Ralf Richter
Known for: Acting
Ralf Richter (August 17, 1957 - September 15, 2026) was a German film, television, and stage actor. Born in Essen, he grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Bochum. After completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter, he studied acting at the Westphalian Drama School in Bochum and began his career on stage. He gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Chief Petty Officer Frenssen in Wolfgang Petersen’s acclaimed war film Das Boot (1981). The role established him as one of Germany’s most recognizable character actors, particularly known for portraying tough, outspoken, and often eccentric figures. His notable film credits include Die Katze (1988), Manta - Der Film (1991), Superstau (1991), and Fußball ist unser Leben (2000). He achieved cult status with his portrayal of the hot-tempered criminal Kalle Grabowski in Peter Thorwarth’s crime comedy Bang Boom Bang (1999). Richter continued his collaboration with Thorwarth in Was nicht passt, wird passend gemacht (2002) and Goldene Zeiten (2006). Together, these three films became known as the Unna Trilogy. His later film appearances included Vorstadtkrokodile (2009), Nicht mein Tag (2014), Radio Heimat (2016), Enfant Terrible (2020), and Bad Director (2023). In addition to his film career, he appeared in numerous German television series, including Tatort, Der Fahnder, Alarm für Cobra 11, Ein Fall für zwei, and Heldt. Richter was particularly associated with the Ruhr region and became known for his distinctive voice, direct manner, and memorable portrayals of working-class characters and small-time criminals. He died in Cologne in September 2026 at the age of 69.
Filmography
Series
Volle Kanne
Self
1999
Series
Scene of the Crime
Wilfried Wilcke
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Lemmy
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Detlef
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Randy
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Sandrowski
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Ulli Krueger
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Leon Mickler
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
junger Mann
1970
Series
Die Harald Schmidt Show
Self
1995
Series
Die Rosenheim-Cops
Marek
2002
Series
SOKO München
Stömmer
1978
Series
SOKO München
Sigi Talm
1978
Series
The Old Fox
Bernd
1977
Series
Alarm for Cobra 11: The Motorway Police
Frank
1996
Series
Alarm for Cobra 11: The Motorway Police
Wolf Turowski
1996
Series
Alarm for Cobra 11: The Motorway Police
Hannes Nowak
1996
Series
Alarm for Cobra 11: The Motorway Police
Raucherkalle
1996
Series
SOKO Köln
Falk Fechner
2003
Series
SOKO Köln
Peter Bullerjahn
2003
Series
Polizeiruf 110
1971
3 nach 9
Self
1974
Series
Zimmer frei!
Self
1996
Series
A Case For Two
Dirk
1981
Series
A Case For Two
Dirk Teichert
1981
Series
A Case For Two
Daniel Klein
1981
Series
A Case For Two
Branco Bulatovic
1981
Series
A Case For Two
Peter Bach
1981
Series
A Case For Two
Hanno
1981
Series
A Case For Two
1981
Series
A Case For Two
Jochen Brenner
1981
Series
A Case For Two
Rolf Greiner
1981
Series
SOKO Stuttgart
Kai Meerbusch
2009
Series
Küstenwache
1997
Series
Für alle Fälle Stefanie
Blacky Berg
1995
Die Wache
Brockmann
1994
Die Wache
Michelle Laroche
1994
Series
Inspector Rex
Hubert Nielsen
1994
Series
Der Fahnder
1984
Series
Der Fahnder
Rudi Sasse
1984
Series
Der Fahnder
Horst Peters
1984
Series
Der Fahnder
Schwab
1984
Series
Das perfekte Promi-Dinner
Self
2006
Series
Unser Charly
Kalle
1995
Series
Inas Nacht
Self
2007
Im Namen des Gesetzes
Rechtsanwalt Dr. Müller-Dohme
1994
Im Namen des Gesetzes
Eddie Steinbach
1994
Series
Pastewka
Ralf Richter
2005
Series
Café Meineid
Henning Hahn8
1990
Series
Heldt
Sven Lattbeck
2013
Series
Circus Halligalli
2013
Series
Balko
Winfried Dragowski
1995
Series
Freunde fürs Leben
Herr Höhnisch
1992
Series
Hausmeister Krause – Ordnung muss sein
Polizist
1999
Das NRW Duell
Self
2006
Series
SK Kölsch
Herbie Raiko
1999
Series
Auf Achse
Hennes
1980
Series
Dobrodružství kriminalistiky
Jin McEachen
1989
Series
Lady Cop
Kai Zorski
1994
Series
Lady Cop
Martin Gerlandt
1994
Series
Rentnercops
Ralle Pulver
2015
Versteckte Kamera
Self
1995
Series
Hallo Robbie!
Rainer Kanitz
2001
Series
Bella Block
Polizist
1993
Series
SOKO Potsdam
Boris Strahlkowski
2018
Die Kocharena
Self
2007
Film
Das Boot
Frenssen
1981
Series
Wildbach
Theo
1993
Series
Das Boot
Frenssen
1985
Series
Die ProSieben Märchenstunde
Bergmann
2006
Series
Eurocops
Harald Breitner
1988
auto mobil - Das VOX-Automagazin
Self
2020
Plasberg persönlich
Self
2008
Glückliche Reise
Eichborn
1992
Die Ulla Kock am Brink Show
Self
1998
Series
Mit einem Bein im Grab
Herr Schlömer
1996
Series
Rote Erde
Otto Schablowski
1983
Series
TV total
Self
1999
Fantalk
Self
2012
Series
Alarm für Cobra 11 - Einsatz für Team 2
Rodde Rodinsky
2003
Series
Zwei Brüder
1994
Series
Die Hausmeisterin
Isarhocker
1987
Series
TV total Stock Car Crash Challenge
Rennfahrer
2005
Fliege
Self
1994
Series
Alles außer Mord
Fritz Koller
1994
Film
Happy Weekend
Engel
1996
nate light
Self
2013
Series
Geisterjäger John Sinclair
Collins
2000
Series
Sträters Männerhaushalt
Self
2016
Film
Männer aus zweiter Hand
Dario
1999
Series
Was nicht passt, wird passend gemacht
Karl-Heinz 'Kalle' Langmann
2003
freitag auf d’nacht
Self
2013
Series
Nichtlustig - die Serie!
