Fritz Wepper, the main actor of CABARET, has died at the age of 82.
The 1972 Oscar-winning film with German actress Liza Minnelli was the star’s best-known role.
Wepper also as Inspector Harry Klein in over 280 episodes of the popular German crime series Derrick between 1974 and 1998.
His wife Susanne Kellermann confirmed his death in an interview with the German tabloid Bild.
She claimed Wepper died early Monday morning at a Munich hospice where he had been receiving treatment for about a month before his long illness.
Palliative care was provided to Wepper during the last five weeks of his life.
At age eleven, Wepper appeared in a production of Peter Pan. He was born in Munich in 1995.
He played a young soldier and attracted much attention with the anti-war film Die Brücke (1959), which won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.
In 1959, he also played the title role in the film The Bridge. He later portrayed Fritz Wendel in the Oscar-winning adaptation of Cabaret.
He has two daughters from each of his two marriages.
He was originally married to Angela von Morgen. They married in 1979 and from 2007 to 2017 starred together in the crime series Mord in the Best Gesellschaft.
However, he left Von Morgen in 2009 to marry Susanne, his current wife. However, he later remarried his first wife.
In 2019, Wepper married Kellermann a year after von Morgen’s death.
His eldest daughter, 42-year-old Sophie, is also an actor. She worked with her father in Mordo’s best Gesellschaft.
The death of Fritz Wepper marks the end of an era in German television and film, as he was an actor who left an indelible mark both on the international stage and in his homeland. From his acclaimed role in the Oscar-winning Cabaret to his decades-long portrayal of Inspector Harry Klein in Derrick, Wepper’s career has crossed generations and genres, making him a household name. His early breakthrough in the anti-war film Die Brücke showed his versatility and set the stage for a lifelong contribution to cinema.
Wepper’s personal life was full of triumphs and challenges. He experienced marital happiness twice, first with Angela von Morgen, with whom he shared many years of personal and professional partnership, and later with Susanne Kellermann. His two daughters, especially Sophie, who followed in his acting footsteps, remain part of his legacy.
His dedication to his craft and his lasting influence on German entertainment ensures that his memory will live on, not only through his performances but also through the profound impact he had on those who knew him, worked with him,, and watched him perform.
His last days spent in a Munich hospice, where he received palliative care, marked a peaceful end to a remarkable life. Although his voice and presence will be deeply missed, Fritz Wepper’s work will ensure that he is remembered as a giant of German cinema and television. His lasting legacy will continue to inspire actors and filmmakers for years to come.