Thorsten Merten
Biography
Thorsten Merten (born December 4, 1963, in Ruhla) is a German actor. Thorsten Merten originally intended to become a journalist and initially worked as a trainee at the newspaper *Das Volk*. After completing his military service, he underwent acting training from 1986 to 1990 at the "Ernst Busch" Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin, where he attended the newly established cabaret department and graduated with a diploma in cabaret performance. This was followed by engagements at various theaters both at home and abroad, including the Théâtre Vidy in Lausanne, the Staatstheater Schwerin, the Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, the Volksbühne Berlin, and the Deutsches Theater Berlin. For his stage work, he was awarded the Conrad Ekhof Prize in 1999. His notable stage roles include McMurphy in *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*, the Ghost in *Hamlet*, as well as roles in *Ivanov*, *Prometheus*, and *Sonnenallee*. In 2024, he played the role of operations manager Kuckuck in the operetta *Messeschlager Gisela* at the Komische Oper Berlin. Merten gained his first experience in front of the camera in 1992 in Andreas Dresen's film *Stilles Land*. He achieved his breakthrough in 2001 with the tragicomedy *Halbe Treppe* (Grill Point), also directed by Dresen. Since then, he has appeared regularly in both feature films and television productions. Merten also gained recognition through roles in *Wilsberg*, *Afrika, mon amour*, *Bella Block*, *Helen Dorn*, *Donna Leon*, and numerous episodes of *Tatort*. From 2013 to 2021, he played the role of precinct chief Stich in the Weimar-based *Tatort* series. Since 2009, he has portrayed Chief Inspector—later Police Commissioner—Martin Fichte in the ZDF series *Spreewaldkrimi*. He has also played lead roles in other productions, including *Silvi* and *Fremdkörper*. In 2021, he received the German Film Award for his supporting role in *Curveball – Wir machen die Wahrheit*. Furthermore, Merten came up with the idea for the Netflix series *Das letzte Wort*, in which he appeared alongside Anke Engelke.
Known For

