Adolf film star dies of cancer aged 77
Swiss film star Bruno Ganz has died aged 77.
The actor, who played Adolf Hitler in the Oscarnominated Downfall, died at his home in Zurich yesterday after f ighting cancer.
Ganz had been active in theatre, film and television for more than 50 years and was the holder of the IfflandRing, the most important award for German-speaking actors.
German foreign minister Heiko Maas tweeted: “One of the most important actors of our times goes, his brilliant work remains. We mourn with the family and friends of Bruno Ganz.”
Born to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother, Ganz grew up in Zurich and became an actor after a lighting technician allowed him into a local theatre.
In 1987, Ganz played an angel called Damiel in Wim Wenders’s f ilm Wings of Desire, who becomes mortal so he can experience earthly pleasures.
One of his most famous roles came when he played Hitler in 2004 film Downfall, which dramatised the last days of the Nazi dictator in the Berlin bunker.
It was one of Germany’s first attempts to characterise the Fuehrer in film.
Immersing himself in the role affected the actor, who later admitted he had been haunted by his portrayal.
He said: “I tend to identify with my roles to such an extent that I appear to be convinced about certain statements that, in real life, I would never believe in.”