Austrian movie stars died at 80
Here are 9 famous actors from Austria died at 80:
Walter Slezak
Walter Slezak (May 3, 1902 Vienna-April 21, 1983 Flower Hill) also known as Walt Slezak was an Austrian actor. He had three children, Leo Slezak, Erika Slezak and Ingrid Slezak.
He died in suicide.
Walter Slezak began his acting career in the 1920s in Austria, where he performed on both stage and screen. In the 1930s, he moved to Germany and appeared in several popular films, including "The Three Musketeers" and "The Pied Piper of Hamelin."
Following the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany, Slezak fled to the United States in 1938. There, he continued his career as an actor and appeared in numerous Hollywood films, including "Lifeboat" (1944) and "The Inspector General" (1949). He also made appearances on television shows such as "The Twilight Zone" and "The Love Boat."
Outside of his acting career, Slezak was known for his love of sailing and was an accomplished sailor. He also had a keen interest in literature and was an avid reader.
Slezak's daughter, Erika Slezak, followed in his footsteps and became a successful actress, best known for her role on the daytime soap opera "One Life to Live."
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Otto Preminger
Otto Preminger (December 5, 1905 Vyzhnytsia-April 23, 1986 New York City) also known as Otto Ludwig Preminger or Otto the Ogre was an Austrian film director, actor, film producer and theatre director. He had three children, Erik Lee Preminger, Victoria Preminger and Mark Preminger.
He died caused by alzheimer's disease.
Preminger started his career in theatre, working as an actor and director in Vienna before moving to the US in the 1930s. He quickly made a name for himself in Hollywood, directing and producing several highly acclaimed films such as "Laura" (1944), "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959) and "Exodus" (1960). He was known for his progressive and controversial films which tackled topics such as drug addiction, sexual morality and political corruption. Preminger also had a reputation for being difficult to work with and earned the nickname "Otto the Ogre" for his tough and uncompromising style on set. In addition to his work in film, Preminger also directed plays on Broadway and served as President of the Screen Directors Guild.
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Bernhard Wicki
Bernhard Wicki (October 28, 1919 Sankt Pölten-January 3, 2000 Munich) also known as Bernard Wicki or Bernard Wicky was an Austrian film director, actor, screenwriter, photographer, television director and voice actor.
He died in heart failure.
Wicki began his career as an actor, appearing in over 60 films in Europe and the United States. He is best known for his directorial work, which often tackled sensitive political and social issues. In 1959, he directed the award-winning film "The Bridge," which depicted the last days of a group of German teenagers during World War II. He also directed the 1961 film "The Longest Day," a landmark war film that chronicled the D-Day invasion of Normandy. In addition to his film work, Wicki was also an accomplished photographer and published several books of his works. He was honored with numerous awards throughout his career, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1977. Wicki was also noted for his humanitarian work, including his involvement with the Children's Aid organization, which provided aid to war-torn regions in the Middle East.
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Erik Frey
Erik Frey (March 1, 1908 Vienna-September 2, 1988 Vienna) also known as Erik Viktor Laurenz Emil Frey or Eric Frey was an Austrian actor.
He began his acting career in the 1930s in Vienna and quickly became a prolific stage and film actor. He appeared in numerous Austrian and German films, including "Menschen im Hotel" (People at a Hotel) and "Ich Liebe Dich" (I Love You). Despite his success in film, Frey remained committed to the theater and performed in numerous productions throughout his career.
During World War II, Frey was drafted into the German army and served on the Eastern Front. After the war, he returned to Austria and continued his acting career. In the 1950s and 60s, he became a popular television actor, appearing in numerous Austrian TV shows and movies.
Frey was also a talented artist and photographer, and his work was exhibited in galleries throughout Europe. He was married several times and had three children. Erik Frey died in Vienna in 1988 at the age of 80.
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Udo Jürgens
Udo Jürgens (September 30, 1934 Klagenfurt-December 21, 2014) also known as Udo Jurgen Bockelmann, Udo Jurgens, Udo Juergens, Udo Jürgen Bockelmann or Jürgens, Udo was an Austrian singer, film score composer, actor, musician and composer. He had four children, Jenny Jürgens, John Jürgens, Gloria Burda and Sonja Jürgens.
Throughout his career, Udo Jürgens sold over 100 million records and had 50 Top 10 hits in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. He represented Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964 with his song "Warum nur, warum?" and won with "Merci, Chérie" in 1966. In addition to his music career, Jürgens also composed film scores for over a dozen movies and acted in several Austrian and German films. He was a beloved figure in the German-speaking world and received numerous awards, including the Bambi and the Golden Camera. After his death in 2014, the Udo Jürgens Memorial was unveiled in Vienna, and his music continues to be celebrated and performed by fans around the world.
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Max Neufeld
Max Neufeld (February 13, 1887 Guntersdorf-December 2, 1967 Vienna) a.k.a. M. Neufeld, Massimiliano Neufeld or Massimo Neufeld was an Austrian actor, film director, screenwriter, film producer and casting director.
Max Neufeld began his career in the entertainment industry as a stage actor in Vienna. He later transitioned to film, directing and producing several silent films in the 1920s. In 1925, he founded his own film production company, Neufeld-Film GmbH.
Neufeld is perhaps best known for directing the 1931 German film, "Der Mann, der seinen Moerder sucht" (The Man Who Seeks His Murderer), which has been hailed as a classic of German cinema. He later directed several films in Hollywood, including "The Great Waltz" in 1938 and "Hotel Berlin" in 1945.
In addition to his work in directing and producing, Neufeld was also a prolific casting director, helping to cast several notable films including "Casablanca" and "The Maltese Falcon".
After the end of World War II and the rise of the Nazi party, Neufeld returned to Austria and continued to work in the film industry until his death in 1967.
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Walter Schmidinger
Walter Schmidinger (April 28, 1933 Linz-September 28, 2013 Berlin) also known as Walter Schmiedinger was an Austrian actor.
He studied acting in Vienna and began his career on stage in the 1950s. Schmidinger also appeared in several films and TV shows throughout his career. He was particularly known for his role in the 1980 film "The Tin Drum," which was directed by Volker Schlöndorff and won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Schmidinger was also recognized for his work in theater, winning several prestigious awards including the Nestroy Theater Prize in 2000. He passed away in Berlin at the age of 80.
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Walter Ladengast
Walter Ladengast (July 4, 1899 Vienna-July 3, 1980 Munich) otherwise known as Ladengast was an Austrian actor.
He began his career as a stage actor before transitioning into film in the 1920s. He appeared in over 70 films throughout his career, including notable roles in Werner Herzog's "Heart of Glass" and "Nosferatu the Vampyre". Ladengast was known for his distinctive voice and intense presence on screen, and was considered one of Austria's greatest character actors. Outside of acting, he was also an accomplished painter and musician. Despite his success, he remained relatively unknown outside of German-speaking countries. He passed away in Munich in 1980, just one day before his 81st birthday.
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Fritz Hakl
Fritz Hakl (January 1, 1932 Feistritz bei Anger-February 28, 2012 Graz) was an Austrian actor.
Hakl started his acting career in local theaters in Styria, Austria, before moving to Vienna to study at Max Reinhardt Seminar. He then worked at various prestigious theaters in Austria, such as the Vienna Burgtheater, before expanding his career to film and television. Hakl appeared in more than 60 films and TV shows, including "Before Sunrise" and "Requiem for a Heavyweight." He was also a well-known voice actor, lending his voice to many German-dubbed versions of international films. In addition to acting, Hakl was also a respected acting teacher and director, and taught at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz for many years.
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