Wolf Roth (born August 30, 1944)IMDb
/ref> is a German

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

and

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

Early life and education

Roth was born in Torgau, Germany, where his family had fled 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 ...

. He was raised and educated in

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...

. In 1961 he moved to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and graduated from the

Edsel Ford High School Edsel Ford High School is a public high school located in Dearborn, Michigan, USA in Metro Detroit. Edsel Ford, located on Rotunda Drive, near Oakwood, is one of three public high schools in the Dearborn Public Schools (along with Fordson and ...

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. He spent the next months travelling through the Midwest of the U.S.

Career

Having returned to Germany, he graduated in Bremen and went on to the

Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public university, public research university in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in West Berlin in 1948 with American support during the early Cold War period a ...

. He took courses in

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

and

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

, but found his vocation when he was taken by friends to the entrance examinations of the famous Max Reinhardt Seminar for actors. He was discovered by the actress

Hilde Körber Hilde Körber (3 July 1906 – 31 May 1969) was an Austrian film actress who worked largely in the German Film Industry. She appeared in 53 films between 1930 and 1964. She was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary and died in West Berlin, West G ...

, and while still in the seminar, he was seen and engaged by

Boleslaw Barlog Boleslaw Stanislaus Barlog (28 March 1906 – 17 March 1999) was a German stage, film, and opera director primarily known for his work in reviving the theatrical life of Berlin after World War II. From 1951 until 1972 he served as the Intendant of ...

. He made his theatrical debut in the play ''Squaring the Circle'' by

Valentin Kataev Valentin Petrovich Kataev (; also spelled Katayev or Kataiev; – 12 April 1986) was a Soviet writer and editor who managed to create penetrating works discussing post-revolutionary social conditions without running afoul of the demands of ...

in 1967. Subsequently he joined the theatre in

Oberhausen Oberhausen (, ) is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen ( ). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Rout ...

, where he portrayed several roles. He left Oberhausen in 1969 to continue his career in Berlin, where he played in the and the

Schaubühne The (Theatre on Lehniner Square) is a famous theatre in the Wilmersdorf district of Berlin, located on the Kurfürstendamm boulevard. It is a conversion of the ''Universum'' cinema, built according to plans designed by Erich Mendelsohn in 192 ...

. During this time, he started to work in television and the movies, where his main work has been since then. Films include '' Goldene Zeiten'' (2006) (as the character Jürgen Matthies).

Theatre

* ''Squaring the Circle'' by

Schiller Theater The Schiller Theater is a theatre building in Berlin, Germany. It is located in the central Charlottenburg district at Bismarckstraße 110, near Ernst-Reuter-Platz. Opened in 1907, the building served as a second venue for the Konzerthaus Berl ...

Werkstatt

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, 1967 * ''Half Way Up a Tree'' by

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, director and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received #Awa ...

, "Robert",

, 1967/68 * ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a 1928 German "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François V ...

'' by

Bertold Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a ...

, "Filch",

, 1967/68 * '' Farewell in June'' by

Alexander Vampilov Alexander Valentinovich Vampilov (; 19 August 1937 – 17 August 1972) was a Soviet playwright. His play ''The Elder Son'' was first performed in 1969, and became a national success two years later. Many of his plays have been filmed or televised ...

, "Kolesov",

, 1967/68 * ''

La belle Hélène ''La belle Hélène'' (, ''The Beautiful Helen'') is an opéra bouffe in three acts, with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The piece parodies the story of Helen of Troy's elopement with Paris (mythology ...

'' by

Jacques Offenbach Jacques Offenbach (; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera ''The Tales of Hoffmann''. He was a p ...

, "Paris",

, 1967/68 * ''

Kaspar Kaspar is a given name and surname which may refer to: Given name: * Kaspar, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (1459 – c. 1527) * Kaspar Albrecht (1889–1970), Austrian architect and sculptor * Kaspar Amort (1612–1675), German painter * C ...

'' by

Peter Handke Peter Handke (; born 6 December 1942) is an Austrians, Austrian novelist, playwright, translator, poet, film director, and screenwriter. He was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature "for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has ...

