Otto Sander
Biography
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.
Known For

Scene of the Crime

Scene of the Crime

Polizeiruf 110

Polizeiruf 110

Polizeiruf 110

DAS!

Die Harald Schmidt Show

NDR Talk Show
All Movies (97)
- About Narration2025
- Das Boot Revisited: An Underwater Success Story2021 · as Self
- Roland Klick: The Heart Is a Hungry Hunter2013 · as Himself
- Fly Away2012 · as Eckehardt Tiedgen
- Die Schuld der Erben2012 · as Leonhard Asmussen
- Life Is Too Long2010
- Krabat2008 · as Narrator (voice)
- The Heart Is a Dark Forest2007 · as Helmut
- Little King Macius2007 · as Erasmus (voice)
- Kaluoka'hina: The Enchanted Reef2004 · as Narrator (voice)
- Aus Liebe zu Deutschland - Eine Spendenaffäre2003 · as Voice
- The Danube2003 · as Franz
- Werner - Gekotzt wird später!2003 · as Erzähler (voice)
- Wings of Desire: The Angels Among Us2003 · as Self
- Tödliches Vertrauen2002 · as Bernd Kortens
- Atlantic Affairs2002 · as Maitre de Plaisir on Stage
- Happy Too2002 · as Himself / Gert Bastian
- 100 Pro2001 · as Narrator
- Sass2001 · as Vater Sass
- The Einstein of Sex: Life and Work of Dr. M. Hirschfeld2000 · as Professor Steinach
- Marlene2000 · as Bühnenmanager
- E-m@il an Gott1999 · as Petrus
- Majestät brauchen Sonne1999 · as Kaiser Wilhelm II (voice)
- Girls under investigation1999 · as Staatsanwalt Baldur Meixner
- Männer sind wie Schokolade1999 · as Vater Lano
- Der Kuß des Vergessens1999 · as Herr Jelke
- Stan Becker - Auf eigene Faust1998 · as Walker
- Am I Beautiful?1998 · as David
- The Harmonists1997
- Conversation with the Beast1997 · as Adolf Hitler Double
- Liebe Lügen1997 · as Vater
- The Killer Condom1996 · as Mr. Higgins
- Matulla und Busch1995 · as Korte
- Lumière & Company1995 · as Cassiel (segment "Wim Wenders")
- Nikolaikirche1995 · as kirchlicher Superintendent
- The Promise1995 · as Professor Lorenz
- Bauernschach1995 · as Dr. Gerold Stadler
- Das Loch1995 · as Der Mann
- The White Horse Inn in St. Wolfgang1994 · as Prof. Hinzelmann
- Hölderlin-Comics1994
- Movie Days1994 · as Maður á hesti
- Three Sisters1994 · as Vershinin
- The Film Narrator1993 · as Salzmann
- The Olympic Summer1993 · as Sprecher
- Faraway, So Close!1993 · as Cassiel
- Inge, April und Mai1993
- Schlusschor1993
- Lyrische Suite. Das untergehende Vaterland1992
- Bescheiß kein Kind!1992 · as Vater
- Werner and the Wizard of Booze1990 · as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- Vorwärts1990
- Time of Vengeance1990 · as Robert
- The Break1989 · as Erwin Lubowitz
- Wie du mir..1989 · as Markus Petarka
- The Case of Mr. Spalt1988 · as Otto Spalt
- Wings of Desire1987 · as Cassiel
- Close Up1987 · as Professor Spalt
- Boundaries of Time - Caspar David Friedrich1986 · as Gerichtsgehilfe
- Drei Schwestern1986 · as Alexander Ignatjewitsch Werschinin
- Miko: From the Gutter to the Stars1986 · as Loan officer Grop
- Wahnfried1986 · as Richard Wagner
- Rosa Luxemburg1986 · as Karl Liebknecht
- Eine Reise wert… Der Dichter Günter Kunert (be)sucht Berlin1986 · as Rezitation
- Der Mord mit der Schere1984 · as Inspector Spalt
- A Love in Germany1983 · as Narrator
- Remembrance: Film for Curt Bois1982 · as Self
- Der Mann im Pyjama1981 · as Rudi
- Who's Going Crazy Here, Doctor?1981 · as Nummer Sieben
- Das Boot1981 · as Phillip Thomsen
- Strike Back1981 · as Kowalski
- Gesucht wird... Drei Geschichten um nicht ganz ehrenwerte Herren1981
- Im Schlaraffenland. Ein Roman unter feinen Leuten1981 · as Kalfisch
- Die Ursache1980
- Der Mond scheint auf Kylenamoe1980
- Palermo or Wolfsburg1980 · as Staatsanwalt
- The Tin Drum1979 · as Meyn
- Trilogie des Wiedersehens1979 · as Richard
- Phantom1979
- Plastikfieber1979 · as Wilfried
- Die Ängste des Dr. Schenk1978
- Heinrich Zille1977
- Four Against the Bank1976 · as Eberhard Winter
- The Marquise of O1976 · as Brother, Forstmeister
- Summer Guests1976 · as Pjotr Suslov
- Lehmanns Erzählungen1975 · as Lehmann
- Berlin 10. 11. 74 - 28. 1. 75: Exercises in 9 Pieces1975 · as Himself
- Meine Sorgen möcht' ich haben1975 · as Harald Bornemann
- Die Bakchen1974 · as Tiresias
- One or the Other of Us1974 · as Rulle Ruhlsdorff
- Ermittlungen gegen Unbekannt1974
- Prinz Friedrich von Homburg1973 · as Obrist Kottwitz
- The Ignoramus and the Madman1972
- Die Mutter1971
- Sonntags am Meer1970 · as Fritzchen
- No Pawing, Darling1970
- Sonnabend, der 1.1970
- Ludwig1964 · as Ludwig
All TV Shows (32)
- Unter kaiserlicher Flagge2006 · as Erzähler / Narrator
- Vienna Crime Squad2005 · as Conrad Ribarski
- Leute am Donnerstag2004 · as himself
- Ein roter Teppich für....2002 · as Self
- Through the Night with...2002 · as Self
- Gero von Boehm begegnet...2002 · as Self
- Das Jahrhundert des Theaters2002 · as Narrator
- Preußen – Chronik eines deutschen Staates2000 · as Self (Narrator)
- Les Misérables2000 · as Monseigneur Bienvenu
- The Shop1998
- The Johannes B. Kerner Show1998 · as Self
- Tietjen und Bommes1997 · as Self
- Friedemann Brix - Eine Schwäche für Mord1996 · as Rainer Kleinhundert
- Zimmer frei!1996 · as Self
- Die Harald Schmidt Show1995 · as Self
- Kulturzeit1995 · as self
- A.S. Gefahr ist sein Geschäft1995 · as Freddy Klinke
- Wolffs Revier1992 · as Schenk
- DAS!1991 · as Self
- Das Boot1985 · as Kapitänleutnant Philipp
- Der Fahnder1984 · as Bähr
- Das Traumschiff1981 · as James Korthals
- Das Traumschiff1981 · as Johannes Lippelt
- Wetten, dass..?1981 · as Self
- NDR Talk Show1979 · as Self
- Polizeiruf 1101971 · as Ludwig Stolze
- Polizeiruf 1101971 · as Lansky
- Polizeiruf 1101971 · as Richard Lansky
- Scene of the Crime1970 · as Manfred Enders
- Scene of the Crime1970 · as Otto Androsch
- Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst1967 · as Kunsträuber
- Grimme Award1964 · as Self