Otto Sander
Known for: Acting
Otto Sander (German: [ˈɔtoː ˈzandɐ]; June 30, 1941 – September 12, 2013) was a German film, theater, and voice actor. Sander grew up in Kassel, where he graduated in 1961 from the Friedrichgymnasium. After leaving school he spent his military service in 1961/62 with the Bundesmarine and left as reserve fenrik. Sander then studied theatre science, history of art and philosophy. In 1965 he made his acting debut at the Düsseldorfer chamber plays. After his first film work in the same year he abandoned his studies in 1967, and went to Munich to become a full-time actor. His career is closely connected with the Schaubühne theatre in Berlin under the direction of Peter Stein. From 1980 onwards Sander appeared on several of Berlin's theatre stages, among others at the Schillertheater in 1981, at the Freie Volksbühne in 1985 and in 1989 at the Komödie am Kurfürstendamm. More recently he starred in Hauptmann von Köpenick at the Schauspielhaus Bochum (2004). In 1990, he was a member of the Jury at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival. Among his best-known film roles are the angel Cassiel in Wings of Desire and its sequel Faraway, So Close! by Wim Wenders, and a shell-shocked U-boat commander, Kapitänleutnant Philipp Thomsen, in Wolfgang Petersen's Das Boot. Sander also appeared in The Tin Drum (1979) as a trumpeter and in Comedian Harmonists, a biopic about the musical group of the same name. He also played a professor in the movie The Promise about the division of Berlin by the wall. In 1999 he played a role in Rosa von Praunheim's movie The Einstein of Sex.
Filmography
Series
DAS!
Self
1991
Series
Scene of the Crime
Manfred Enders
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Otto Androsch
1970
Series
Die Harald Schmidt Show
Self
1995
Series
Polizeiruf 110
Ludwig Stolze
1971
Series
Polizeiruf 110
Lansky
1971
Series
Polizeiruf 110
Richard Lansky
1971
Series
NDR Talk Show
Self
1979
The Johannes B. Kerner Show
Self
1998
Series
Das Traumschiff
James Korthals
1981
Series
Das Traumschiff
Johannes Lippelt
1981
Series
Zimmer frei!
Self
1996
Series
Vienna Crime Squad
Conrad Ribarski
2005
Series
Wetten, dass..?
Self
1981
Tietjen und Bommes
Self
1997
Series
Der Fahnder
Bähr
1984
Series
Wolffs Revier
Schenk
1992
Grimme Award
Self
1964
Series
Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst
Kunsträuber
1967
Series
Through the Night with...
Self
2002
Film
Das Boot
Phillip Thomsen
1981
Gero von Boehm begegnet...
Self
2002
Film
Wings of Desire
Cassiel
1987
Series
A.S. Gefahr ist sein Geschäft
Freddy Klinke
1995
Series
Les Misérables
Monseigneur Bienvenu
2000
Film
The Tin Drum
Meyn
1979
Leute am Donnerstag
himself
2004
Series
Das Boot
Kapitänleutnant Philipp
1985
Film
The Marquise of O
Brother, Forstmeister
1976
Ein roter Teppich für....
Self
2002
Film
Killer Condom
Mr. Higgins
1996
Film
Krabat
Narrator (voice)
2008
Film
Faraway, So Close!
Cassiel
1993
Series
Das Jahrhundert des Theaters
Narrator
2002
Film
Lumière & Company
Cassiel (segment "Wim Wenders")
1995
Friedemann Brix - Eine Schwäche für Mord
Rainer Kleinhundert
1996
Film
The Harmonists
1997
Film
Movie Days
Maður á hesti
1994
Film
Werner and the Wizard of Booze
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1990
Film
Rosa Luxemburg
Karl Liebknecht
1986
Series
The Shop
1998
Film
The Einstein of Sex: Life and Work of Dr. M. Hirschfeld
Professor Steinach
2000
Film
The Promise
Professor Lorenz
1995
Film
Werner - Gekotzt wird später!
Erzähler (voice)
2003
Film
Am I Beautiful?