(world première), "Einsager",

, 11.5.1968 * ''

The Robbers ''The Robbers'' (', ) is the first dramatic play by German playwright Friedrich Schiller. The play was published in 1781 and premiered on 13 January 1782 in Mannheim and was inspired by Leisewitz's earlier play '' Julius of Taranto''. It was wr ...

'' by

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright. He was born i ...

, "Franz Moor",

, 1968 * ''

The Knack The Knack was an American power pop band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1978 by Doug Fieger (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Berton Averre (lead guitar, backing vocals), Prescott Niles (bass) and Bruce Gary (drums). Spearheaded by the succes ...

'' by

Ann Jellicoe Patricia Ann Jellicoe (15 July 1927 – 31 August 2017) was an English playwright, theatre director and actress. Although her work covered many areas of theatre and film, she is best known for "pushing the envelope" of the stage play, devisin ...

, "Tolen",

, 1968 * ''

Avanti! ''Avanti!'' (; Italian interjection – 'come in!') is a 1972 comedy film produced and directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills. The screenplay by Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond is based on Samuel A. Taylor's pla ...

'' by

Samuel A. Taylor Samuel A. Taylor (June 13, 1912 – May 26, 2000) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Biography Born Samuel Albert Tanenbaum to a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, Taylor made his Broadway theatre, Broadway debut as author of t ...

, directed by

Viktor de Kowa Viktor de Kowa (also spelled Victor de Kowa, born Victor Paul Karl Kowalczyk; 8 March 1904 – 8 April 1973) was a German stage and film actor, chanson singer, director, narrator, and comic poet. Life He was born the son of a farmer and engineer ...

, "Baldo Pantaleone", with

Günter Pfitzmann Günter Pfitzmann (8 April 1924 – 30 May 2003) was a German film actor who appeared in more than 60 films between 1950 and 2001. He narrowly escaped death due to heart problems which lead to him cancelling his seat aboard Concorde flight ...

, , 1969

Piano concerts

* In his youth Wolf Roth studied to become a professional pianist. At the age of 12 he gave his first concert with

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

, at the age of 14 he played his first

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

concert and at the age of 16, when in the U.S., he played the Warsaw Concerto by Richard Addinsell and the

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition for solo piano and jazz band by George Gershwin. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects and premiered in a concer ...

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

before audiences. As Franz Moor in ''

'' he had to play the piano on stage (it was a modern dress production) and was so good, that it was almost impossible to convince the critics and the audience, that they were watching a 'live performance' and not listening to an audio recording.

Selected films

* ' (dir.

Alfred Vohrer Alfred Vohrer (29 December 1914 – 3 February 1986) was a German film director and actor. He directed 48 films between 1958 and 1984. His 1969 film ''Seven Days Grace'' was entered into the 6th Moscow International Film Festival. His 1972 ...

, 1970), as Nick * '' Ich werde dich töten, Wolf'' (dir.

Wolfgang Petersen Wolfgang Petersen (14 March 1941 – 12 August 2022) was a German film and television director, screenwriter, and producer. His international breakthrough was the 1981 war film (1981), which earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Directo ...

, 1971), as Wolf * '' Der Kommissar: Das Komplott'' (1973, TV series episode), as Waldemar Dettmann * '' Der kleine Doktor: Besuch aus Paris'' (1974, TV series episode), as Philippe * ''

One or the Other of Us ''One or the Other of Us'' () is a 1974 West German film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It was Petersen's first theatrical feature film, and was based on the novel of the same name by Horst Bosetzky, published anonymously under his pseudonym -ky. ...

'' (dir.

, 1974), as Hohenberg * '' Der Kommissar: Der Tod des Apothekers'' (1975, TV series episode), as Edward Scholl * ''High Risk'' (1976, TV film), as Erik * '' Quincy, M.E.: Hot Ice, Cold Hearts'' (1977, TV series episode), as Müller * '' The African Queen'' (1977, TV film), as Lt. Biedemeyer * '' Peter Voss, Thief of Millions'' (1977, TV series, 13 episodes), as Peter Voss * ' (dir.

Rainer Erler Horst Rainer Erler (26 August 1933 – 8 November 2023) was a German director, screenwriter, writer and producer. Life and career Born in Munich, Erler grew up in Thalkirchen-Obersendling-Forstenried-Fürstenried-Solln, Solln and entered the ...