Scene of the Crime

Scene of the Crime

Scene of the Crime

Scene of the Crime

Scene of the Crime

Scene of the Crime

Scene of the Crime

Scene of the Crime
All Movies (94)
- Bibi Blocksberg - Die total verhexte Zeitreise2026 · as Krause
- The Hero of Friedrichstrasse Station2025 · as Harald Wischnewsky
- Miss Merkel - Ein Kreuzfahrt-Krimi2025 · as Joachim
- The Policeman's Niece2025 · as Werner Barth
- Cicadas2025 · as Uwe
- Bach - A Christmas Miracle2024 · as Adrian Stieglitz
- From Hilde, with Love2024 · as Dr. Minergerode
- Der Fall Marianne Voss2024 · as Fritz Malowski
- Miss Merkel - Mord auf dem Friedhof2024 · as Achim Sauer
- Roxy2024 · as Passfälscher
- Night to be Gone2024 · as Dieter
- Der zweite Kurzschluss2023 · as Oliver
- Kleine Eheverbrechen2023 · as Dieter Beil
- Miss Merkel - Ein Uckermark-Krimi2023 · as Joachim Sauer
- What You Can See from Here2022 · as Herr Rödder
- Hunting Season2022 · as Vermieter
- Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos!2022 · as Herr Flickendorf
- Locked in Society2022 · as Manfred Prohaska
- Eine riskante Entscheidung2022 · as Bernhard Elster
- Sprachlos in Irland2021 · as Dirk
- Curveball2021 · as Schatz
- In Berlin wächst kein Orangenbaum2020 · as Wärter Grunert
- Exit2020 · as Hönings
- Nothing More Perfect2020
- Knorx2019 · as Vogtländer
- The Audition2019
- Der vierte Mann2019 · as Kurt Lehrmann
- Good Girl Gone Bad2019 · as Helmut Mayer
- Alfons Zitterbacke2019 · as Mr. Flickendorf
- Atlas2018 · as Alfred Hoppe
- The Most Beautiful Girl in the World2018 · as Taxifahrer Klaus
- Donbass2018 · as German Journalist
- Gundermann2018 · as Puppenspieler
- Rübezahls Schatz2017 · as Arzt
- Hit Mom – Mörderische Weihnachten2017 · as Professor
- Das Nebelhaus2017 · as Doros Chef
- Brothers2017 · as Rainer Welke
- Tiger Milk2017 · as Stefan
- In Times of Fading Light2017
- The Last Pig2016 · as Meier
- Alki Alki2015 · as Thomas
- Heil2015 · as Verfassungsschützer F. – Sachsen
- Foreign Body2015 · as Wolfgang
- Naked Among Wolves2015 · as Hans Bochow
- Einschnitt2015 · as der Bürochef
- Rough Road Ahead2015
- Open the Wall2014 · as Manfred
- We Are Young. We Are Strong.2014
- Willkommen bei Habib2014 · as Bruno
- Der Rücktritt2014 · as Martin Heidemanns
- The Golden Goose2013 · as Räubervater
- Der zweite Mann2013 · as Klaus Padberg
- Sunny2013
- Silvi - Maybe Love2013 · as Michael
- Kohlhaas or the Proportionality of Means2013 · as Herse
- Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot2012 · as Hofrat
- Sushi in Suhl2012 · as Hans Leutner
- Ruhm2012 · as Klaus Rubinstein
- Stopped on Track2011
- Inklusion - gemeinsam anders2011 · as Heribert Stein
- Augen zu2011 · as Frank
- Arschkalt2011 · as Erhard
- Weisst du eigentlich dass ganz viele Blumen blühen im Park2011
- Empathie2010 · as Rüdiger
- Haltet die Welt an2010 · as André Spanuth
- Gravity2010 · as Kollath
- Auf Doktor komm raus2010 · as Apotheker Walter
- Frösche petzen nicht2010 · as Jörg Hilbert
- I've Never Been Happier2009 · as Schlickenrieder
- November Child2008 · as Alexander
- Underdogs2008 · as Forster
- Remarque - Sein Weg zum Ruhm2008 · as Chefredakteur der „Sport im Bild“
- Vom Atmen unter Wasser2008 · as Jo
- Sooner or Later2007
- Meer is nich2007 · as Friedrich
- Die Frau am Ende der Straße2007 · as Klaus Garbers
- Lunik2007 · as Toni Harmann
- Die Weihnachtswette2006 · as Reinhold
- Four Windows2006 · as Vater
- The Elementary Particles2006 · as Hubert
- In Liebe eine Eins2005 · as Herr Steiner
- Wahrheit oder Pflicht2005 · as Lehrer Behnke
- Operation Valkyrie2004 · as Peter Graf Yorck v. Wartenburg
- Transport2004
- Charlotte2004 · as Georg
- Gun-shy2003 · as Krausser
- Grill Point2002 · as Christian
- Up – Down1994 · as Peet
- Silent Country1992 · as Kai Finke
- Der große Zusammenbruch—
- Gespensterwald— · as Jan Jürgens
- Schwarzer Sommer— · as Jan Jürgens
- Die Verteidigerin - Tötungsabsicht—
- Triptych—
All TV Shows (59)
- Other People's Money2025 · as Rolf Lebert
- The Next Level2025 · as Matt
- Pumpen2024 · as Rainer Müller
- Berlin Bad Trip2023 · as Jens Lamprecht
- The Gryphon2023 · as Dr. Peters
- German Genius2023 · as Olli Hansen
- Sam: A Saxon2023 · as Major Schreier
- Divided We Stand2022 · as Hajo Gärster
- Befriending the Grouch2021 · as Nowak
- The Last Word2020 · as Andreas Borowski
- Deutscher2020 · as Frank Pielcke
- The Institute - Oasis of Failure2018
- Bruder - Schwarze Macht2017 · as Bahr
- Babylon Berlin2017 · as Henning
- Die Pfeiler der Macht2016 · as Joseph Pilaster
- Die Kanzlei2015 · as Otto Suhlke
- Sedwitz2015 · as Ralf "Ralle" Pietzsch
- Helen Dorn2014 · as Wachmann Strauch
- Letzte Spur Berlin2012 · as Jürgen Beck
- Kommissar Marthaler2012 · as Dr. Meisner
- Die Chefin2012 · as Harald Steiner
- Flemming2009 · as Arndt Buchwald
- KDD - Kriminaldauerdienst2007 · as Van Gogh
- Hamburg Dockland2007 · as Bernd Wöhler
- Der Kriminalist2006 · as Lutz Ebeling
- Der Kriminalist2006 · as Jochen Pohl
- Spreewaldkrimi2006 · as Fichte
- Spreewaldkrimi2006 · as Martin Fichte
- Kommissar Stolberg2006 · as Manuel Lichtenberg
- Unter anderen Umständen2006 · as Achim Kaminski
- Vienna Crime Squad2005 · as Falk Link
- Der Staatsanwalt2005 · as Robert Stein
- Solo für Schwarz2003 · as Raik Schleusser
- SOKO Köln2003 · as Lars Beck
- K3 – Kripo Hamburg2003 · as Kurt Schmidt
- Bloch2002 · as Frank
- SOKO Kitzbühel2001 · as Stefan Schiener
- SOKO Leipzig2001 · as Volker Hoss
- Donna Leon2000 · as Palazzi
- Donna Leon2000 · as Piero Sartor
- Küstenwache1997 · as Hartmut Schild
- Stubbe – Von Fall zu Fall1995 · as Uwe Diepenbrock
- Wilsberg1995 · as Rainer Wiedemann
- Im Namen des Gesetzes1994 · as Bodo Seitz
- Ein starkes Team1994 · as Maik Lehmann
- Bella Block1993 · as Peter Liersch
- Wolffs Revier1992 · as Jörg Bauer
- Riverboat1992 · as Self
- Polizeiruf 1101971 · as Hannes Iwanowski
- Polizeiruf 1101971 · as Jan Jürgens
- Scene of the Crime1970 · as Kriminalhauptkommissar Kurt Stich
- Scene of the Crime1970 · as Kurt Stich
- Scene of the Crime1970 · as Robert Roetgen
- Scene of the Crime1970 · as Christof Rüter
- Scene of the Crime1970 · as Walter Lemke
- Scene of the Crime1970 · as Kommissariatsleiter Kurt Stich
- Scene of the Crime1970 · as Christian Wilmots
- Scene of the Crime1970 · as Thomas Peters
- Scene of the Crime1970 · as Peter Lessing