Thomas Fritsch
Born(1944-01-16)16 January 1944
Dresden, Germany
Died21 April 2021(2021-04-21) (aged 77)
Berlin, Germany
Occupations
  • Actor
  • dubbing actor
  • schlager singer
Years active1962–2019

Thomas Fritsch (16 January 1944 – 21 April 2021) was a German film, television and dubbing actor and schlager singer. He was regarded as the "Sonnyboy"[lower-alpha 1] in the German cinema of the 1960s,[2] and became one of the best-known actors by his presence in television series.[2] Later, he was the German voice of Russell Crowe, of Scar in The Lion King, and of Diego, a Smilodon, in Ice Age.

Life

Fritsch was born in Dresden, the son of famous actor Willy Fritsch and dancer Dinah Grace.[2] The family moved to Hamburg after World War II.[3] Director and actor Gustaf Gründgens encouraged the 16-year-old Thomas to become an actor.[2] He trained at an acting school in Hamburg-Pöseldorf for three years.[4]

He played his first film role in the 1962 Austrian Julia, Du bist zauberhaft at age 17,[2] alongside Lilli Palmer. He starred opposite Daliah Lavi in Das schwarz-weiß-rote Himmelbett, and became a favourite of teenagers.[2] He was frequently featured as the cover image of the Bravo youth magazine.[4] He played in And So to Bed in 1963, alongside Hildegard Knef.[3] In 1964, he appeared in his only film together with his father, Das hab ich von Papa gelernt.[4] He played two more times with his father, in ZDF television shows, Das gibts doch zweimal in 1965, and Andere Zeiten, andere Sitten. Die Thomas-Fritsch-Show in 1967.[3] He had film roles in Drei Männer in Santa Cruz, Onkel Toms Hütte, and played one of the three men in the title of Drei Männer im Schnee, among many others.[5]

In the 1970s, Fritsch appeared in the television series Der Kommissar and Derrick several times. From 1977, Fritsch appeared in a leading role in the popular series Drei sind einer zuviel (Three are one too many) by Barbara Noack, portraying a man in a love triangle story. It made him one of Germany's most popular actors.[3] He also starred in the television series Rivalen der Rennbahn (1989).[2] In 2004, he made a return to cinema when he appeared as the villainous Earl of Cockwood in Der Wixxer, a comedy which spoofed the German Edgar Wallace films of the 1960s.[6]

Fritsch became known as a voice actor. He was the German voice of Russell Crowe in Gladiator, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and Proof of Life.[4] He starred voicing Scar in the German version of The Lion King in 1994,[7] and voiced many other animated lions as well, and Diego, a Smilodon, in Ice Age and sequels, beginning in 2002.[2][5] In the 2000s, he replaced the late Joachim Kemmer as Lumiere for the "Human Again" DVD feature of Beauty and the Beast.[2] His last role was the narrator in the 2018 children's film Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer, an adaption of Michael Ende's Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver.[5]

Private life and death

Fritsch divided his time between his home in Munich and his home on the Greek island of Mykonos. He had been diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1990.[8] In 2006, Fritsch revealed he was bisexual.[9] In 2019, it was announced that Fritsch was diagnosed with dementia and was living in an assisted living facility.[10]

Fritsch died on 21 April 2021 in Berlin, aged 77.[2][5][11] He was given a burial at sea near the island of Sylt.[12]

Films

Actor

Fritsch played in films and television (TV) series, including:[13][14][15]

