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
Die Schuld der Erben
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
Leute am Donnerstag
Series · 2004
Werner - Gekotzt wird später!
Film · 2003
Wings of Desire: The Angels Among Us
Film · 2003
The Danube
Film · 2003
Aus Liebe zu Deutschland - Eine Spendenaffäre
Film · 2003
Happy Too
Film · 2002
Atlantic Affairs
Film · 2002
Tödliches Vertrauen
Film · 2002
Ein roter Teppich für....
Series · 2002
Through the Night with...
Series · 2002
Das Jahrhundert des Theaters
Series · 2002
Gero von Boehm begegnet...
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
E-m@il an Gott
Film · 1999
Der Kuß des Vergessens
Film · 1999
Majestät brauchen Sonne
Film · 1999
Stan Becker - Auf eigene Faust
Film · 1998
Am I Beautiful?
Film · 1998
The Shop
Series · 1998
The Johannes B. Kerner Show
Series · 1998
Conversation with the Beast
Film · 1997
Liebe Lügen
Film · 1997
The Harmonists
Film · 1997
Tietjen und Bommes
Series · 1997
The Killer Condom
Film · 1996
Friedemann Brix - Eine Schwäche für Mord
Series · 1996
Zimmer frei!
Series · 1996
Bauernschach
Film · 1995
Matulla und Busch
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
Hölderlin-Comics
Film · 1994
The Film Narrator
Film · 1993
Faraway, So Close!
Film · 1993
Inge, April und Mai
Film · 1993
Schlusschor
Film · 1993
The Olympic Summer
Film · 1993
Bescheiß kein Kind!
Film · 1992
Lyrische Suite. Das untergehende Vaterland
Film · 1992
Wolffs Revier
Series · 1992
DAS!
Series · 1991
Werner and the Wizard of Booze
Film · 1990
Vorwärts
Film · 1990
Time of Vengeance
Film · 1990
The Break
Film · 1989
Wie du mir..
Film · 1989
The Case of Mr. Spalt
Film · 1988
Wings of Desire
Film · 1987
Close Up
Film · 1987
Rosa Luxemburg
Film · 1986
Eine Reise wert… Der Dichter Günter Kunert (be)sucht Berlin
Film · 1986
Boundaries of Time - Caspar David Friedrich
Film · 1986
Wahnfried
Film · 1986
Miko: From the Gutter to the Stars
Film · 1986
Drei Schwestern
Film · 1986
Das Boot
Series · 1985
Der Mord mit der Schere
Film · 1984
Der Fahnder
Series · 1984
A Love in Germany
Film · 1983
Remembrance: Film for Curt Bois
Film · 1982
Das Boot
Film · 1981
Der Mann im Pyjama
Film · 1981
Who's Going Crazy Here, Doctor?
Film · 1981
Strike Back
Film · 1981
Im Schlaraffenland. Ein Roman unter feinen Leuten
Film · 1981
Gesucht wird... Drei Geschichten um nicht ganz ehrenwerte Herren
Film · 1981
Wetten, dass..?
Series · 1981
Das Traumschiff
Series · 1981
Das Traumschiff
Series · 1981
Palermo or Wolfsburg
Film · 1980
Der Mond scheint auf Kylenamoe
Film · 1980
Die Ursache
Film · 1980
The Tin Drum
Film · 1979
Phantom
Film · 1979
Trilogie des Wiedersehens
Film · 1979
Plastikfieber
Film · 1979
NDR Talk Show
Series · 1979
Die Ängste des Dr. Schenk
Film · 1978
Heinrich Zille
Film · 1977
Four Against the Bank
Film · 1976
The Marquise of O
Film · 1976
Summer Guests
Film · 1976
Lehmanns Erzählungen
Film · 1975
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
Die Bakchen
Film · 1974
Ermittlungen gegen Unbekannt
Film · 1974
Prinz Friedrich von Homburg
Film · 1973
The Ignoramus and the Madman
Film · 1972
Die Mutter
Film · 1971
Polizeiruf 110
Series · 1971
Polizeiruf 110
Series · 1971
Polizeiruf 110
Series · 1971
No Pawing, Darling
Film · 1970
Sonntags am Meer
Film · 1970
Sonnabend, der 1.
Film · 1970
Scene of the Crime
Series · 1970
Scene of the Crime
Series · 1970
Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst
Series · 1967
Ludwig
Film · 1964
Grimme Award
Series · 1964