Gottfried John

Gottfried John (29 August 1942 – 1 September 2014) was a German stage, screen, and voice actor. A long-time collaborator of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, John appeared in nine of the filmmaker's projects between 1975 and 1981, the year before Fassbinder's death, including Eight Hours Don't Make a Day, Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven, Despair, The Marriage of Maria Braun, and Berlin Alexanderplatz. His distinctive, gaunt appearance saw him frequently cast as villains, and he is best known to audiences for his role as the corrupt General Arkady Ourumov in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, and for his comedic turn as Julius Caesar in Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar, the latter for which he won the Bavarian Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Early life
John was born in Berlin, Germany, on 29 August 1942. In World War II, he and his mother were evacuated to East Prussia; his father, whom he never met, was married to another woman. He grew up with his single-parent mother and in several protectories; John fled from such a protectory when he was 15 years old and returned to his mother, who was living in Paris.
In Paris, he earned a living as a pavement artist and construction worker, and he returned to Berlin in 1960.
Career
During the 1970s and early 1980s, John was cast by director Rainer Werner Fassbinder in several of his projects, in particular as Reinhold in the Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) mini-series.
He was internationally known for his portrayal of General Arkady Ourumov in the James Bond film GoldenEye and Julius Caesar in Asterix and Obelix take on Caesar.
Personal life
For many years he lived in Kelmis, Belgium, near the Border to Aachen until 2008.
John lived with his wife, Brigitte, in Utting am Ammersee from 2008 until his death.
On 1 September 2014, it was announced that John had died in Utting am Ammersee near Munich, Germany, of cancer at the age of 72.
Works
Filmography
Café Oriental (1962) (uncredited)
Das Mädchen und der Staatsanwalt (1962), as Train passenger (uncredited)
Jaider, der einsame Jäger (1971), as Jaider
Carlos (1971, TV Movie), as Carlos
Eight Hours Don't Make a Day (1972–1973, TV Series), as Jochen
World on a Wire (1973, TV Movie), as Einstein
Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven (1975), as Niemeyer
Der Kommissar: Der Held des Tages (1976, TV series episode), as Werner Stimmel
Derrick: Das Superding (1976, TV series episode), as Krummbach
Und Rosa und Marilyn und ... (1977, TV Movie)
The Stationmaster's Wife (1977, TV Movie), as Divorce lawyer
Edwards Film (1977, TV Movie)
Despair (1978), as Perebrodov
Fedora (1978), as Kritos
Marija (1978, TV Movie), as Filipp
1982: Gutenbach (1978, TV Movie), as Peter Kessel
In a Year of 13 Moons (1978), as Anton Saitz
Die Ratten (1979, TV Movie), as Bruno Mechelke
Wo die Liebe hinfällt (1979, anthology film, TV Movie)
The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979), as Willi Klenze
(1979, TV miniseries), as Clemens Koch
(1979, TV miniseries), as Mr. Adam
Reiseabrechnung (1980, TV Movie)
Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980, TV miniseries), as Reinhold
Lili Marleen (1981), as Aaron
Ente oder Trente (1982)
(1982, TV miniseries), as Loskutow
Die Matrosen von Kronstadt (1983, TV Movie), as Petritschenko
Super (1984), as Police Officer Hilpert
Chinese Boxes (1984), as Zwemmer
Bartolome oder Die Rückkehr der weißen Götter (1985, TV Movie), as Bartolomé de las Casas
Mata Hari (1985), as Wolff
Verworrene Bilanzen (1985, TV Movie), as Karl M. Kronen
Ein Fall für zwei: Fluchtgeld (1985, TV series episode), as Hans Beckers
Die Mitläufer (1985)
Otto – Der Film (1985), as Sonnemann
Die Schwärmer (1985, TV Movie), as Stader
Das Gehirn zu Pferde (1986, TV Movie), as The Playwright
Of Pure Blood (1986, TV Movie), as Paul Bergmann
Franza (1986, TV Movie), as Captain
The Winner Takes All (1987, TV Movie), as Ulrich Vogtmann
Game, Set and Match (1988, TV series), as Eric Stinnes