  • Adorable Julia (1962), as Roger, Julia's son
  • Das schwarz-weiß-rote Himmelbett (1962), as Jean de Wehrt
  • And So to Bed (1963), as High school student
  • ...e la donna creò l'uomo (1964), as Rick Hofer
  • Drei Männer in Santa Cruz (The Last Ride to Santa Cruz, 1964), as Carlos
  • Das hab ich von Papa gelernt (I Learned It from Father, 1964), as Andreas Andermann
  • Legend of a Gunfighter (1964), as Chris Harper
  • Halløj i himmelsengen (1965), as Pierre de Sauterne
  • Onkel Toms Hütte (Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1965), as George Shelby
  • Die schwedische Jungfrau (1965), as Philipp
  • Das gibt's nur zweimal (1965, TV)
  • Apollo Goes on Holiday (1968)
  • Der Kommissar (TV series)
    • Der Papierblumenmörder (episode 15) – (1970)
    • Mord nach der Uhr (episode 94) – (1975)
  • Drei Männer im Schnee (Three Men in the Snow) (1974)
  • Hoftheater (1975, TV series)
  • Derrick (TV series):
    • Nur Aufregungen für Rohn (1975)
    • Abendfrieden (1977)
    • Ein Todesengel (1979)
    • Der Charme der Bahamas (1986)
    • Anruf in der Nacht (1986)
    • Tossners Ende (1989)
  • Drei sind einer zuviel (1977, TV series)
  • Rivalen der Rennbahn (1989, TV series)
  • At Your Own Risk (1995)
  • Rosamunde Pilcher: Federn im Wind (2004)
  • Der Wixxer (2004)
  • Das total verrückte Wunderauto (2006)
  • Die ProSieben Märchenstunde (2006, TV series)
  • Meine wunderbare Familie (2007)
  • The Secret of Loch Ness (2008)

Voice

Fritsch voiced the following productions, among others:[16]

Awards

  • 1963: Bambi Award, Bambi Award 1963, as the best newcomer for Das schwarz-weiß-rote Himmelbett[17]
  • 2002: Deutscher Preis für Synchron for Second Chance – Alles wird gut[18][19]

Notes

  1. ↑ A young man who radiates charm and a carefree cheerfulness, which produces sympathy from others. (Junger Mann, der Charme und eine unbeschwerte Fröhlichkeit ausstrahlt, dem die Sympathien zufliegen.)[1]

References

  1. ↑ "Sonnyboy". Duden (in German). Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Schauspieler und Synchronsprecher Thomas Fritsch ist tot". Der Spiegel (in German). 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Ohne ihn sähe der deutsche Fernsehvorabend anders aus / Schauspieler Thomas Fritsch stirbt im Alter von 77 Jahren". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Sänger und Schauspieler Thomas Fritsch ist tot" (in German). NDR. 22 April 2021. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Schauspieler und Synchronsprecher Thomas Fritsch ist tot". Tagesschau (in German). 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  6. ↑ Nachruf auf Thomas Fritsch: Liebling des Publikums Archived 2 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Süddeutsche Zeitung
  7. ↑ "Schauspieler & Synchronsprecher – Thomas Fritsch mit 77 Jahren gestorben" (in German). ZDF. 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  8. ↑ Erzähler der drei „???“: Schauspieler Thomas Fritsch gestorben Archived 13 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine (in German)
  9. ↑ Die bisexuellen Bekenntnisse von TV-Star Thomas Fritsch Archived 13 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine (in German)
  10. ↑ „Ich habe alles ausgekostet, bis zur Neige“ Archived 1 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine (in German)
  11. ↑ Körzdörfers NACHRUF in: BILD-Printausgabe (BILD Letzte Seite) vom 22. April 2021 sowie "Ich habe alles ausgekostet, bis zur Neige". Bild.de. 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021.
  12. ↑ Thomas Fritsch ist tot: Schauspieler in der Nordsee bestattet Archived 13 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine (in German)
  13. ↑ Thomas Fritsch Archived 18 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine filmportal.de
  14. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Schweizer Film Charts". filmcharts.ch (in German). Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  15. ↑ "Thomas Fritsch". vollfilm (in German). 26 January 2000. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  16. ↑ "Thomas Fritsch". synchronkartei.de (in German). Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  17. ↑ "Thomas Fritsch gestorben: Schauspieler wurde 77 Jahre alt". Prisma (in German). Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  18. ↑ Danner, Corsta (21 April 2021). "Thomas Fritsch". Synchronsprecher (in German). Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  19. ↑ "Kulturpreise.de : Deutscher Preis für Synchron". Handbuch der Kulturpreise - Handbook of Cultural Awards (in German). Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
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