Otto Sander
Known for: Acting
Born: June 30, 1941
Died: September 12, 2013
Place of birth: Hanover, Germany
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.
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Filmography
97 movies · 27 TV shows, newest first
8.0
About Narration
2025
7.1
Das Boot Revisited: An Underwater Success Story
2021
6.4
Roland Klick: The Heart Is a Hungry Hunter
2013
5.7
Fly Away
20122.0
Die Schuld der Erben
2012
5.0
Life Is Too Long
2010
5.8
Krabat
2008
5.5
The Heart Is a Dark Forest
2007
4.0
Little King Macius
2007
NR
Unter kaiserlicher Flagge
2006
5.1
Vienna Crime Squad
2005
8.0
Kaluoka'hina: The Enchanted Reef
20047.0
Leute am Donnerstag
20048.0
Aus Liebe zu Deutschland - Eine Spendenaffäre
2003
6.3
The Danube
2003
5.9
Werner - Gekotzt wird später!
2003
8.3
Wings of Desire: The Angels Among Us
20036.5
Tödliches Vertrauen
20028.0
Atlantic Affairs
20028.0
Ein roter Teppich für....
2002
7.0
Happy Too
2002
7.9
Through the Night with...
2002NR
Gero von Boehm begegnet...
2002
9.0
Das Jahrhundert des Theaters
2002
5.0
100 Pro
2001
5.4
Sass
2001
NR
Preußen – Chronik eines deutschen Staates
2000
6.9
Les Misérables
2000
5.5
The Einstein of Sex: Life and Work of Dr. M. Hirschfeld
2000
5.7
Marlene
2000
8.0
E-m@il an Gott
19998.0
Majestät brauchen Sonne
1999
7.0
Girls under investigation
1999
7.0
Männer sind wie Schokolade
19999.0
Der Kuß des Vergessens
1999
4.8
The Shop
19988.0
Stan Becker - Auf eigene Faust
1998
6.7
Am I Beautiful?
19987.5
The Johannes B. Kerner Show
1998
6.7
The Harmonists
19979.0
Tietjen und Bommes
1997
10.0
Conversation with the Beast
19977.0
Liebe Lügen
19979.0
Friedemann Brix - Eine Schwäche für Mord
1996
5.2
The Killer Condom
1996
7.0
Zimmer frei!
19967.0
Matulla und Busch
1995
6.3
Lumière & Company
1995
7.3
Die Harald Schmidt Show
1995
4.5
Nikolaikirche
1995
6.6
The Promise
1995
5.5
Bauernschach
1995
8.0
A.S. Gefahr ist sein Geschäft
1995
9.0
Das Loch
1995
8.7
The White Horse Inn in St. Wolfgang
19947.0
Hölderlin-Comics
1994
6.1
Movie Days
1994
4.0
Three Sisters
1994
9.0
The Film Narrator
1993
3.0
The Olympic Summer
1993
7.0
Faraway, So Close!
1993
4.7
Inge, April und Mai
1993NR
Schlusschor
1993
3.7
Wolffs Revier
1992
10.0
Lyrische Suite. Das untergehende Vaterland
1992NR
Bescheiß kein Kind!
1992
4.7
DAS!
1991
6.6
Werner and the Wizard of Booze
19908.0
Vorwärts
1990
7.0
Time of Vengeance
1990
4.6
The Break
198910.0
Wie du mir..
1989
9.0
The Case of Mr. Spalt
1988
7.8
Wings of Desire
1987NR
Close Up
1987
7.2
Boundaries of Time - Caspar David Friedrich
19868.0
Drei Schwestern
1986
6.7
Miko: From the Gutter to the Stars
1986
5.2
Wahnfried
1986
6.6
Rosa Luxemburg
1986NR
Eine Reise wert… Der Dichter Günter Kunert (be)sucht Berlin
1986
8.6
Das Boot
1985
7.3
Der Fahnder
19849.0
Der Mord mit der Schere
1984
5.5
A Love in Germany
19834.0
Remembrance: Film for Curt Bois
1982
6.7
Der Mann im Pyjama
1981
5.0
Das Traumschiff
1981
8.7
Who's Going Crazy Here, Doctor?
1981
8.1
Das Boot
1981
5.6
Strike Back
1981NR
Gesucht wird... Drei Geschichten um nicht ganz ehrenwerte Herren
1981
5.6
Wetten, dass..?
1981NR
Im Schlaraffenland. Ein Roman unter feinen Leuten
1981NR
Die Ursache
19809.0
Der Mond scheint auf Kylenamoe
1980
5.5
Palermo or Wolfsburg
1980
7.0
The Tin Drum
19797.0
Trilogie des Wiedersehens
1979NR
Phantom
1979
6.6
NDR Talk Show
1979NR
Plastikfieber
197910.0
Die Ängste des Dr. Schenk
19787.0
Heinrich Zille
1977
6.3
Four Against the Bank
1976
6.7
The Marquise of O
1976
7.3
Summer Guests
19768.0
Lehmanns Erzählungen
1975
NR
Berlin 10. 11. 74 - 28. 1. 75: Exercises in 9 Pieces
1975
8.0
Meine Sorgen möcht' ich haben
197510.0
Die Bakchen
1974
4.7
One or the Other of Us
197410.0
Ermittlungen gegen Unbekannt
19747.0
Prinz Friedrich von Homburg
1973NR
The Ignoramus and the Madman
1972
6.3
Polizeiruf 110
197110.0
Die Mutter
1971NR
Sonntags am Meer
1970
6.2
Scene of the Crime
1970
7.7
No Pawing, Darling
1970NR
Sonnabend, der 1.
1970
8.0
Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst
19676.0
Ludwig
1964NR
Grimme Award
1964