrian male actors 21st-century Austrian male actors Austrian LGBTQ actors Bisexual male actors Austrian bisexual people Austrian male film actors Austrian male television actors Kristián Award winners Male actors from Upper Austria People from Bad Ischl Università per Stranieri di Perugia alumni

Early life and education

Career

1964 to 1976

1976 to 1999

2000s to 2023

Personal life

Death

Awards and honours

Reception

Filmography

See also

Bibliography

References

External links