Acting
Otto Sander
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.
Filmography
About Narration
Film · 2025
Das Boot Revisited: An Underwater Success Story
Film · 2021
Roland Klick: The Heart Is a Hungry Hunter
Film · 2013
Fly Away
Film · 2012
Life Is Too Long
Film · 2010
Krabat
Film · 2008
The Heart Is a Dark Forest
Film · 2007
Little King Macius
Film · 2007
Unter kaiserlicher Flagge
Series · 2006
Vienna Crime Squad
Series · 2005
Kaluoka'hina: The Enchanted Reef
Film · 2004
Werner - Gekotzt wird später!
Film · 2003
Wings of Desire: The Angels Among Us
Film · 2003
The Danube
Film · 2003
Happy Too
Film · 2002
Through the Night with...
Series · 2002
Das Jahrhundert des Theaters
Series · 2002
Sass
Film · 2001
100 Pro
Film · 2001
The Einstein of Sex: Life and Work of Dr. M. Hirschfeld
Film · 2000
Marlene
Film · 2000
Les Misérables
Series · 2000
Preußen – Chronik eines deutschen Staates
Series · 2000
Girls under investigation
Film · 1999
Männer sind wie Schokolade
Film · 1999
Am I Beautiful?
Film · 1998
The Shop
Series · 1998
Conversation with the Beast
Film · 1997
The Harmonists
Film · 1997
Killer Condom
Film · 1996
Zimmer frei!
Series · 1996
Bauernschach
Film · 1995
Nikolaikirche
Film · 1995
The Promise
Film · 1995
Das Loch
Film · 1995
Lumière & Company
Film · 1995
A.S. Gefahr ist sein Geschäft
Series · 1995
Die Harald Schmidt Show
Series · 1995
Movie Days
Film · 1994
The White Horse Inn in St. Wolfgang
Film · 1994
Three Sisters
Film · 1994
The Film Narrator
Film · 1993
Faraway, So Close!
Film · 1993
Inge, April und Mai
Film · 1993
The Olympic Summer
Film · 1993
Lyrische Suite. Das untergehende Vaterland
Film · 1992
Wolffs Revier
Series · 1992
DAS!
Series · 1991
Werner and the Wizard of Booze
Film · 1990
Time of Vengeance
Film · 1990
The Break
Film · 1989
The Case of Mr. Spalt
Film · 1988
Wings of Desire
Film · 1987
Rosa Luxemburg
Film · 1986
Boundaries of Time - Caspar David Friedrich
Film · 1986
Wahnfried
Film · 1986
Miko: From the Gutter to the Stars
Film · 1986
Das Boot
Series · 1985
Der Fahnder
Series · 1984
A Love in Germany
Film · 1983
Das Boot
Film · 1981
Der Mann im Pyjama
Film · 1981
Who's Going Crazy Here, Doctor?
Film · 1981
Strike Back
Film · 1981
Wetten, dass..?
Series · 1981
Das Traumschiff
Series · 1981
Das Traumschiff
Series · 1981
Palermo or Wolfsburg
Film · 1980
The Tin Drum
Film · 1979
NDR Talk Show
Series · 1979
Four Against the Bank
Film · 1976
The Marquise of O
Film · 1976
Summer Guests
Film · 1976
Berlin 10. 11. 74 - 28. 1. 75: Exercises in 9 Pieces
Film · 1975
Meine Sorgen möcht' ich haben
Film · 1975
One or the Other of Us
Film · 1974
Polizeiruf 110
Series · 1971
Polizeiruf 110
Series · 1971
Polizeiruf 110
Series · 1971
No Pawing, Darling
Film · 1970
Scene of the Crime
Series · 1970
Scene of the Crime
Series · 1970
Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst
Series · 1967