, 1978, TV film), as Porfirio Perez * '' Fleisch'' (dir.

, 1979, TV film), as Bill * '' High Society Limited'' (1982), as Moll * ''

Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its Guy-wire, guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower ...

: Via Genua'' (1983, TV series episode), as Achim Huber * '' Manimal: Night of the Scorpion'' (1983, TV series episode), as Russian Agent * ''

: Ein Spiel mit dem Tod'' (1984, TV series episode), as Ulrich Hossner * ''

Cover Up A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrongdoing, error, incompetence, or other embarrassing information. Research has distinguished personal cover-ups (covering up one's own misdeeds) from relational co ...

: Rules to Die By'' (1985, TV series episode), as Nicholas * ''

Scarecrow and Mrs. King ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King'' is an American television series that aired from October 3, 1983, to May 28, 1987, on CBS. The music underscore was composed by Arthur B. Rubinstein. The show starred Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner, as divorced ...

: DOA: Delirious on Arrival'' (1985, TV series episode), as Hans Retzig * ' (1986, TV series, 7 episodes), as Karl Wegener * ''

: Entlassen Sie diesen Mann nicht!'' (1986, TV series episode), as Dr. Kraus * '' Das Erbe der Guldenburgs'' (1987–1990, TV series, 26 episodes), as Thomas Count von Guldenburg * ''

: Höllensturz'' (1990, TV series episode), as Arnold Kiesing * ''

: Caprese in der Stadt'' (1991, TV series episode), as Gaug * ''

: Der Schrei'' (1991, TV series episode), as Simon Krüger * '' Praxis Bülowbogen'' (1991–1994, TV series, 25 episodes), as Carlos Neuhaus * ''

: Die seltsame Sache Liebe'' (1993, TV series episode), as Seidel * ''

: Gib dem Mörder nicht die Hand'' (1994, TV series episode), as Gerhard Schumann * ''Air Albatros'' (1994–1995, TV series, 26 episodes), as Niklas Haerlin * ''

: Abendessen mit Bruno'' (1994, TV series episode), as Herr Mandy * ''

: Ein Mord, zweiter Teil'' (1995, TV series episode), as Rudolf Kollau * ''

: Eines Mannes Herz'' (1995, TV series episode), as Arnold Bertram * ''

: Die Ungerührtheit der Mörder'' (1995, TV series episode), as Professor Weiland * ''Verbrechen die Geschichte machten: Frauenmörder Arwed Imiela'' (1997, TV series episode), as Arwed Imiela * ''Davids Rache'' (1997, TV film), as David * ''

: Mama Kaputtke'' (1998, TV series episode), as Herr Reuter * '' Dark Realm: She's the One'' (2000, TV series episode), as Dr. Zabriskie * '' Code Name: Eternity: The Shift'' (2000, TV series episode), as Kard * ''Personal Trainer'' (2001, TV film), as Körner * '' Goldene Zeiten'' (2006), as Jürgen Matthies * ''

Mord ist mein Geschäft, Liebling ''Mord ist mein Geschäft, Liebling'' (''Killing Is My Business, Honey'') is a German comedy film directed by . Plot Enrico Puzzo (Franco Nero) is an eccentric Italian author who claims he knows Sicilian Mafia, the Mafia from inside. Based on ...

'' (2009), as Paolo Rossi * ''

The Protectors ''The Protectors'' is a British action thriller television series created by Gerry Anderson. It starred Robert Vaughn as Harry Rule, Nyree Dawn Porter as the Contessa Caroline di Contini, and Tony Anholt as Paul Buchet. It was Anderson's seco ...

'' (2009, TV series, 2 episodes), as Christoph Meyer * '' Alarm for Cobra 11 – The Highway Police: The Panther'' (2009, TV series episode), as Alexander Christo * ' (2012, TV film), as Wolfgang Fischer * ' (2014), as Generalleutnant Vanhaarten * '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' (2018), as Spielman

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roth, Wolf 1944 births Living people People from Torgau People from the Province of Saxony German male television actors German male stage actors Male actors from Saxony Free University of Berlin alumni American people of German descent Edsel Ford High School alumni American male stage actors American male television actors