Thomas Fritsch

Thomas Fritsch (16 January 1944 – 21 April 2021) was a German film, television and dubbing actor and schlager singer. He was regarded as the "Sonnyboy" in the German cinema of the 1960s, and became one of the best-known actors by his presence in television series. Later, he was the German voice of Russell Crowe, of Scar in The Lion King, and of Diego, a Smilodon, in Ice Age.
Life
Fritsch was born in Dresden, the son of famous actor Willy Fritsch and dancer . The family moved to Hamburg after World War II. Director and actor Gustaf Gründgens encouraged the 16-year-old Thomas to become an actor. He trained at an acting school in Hamburg-Pöseldorf for three years.
He played his first film role in the 1962 Austrian Julia, Du bist zauberhaft at age 17, alongside Lilli Palmer. He starred opposite Daliah Lavi in , and became a favourite of teenagers. He was frequently featured as the cover image of the Bravo youth magazine. He played in in 1963, alongside Hildegard Knef. In 1964, he appeared in his only film together with his father, Das hab ich von Papa gelernt. He played two more times with his father, in ZDF television shows, Das gibts doch zweimal in 1965, and Andere Zeiten, andere Sitten. Die Thomas-Fritsch-Show in 1967. He had film roles in Drei Männer in Santa Cruz, Onkel Toms Hütte, and played one of the three men in the title of Drei Männer im Schnee, among many others.
In the 1970s, Fritsch appeared in the television series Der Kommissar and Derrick several times. From 1977, Fritsch appeared in a leading role in the popular series (Three are one too many) by Barbara Noack, portraying a man in a love triangle story. It made him one of Germany's most popular actors. He also starred in the television series Rivalen der Rennbahn (1989). In 2004, he made a return to cinema when he appeared as the villainous Earl of Cockwood in Der Wixxer, a comedy which spoofed the German Edgar Wallace films of the 1960s.
Fritsch became known as a voice actor. He was the German voice of Russell Crowe in Gladiator, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and Proof of Life. He starred voicing Scar in the German version of The Lion King in 1994, and voiced many other animated lions as well, and Diego, a Smilodon, in Ice Age and sequels, beginning in 2002. In the 2000s, he replaced the late Joachim Kemmer as Lumiere for the "Human Again" DVD feature of Beauty and the Beast. His last role was the narrator in the 2018 children's film , an adaption of Michael Ende's Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver.
Private life and death
Fritsch divided his time between his home in Munich and his home on the Greek island of Mykonos. He had been diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1990. In 2006, Fritsch revealed he was bisexual. In 2019, it was announced that Fritsch was diagnosed with dementia and was living in an assisted living facility.
Fritsch died on 21 April 2021 in Berlin, aged 77. He was given a burial at sea near the island of Sylt.
Films
Actor
Fritsch played in films and television (TV) series, including:
Adorable Julia (1962), as Roger, Julia's son
(1962), as Jean de Wehrt
(1963), as High school student
(1964), as Rick Hofer
Drei Männer in Santa Cruz (The Last Ride to Santa Cruz, 1964), as Carlos
Das hab ich von Papa gelernt (I Learned It from Father, 1964), as Andreas Andermann
Legend of a Gunfighter (1964), as Chris Harper
(1965), as Pierre de Sauterne
Onkel Toms Hütte (Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1965), as George Shelby
(1965), as Philipp
Das gibt's nur zweimal (1965, TV)
Apollo Goes on Holiday (1968)
Der Kommissar (TV series)
Der Papierblumenmörder (episode 15) – (1970)
Mord nach der Uhr (episode 94) – (1975)
Drei Männer im Schnee (Three Men in the Snow) (1974)
(1975, TV series)
Derrick (TV series):
Nur Aufregungen für Rohn (1975)
Abendfrieden (1977)
Ein Todesengel (1979)
Der Charme der Bahamas (1986)
Anruf in der Nacht (1986)
Tossners Ende (1989)
(1977, TV series)
Rivalen der Rennbahn (1989, TV series)
(1995)
Rosamunde Pilcher: Federn im Wind (2004)
Der Wixxer (2004)
Das total verrückte Wunderauto (2006)
Die ProSieben Märchenstunde (2006, TV series)
Meine wunderbare Familie (2007)
(2008)
Voice
Fritsch voiced the following productions, among others:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly- Tuco (Pro 7 dub)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Three Musketeers (1993)
The Nanny (1993–1999) – Maxwell Sheffield
The Lion King (1994) – Scar
Gargoyles (1994–1996) – Goliath
Felidae (1994)
The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)
Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) – Simon Gruber
Balto (1995) – Steele
Mega Man (1995–1996)
White Squall (1996)
Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver (1996) – Luke
Titanic (1997)
Doctor Dolittle (1998)
Lost in Space (1998)
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998) – Scar
Das Dschungelbuch, Mowglis Abenteuer (1998)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie (1999) - Slyly the fox
Gladiator (2000) – Maximus
Help! I'm a Fish (2000) – Joe, the pilotfish
Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000) – Mr. Conductor
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) – Garrick Ollivander
Ice Age (2002) – Diego
Treasure Planet (2002) – Dr. Delbert Doppler
The Cat Returns (2002)
Raining Cats and Frogs (2003)
Finding Nemo (2003) – Nigel
South Park (2003) - Russell Crowe and Steven Spielberg
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (extended edition) – (2003)
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Steamboy (2005)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Corpse Bride (2005) – Bonejangles
Cinderella Man (2005)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) – Aslan
Battlestar Galactica (2006)
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) – Diego
Copying Beethoven (2006)
Eragon (2006)
Open Season (2006)
Herr Figo und das Geheimnis der Perlenfabrik (2007)
Surf's Up (2007) - Big Z
3:10 to Yuma (2007 film) (2007) - Ben Wade
Astérix at the Olympic Games (2007)
Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic – Lord Vetinari
Snow Buddies (2008)
Kung Fu Panda (2008) – Tai Lung
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Sacred 2 (2008)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) – Diego
Risen (2009)
Diablo 3 (2012)
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) - Diego
Ice Age: Collision Course (2016) - Diego
Awards
1963: Bambi Award as the best newcomer for Das schwarz-weiß-rote Himmelbett
2002: for Second Chance – Alles wird gut
Notes
References
External links
Synchronsprecher Russell Crowe – Thomas Fritsch (in German) synchronsprecher.de 21 April 2021
1944 births
2021 deaths
Actors from Dresden
Musicians from Dresden
German male television actors
German male film actors
German male voice actors
German LGBT actors
German LGBT singers
German bisexual people
Bisexual male actors
Bisexual male musicians
Bisexual singers
Schlager musicians
Recipients of the Bambi (prize)
People with dementia
Burials at sea
20th-century German male actors
21st-century German male actors
20th-century German male singers
21st-century German male singers
20th-century German LGBT people
21st-century German LGBT people