David
1998
Die Mutter
1971
Film
Das Boot Revisited: An Underwater Success Story
Self
2021
Film
The Heart Is a Dark Forest
Helmut
2007
Film
Boundaries of Time - Caspar David Friedrich
Gerichtsgehilfe
1986
Film
Wings of Desire: The Angels Among Us
Self
2003
Film
Roland Klick: The Heart Is a Hungry Hunter
Himself
2013
Film
Miko: From the Gutter to the Stars
Loan officer Grop
1986
Film
Wahnfried
Richard Wagner
1986
Film
Meine Sorgen möcht' ich haben
Harald Bornemann
1975
Film
A Love in Germany
Narrator
1983
Film
About Narration
2025
Film
Conversation with the Beast
Adolf Hitler Double
1997
Film
Sass
Vater Sass
2001
Die Bakchen
Tiresias
1974
Film
The Break
Erwin Lubowitz
1989
Prinz Friedrich von Homburg
Obrist Kottwitz
1973
Film
Little King Macius
Erasmus (voice)
2007
Vorwärts
1990
Film
Kaluoka'hina: The Enchanted Reef
Narrator (voice)
2004
Film
Inge, April und Mai
1993
Film
Marlene
Bühnenmanager
2000
Liebe Lügen
Vater
1997
Film
Four Against the Bank
Eberhard Winter
1976
Film
Berlin 10. 11. 74 - 28. 1. 75: Exercises in 9 Pieces
Himself
1975
Film
The Olympic Summer
Sprecher
1993
Film
Life Is Too Long
2010
Plastikfieber
Wilfried
1979
Film
Who's Going Crazy Here, Doctor?
Nummer Sieben
1981
The Ignoramus and the Madman
1972
E-m@il an Gott
Petrus
1999
Film
The White Horse Inn in St. Wolfgang
Prof. Hinzelmann
1994
Matulla und Busch
Korte
1995
Film
Männer sind wie Schokolade
Vater Lano
1999
Der Mond scheint auf Kylenamoe
1980
Stan Becker - Auf eigene Faust
Walker
1998
Majestät brauchen Sonne
Kaiser Wilhelm II (voice)
1999
Film
Der Mann im Pyjama
Rudi
1981
Film
One or the Other of Us
Rulle Ruhlsdorff
1974
Im Schlaraffenland. Ein Roman unter feinen Leuten
Kalfisch
1981
Film
The Case of Mr. Spalt
Otto Spalt
1988
Close Up
Professor Spalt
1987
Series
Preußen – Chronik eines deutschen Staates
Self (Narrator)
2000
Film
Girls under investigation
Staatsanwalt Baldur Meixner
1999
Film
Fly Away
Eckehardt Tiedgen
2012
Film
Summer Guests
Pjotr Suslov
1976
Film
The Danube
Franz
2003
Aus Liebe zu Deutschland - Eine Spendenaffäre
Voice
2003
Film
Three Sisters
Vershinin
1994
Film
Palermo or Wolfsburg
Staatsanwalt
1980
Die Schuld der Erben
Leonhard Asmussen
2012
Sonntags am Meer
Fritzchen
1970
Gesucht wird... Drei Geschichten um nicht ganz ehrenwerte Herren
1981
Film
Strike Back
Kowalski
1981
Film
Time of Vengeance
Robert
1990
Film
Lyrische Suite. Das untergehende Vaterland
1992
Hölderlin-Comics
1994
Film
The Film Narrator
Salzmann
1993
Die Ängste des Dr. Schenk
1978
Wie du mir..
Markus Petarka
1989
Der Mord mit der Schere
Inspector Spalt
1984
Der Kuß des Vergessens
Herr Jelke
1999
Film
Nikolaikirche
kirchlicher Superintendent
1995
Film
Das Loch
Der Mann
1995
Film
No Pawing, Darling
1970
Trilogie des Wiedersehens
Richard
1979
Sonnabend, der 1.
1970
Schlusschor
1993
Eine Reise wert… Der Dichter Günter Kunert (be)sucht Berlin
Rezitation
1986
Film
Bauernschach
Dr. Gerold Stadler
1995
Drei Schwestern
Alexander Ignatjewitsch Werschinin
1986
Atlantic Affairs
Maitre de Plaisir on Stage
2002
Remembrance: Film for Curt Bois
Self
1982
Film
100 Pro
Narrator
2001
Phantom
1979
Ermittlungen gegen Unbekannt
1974
Film
Happy Too
Himself / Gert Bastian
2002
Tödliches Vertrauen
Bernd Kortens
2002
Lehmanns Erzählungen
Lehmann
1975
Die Ursache
1980
Bescheiß kein Kind!
Vater
1992
Ludwig
Ludwig
1964
Heinrich Zille
1977
Series
Unter kaiserlicher Flagge
Erzähler / Narrator
2006