Thomas Fritsch

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.

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

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 Das große Liebesspiel 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
  • Das große Liebesspiel (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. "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. "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. "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. "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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