2015
Bistro, Bistro
Victor
1993
Series
Lutter
Mike Pätzold
2007
Series
Tour de Ruhr
Wölfchen
1981
Series
Die Geschichte eines Abends
Self
2015
Film
Mondmann
General
2006
Film
Sky Sharks
Joseph Langner
2020
Ponyhof
Self
2015
Film
Fresh
2025
Film
The Crocodiles
Chief Police Officer
2009
Film
Bang, Boom, Bang
Karl-Heinz 'Kalle' Grabowski
1999
Series
Pogo 1104
Rick Bandora
1984
Film
Streets of Rio
Horst
2008
Rosowski
1986
Film
Not My Day
Langer
2014
Novak
Schmitzchen
1991
Promi ärgere Dich nicht
Self
2005
Fatale Mutterliebe
Hoffmann
1995
RTL Promi-Boxen
Self
2002
Film
Seven Minutes
SA-Führer
1989
Film
Urmel aus dem Eis
Dr. Zwengelmann
2005
Film
Half Brothers
Barmann Zum Leuchtturm
2015
Tattoo Attack – Deutsche Promis stechen zu
Self
2010
Film
Der schwarze Fluch
Gangster
1995
Film
Cosimas Lexikon
Klaus Borgmann
1992
Film
Peanuts - Die Bank zahlt alles
Mario
1996
Film
The Cat
Britz
1988
Film
Das Boot Revisited: An Underwater Success Story
Self - Das Boot Actor
2021
Film
Verlierer
Richy
1987
Film
Football Rules Ok
Mike
2000
Film
Enfant Terrible
Blumenpeter
2020
Film
Im Winter, so schön
Butcher
2016
Film
Ohne Gnade
Tarzan
2013
Film
Der Trip - Die nackte Gitarre 0,5
1996
Film
Marmor, Stein & Eisen
2000
Film
Eine mörderische Liebe
Jan Becker
1995
Film
Die Katze von Kensington
Reynolds
1996
Film
Suck My Dick
Hyde
2001
Film
The Crack Connection
Sandrowski
1987
Film
The Last Cop
Schore Siggi
2019
Liebe mich bis in den Tod
Krause
1998
Film
Kopf oder Zahl
Ron
2009
Film
The Cry of the Butterfly
Tom
2001
Film
The Polar Bear
Zivilpolizist
1998
Film
If It Don't Fit, Use a Bigger Hammer
Kalle
2002
Film
Eine Hochzeit und (K)ein Todesfall
Richie
2001
Film
Decoder
Jaeger's Assistant
1984
Film
Out of Bounds
Harald "Bullet Harry" Grabowski
2006
Film
Fahr zur Hölle
2011
Film
Baggerführer Bob
2014
Film
Breakdown Forest
Hans Joachim (HaJo) Jendriczek
2019
Film
Chaostage - We Are Punks!
Herr Krupp
2009
Film
Out of Order
Otto
1984
Film
Manta - Der Film
Polizist Wolle
1991
Film
Stories of the Dead
2019
Film
Village People - Auf der Jagd nach dem Nazigold
Hehler
2009
Film
If It Don't Fit, Use a Bigger Hammer
Karl Heinz Kaminski
1997
Film
Superstau
Hermann Pacholke
1991
Film
Spiel mir das Lied und du bist tot!
Grandpa St. John
2008
Film
Vater aus heiterem Himmel
Jenninger
2012
Film
Bad Director
Compagnon Sommerwind
2024
Film
Eine fast perfekte Liebe
Haucke
1996
Planet Alex
Barkeeper
2001
Film
Das fehlende Grau
2015
Nachtwalzer
Wirt
2014
Film
Und weg bist Du
Receptionist
2012
Film
Mafia, Pizza, Razzia
Bulle #1
1997
Film
Finnischer Tango
Sexshop-Besitzer
2008
Film
Die Passion
Barabbas
2024
Film
Cowgirl
Peter Blessing
2004
Film
Radio Home
Onkel Josef
2016
Film
Lebendig skalpiert
2020
Film
Mädchen Nr. 1
Ilia
2003
Gomez: Heads or Tails
1998
Film
Dirty Sky
Tankwart
2003
Film
Zielscheiben
Strotzki
1985
Film
Turbo & Tacho
Charly Wischollek
2013
Es wäre gut, daß ein Mensch würde umbracht für das Volk
Petrus
1991
The Devil loves Rock N Roll
Kalle Grabowski
2013
Film
Our Darkness
2026
Film
Ein Bär für alle Fälle
Axel
1998
Film
1000 Mexicans
2016
Zeche is nich - Sieben Blicke auf das Ruhrgebiet 2010
Eddi
2010
Wöhlunds Rache
1986
Ladies and Gentleman
2002
Film
Alles im Griff
Günter 'Bolle' Bolkowski
1990