Schön war die Zeit (1988), as Franz Bauer
Ein Fall für zwei: Seitensprung (1989, TV series episode), as Markus Meyer
: Tödliches Wochenende (1990, TV series episode), as Mr. Mannheim
Wings of Fame (1990), as Zlatogorski
Drehort Pfarrhaus (1990, TV miniseries), as Pfarrer Achim Hollweg
La piovra, (1990, TV miniseries), as Friar Gillo
Frederick Forsyth Presents: Death Has a Bad Reputation (1990, TV Movie), as Rodimstev
Night of the Fox (1990, TV Movie), as Hofer
Elfenbein (1991, TV Movie), as Nicholas Messier
Ich schenk dir die Sterne (1991), as Robert Dallburg
The Mistake (1992), as Jacob Alain
Die Zeit danach (1992)
Space Rangers (1993, TV Series, 6 episodes), as Colonel Erich Weiss
Colpo di coda (1993, TV miniseries), as Pierre
(1993), as Sophie's Father
(1993, TV miniseries), as Collani
Abraham (1993, TV miniseries), as Eliezer
Polizeiruf 110: Arme Schweine (1994, TV Series episode), as Hannes Hellwig
Beckmann und Markowski (1994–1999, TV Series, 3 episodes), as Beckmann
(1995, TV Movie), as Alexander
Die Falle (1995, TV Movie), as Hasso
Wolffs Revier: Taekwon-Do (1995, TV Series episode), as Johnny Reschke
Ein letzter Wille (1995, TV Movie), as Paul Elling
Institute Benjamenta (1995), as Johannes Benjamenta
Tatort: Der König kehrt zurück (1995, TV Series episode), as Harry Mucher
GoldenEye (1995), as General Arkady Ourumov
Brüder auf Leben und Tod (1996, TV Movie), as Renato Calvi
The Ogre (1996), as Chief Forester
La casa dove abitava Corinne (1996, TV Movie), as Michele Wolf
Millennium: The Hand of St. Sebastian (1997, TV Series episode), as Josef Heim
Tales of the South Seas: Paradise Regained (1998, TV Series episode), as Gunter
Am I Beautiful? (1998), as Herbert
Die Fremde in meiner Brust (1998, TV Movie), as Richard Keller
Black Ice (1998, TV Movie), as Kurt Wallmann
Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999), as Julius Caesar
(1999, TV Movie), as Count Hanski
Teuflischer Engel (2000, TV Movie), as Henry Martens
(2000, TV Movie), as Herod Antipas
Proof of Life (2000), as Eric Kessler
Die Cleveren: Arzt und Dämon (2002, TV Series episode), as Dr. Brendel
Der Solist: In eigener Sache (2002, TV Series episode), as Martin Krohn
The Gathering Storm (2002, TV Movie), as Friedrich von Schroder
Nancy & Frank – A Manhattan Love Story (2002), as Paul von Bernwarth
Entrusted (2003, TV Movie), as Thomas von Gall
Imperium: Augustus (2003, TV Movie), as Cicero
(2003), as Schulrat Aschenbrenner
(2004, TV miniseries), as Count Sagrato
(2004, TV Movie), as Aldo Caldini
(2004, TV Movie), as Duc d'Armagnac
Donna Leon: Acqua Alta (2004, TV series episode), as Carmello La Capra
Cowgirl (2004), as Hans Krahl
The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes (2005), as Dr. Emmanuel Droz
(2006, TV Movie), as Konrad von Wallenrod
Flood (2007), as Arthur Moyes
(2007, TV Movie), as Robert Kreutzer
(2008, TV Movie), as Paolo Naldini
John Rabe (2009), as Oskar Trautmann
Flores negras (2009), as Curtis
(2009, TV Movie), as King Gustav
Aghet – Ein Völkermord (2010, docudrama, TV Movie), as General Kress von Kressenstein
(2010), as Georg Maria Stahl
Die Löwin (2012, TV Movie), as Jo
(2013, TV Movie), as Dr. Jan Kersebohm
Ruby Red (2013), as Dr. White (final film role)
Audiobooks
Gottfried John reads: Die toten Seelen by Nikolai Gogol. 2006, .
Gottfried John reads: Die Stunden by Michael Cunningham. 2007, .
Written works
Bekenntnisse eines Unerzogenen, autobiography, publisher: Econ, Berlin 2000, .
Das fünfte Wort, novel, publisher: Ullstein, Berlin 2003, .
Nominations and awards
1982: Großer Hersfeld-Preis for his role as Jago in Othello
1999: Bavarian Film Awards, Best Actor
2000: Bavarian Film Awards for Asterix & Obelix Take on Caesar (Bester Nebendarsteller)
2004: Euregio Filmball – Best Euregio-Actor
2006: DIVA-Award – European Award (Hall of Fame)
2017: RF Hall of Fame
References
External links
Gottfried John at the German Dubbing Card Index
1942 births
2014 deaths
Deaths from cancer in Germany
Male actors from Berlin
German male film actors
German male television actors
20th-century German male actors
21st-century German male actors