Acting
Jul 21, 1948
Emden, Germany
Otto Waalkes
Acting
Biography
Otto Waalkes, born in Emden in 1948, ranks among the most successful German comedians of all time. He first gained widespread recognition in the mid-1970s through his comedy albums and his own television show. By the mid-1980s—culminating with the release of his first feature film, *Otto – Der Film*—he had risen to the status of an absolute superstar. With a box-office tally of over 14 million viewers, this comedy is considered the most successful German film of all time. The following years saw the release of further installments in the "Otto" film series, all of which went on to become major hits. After a period of relative quiet in the late 1990s, Otto Waalkes staged a major comeback in 2004 with the film *7 Zwerge – Männer allein im Wald* (7 Dwarfs – Men Alone in the Woods). This ensemble comedy drew more than seven million moviegoers to theaters and was followed in 2006 by an equally successful sequel. In the new millennium, Otto established himself as a voice actor for animated films such as *Ice Age*. Although Otto Waalkes is frequently criticized for his allegedly simplistic and silly brand of humor, his films consistently find an audience.
Feature Films (44)
Snow White asks the seven dwarfs for help, because if they don't manage to find out the name of a little boy (Rumpelstiltskin) within two days, her newborn child will be taken away from her. The journey takes the dwarves to a depressive, rhyming Pinocchio and the omniscient wizard Helge, among others, and all the way to the world of humans.
7 Dwarves: The Forest Is Not Enough
The tale of Siegfried, a fearless dragon slayer who wins the heart of Celtic beauty Kriemhild.
Siegfried
Sometimes your fate lies in the hands of those you meet. Filled with promising ambitions, shattered dreams, love and revenge and in the end hope, the story reveals how tangibly interconnected our induividual fates really are. Cabby Robby drives in and around St.Pauli, Hamburg, from sunset to sunrise. He is surrounded by stories of the night. Drowning in human incidents.
St. Pauli Nacht
Otto is Friesland's answer to Rambo and stands between two worlds, two women and two animals. While he's trying to cure a dog with bite inhibition and a cat with suicidal tendencies, the dream of his sleepless nights crosses his path: Gaby. Otto falls instantly in love, but Gaby thinks only of Amboss, a real guy with muscles of steel and a brain of rubber. Well, Otto on the other hand is not exactly well built and attractive. But he's determined to get the lady's attention, even if it means taking part in body-building competitions...
Otto – The New Movie
The Seven Dwarves live deep within a female-free-zone of the Enchanted Forest, but they cannot resist the innocent charms of Snow White when she enters their world. So when the evil queen abducts her, it is up to the dwarves to save her life.
7 Zwerge - Männer allein im Wald
Otto is the only one who is able to save his Frisian fatherland; but he needs the help of his brother, who is abroad. But his brother does not want to fulfill what he has sworn as a child. So it takes Otto a while to convince him while time is running low for his plans to save East-Frisia.
Otto – The Alien from East Frisia
East Friesian Otto moves to the big city Hamburg. There he gets into trouble with a loan shark and needs to find a way to impress his love interest Silvia.
Otto - The Movie
A man from Ostfriesland travels to Hamburg and sets course for America on a steamship to conquer this New World as well. What he leaves behind is a swath of devastation, a breach of confusion, a Milky Way full of music, a dead end full of mad jokes and perhaps a touch too much wordplay at the expense of others. But what is worst of all: he has also made a film about it!
Otto - The Disaster Movie
Cupid, the God of love, gets the order to unite two people. On Earth, Otto fails as a street musician because his guitar breaks. While buying a new string, his hand gets stuck in the purse of Tina, who works at the Dr. Bayerle beauty farm. When she enters the subway, the purse is teared off and Otto is hit by Cupid's arrow. Now he wants to give back her purse at the doctor's conference.
Otto - The Romance Film
Pre-Christmas fun with surprises, music and sketch comedy for the whole family by and with Otto Waalkes.
Otto Fröhliche - Advent, Advents mit Otto und Friends
Television & Series (52)
Granaten wie wir (Grenades Like Us) is a comedy show moderated by Max Giermann, which made its debut on German television on ProSieben on September 15, 2009. Six episodes were seen in autumn 2009, the remaining six episodes that had already been produced were broadcast from September 21, 2010. However, these have been shortened from 60 to 30 minutes.
Granaten wie wir
“Otto – The Series” is an unusual comedy format from the early 1990s centred on Otto Waalkes, blending classic crime entertainment with Otto’s distinctive brand of humour. Rather than telling a continuous story, the series combines newly shot sketches featuring Otto with scenes from old Edgar Wallace films. These original sequences were re-dubbed, completely transforming their content. Dialogue that was once serious turns into absurd wordplay, and the originally suspenseful plots are deliberately played for laughs. In this way, Otto effectively “smuggles” himself into the dark world of the Wallace films, turning it into a parody driven by nonsense, running gags, and his characteristic humour. The result is an idiosyncratic mix of crime and comedy, whose particular charm lies above all in its playful use of the original material.
