Gottfried John

Gottfried John was a German stage, screen, and voice actor. A longtime collaborator of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, John appeared in nine of his films between 1975 and 1981, the year before Fassbinder's death, including Eight Hours Don't Make a Day, Mother Küsters' Trip 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 his comedic turn as Julius Caesar in Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar, for the latter of which he won the Bavarian Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Early life

John was born in Berlin, Germany, on 29 August 1942. During 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 one when he was 15 years old and returned to his mother, who was living in Paris, France.
In Paris, he earned a living as a pavement artist and construction worker, returning 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 miniseries.
He was internationally known for his portrayal of General Arkady Ourumov in the James Bond film GoldenEye and Julius Caesar in Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar.

Personal life

For many years, he lived in Kelmis, Belgium, just over the border from Aachen, Germany, until 2008. John then lived with his wife, Brigitte, in Utting am Ammersee, near Munich, Germany, from 2008 until his death.
On 1 September 2014, it was announced that John had died in Utting am Ammersee of cancer aged 72.

Works

Filmography

Café Oriental Das Mädchen und der Staatsanwalt, as Train passenger Jaider, der einsame Jäger, as JaiderCarlos, as CarlosEight Hours Don't Make a Day, as JochenWorld on a Wire, as EinsteinMother Küsters' Trip to Heaven, as NiemeyerDer Kommissar: Der Held des Tages, as Werner StimmelDerrick: Das Superding, as KrummbachUnd Rosa und Marilyn und... The Stationmaster's Wife, as Divorce lawyerEdwards Film Despair, as PerebrodovFedora, as KritosMarija, as Filipp1982: Gutenbach, as Peter KesselIn a Year of 13 Moons, as Anton SaitzDie Ratten, as Bruno MechelkeWo die Liebe hinfällt The Marriage of Maria Braun, as Willi Klenze', as Clemens Koch

', as Mr. AdamReiseabrechnung Berlin Alexanderplatz, as ReinholdLili Marleen, as AaronEnte oder Trente ', as LoskutowDie Matrosen von Kronstadt, as PetritschenkoSuper, as Police Officer HilpertChinese Boxes, as ZwemmerBartolome oder Die Rückkehr der weißen Götter, as Bartolomé de las CasasMata Hari, as WolffVerworrene Bilanzen, as Karl M. KronenEin Fall für zwei: Fluchtgeld, as Hans BeckersDie Mitläufer Otto – Der Film, as SonnemannDie Schwärmer, as StaderDas Gehirn zu Pferde, as The PlaywrightOf Pure Blood, as Paul BergmannFranza, as CaptainThe Winner Takes All, as Ulrich VogtmannGame, Set and Match, as Eric StinnesSchön war die Zeit, as Franz BauerEin Fall für zwei: Seitensprung, as Markus Meyer: Tödliches Wochenende, as Mr. MannheimWings of Fame, as ZlatogorskiDrehort Pfarrhaus, as Pfarrer Achim HollwegLa piovra,, as Friar GilloFrederick Forsyth Presents: Death Has a Bad Reputation, as RodimstevNight of the Fox, as HoferElfenbein, as Nicholas MessierIch schenk dir die Sterne, as Robert DallburgThe Mistake, as Jacob AlainDie Zeit danach Space Rangers, as Colonel Erich WeissColpo di coda, as Pierre
', as Sophie's Father', as CollaniAbraham, as EliezerPolizeiruf 110: Arme Schweine, as Hannes HellwigBeckmann und Markowski, as Beckmann
', as AlexanderDie Falle, as HassoWolffs Revier: Taekwon-Do, as Johnny ReschkeEin letzter Wille, as Paul EllingInstitute Benjamenta, as Johannes BenjamentaTatort: Der König kehrt zurück, as Harry MucherGoldenEye, as General Arkady OurumovBrüder auf Leben und Tod, as Renato CalviThe Ogre, as Chief ForesterLa casa dove abitava Corinne, as Michele WolfMillennium: The Hand of St. Sebastian, as Josef HeimTales of the South Seas: Paradise Regained, as GunterAm I Beautiful?, as HerbertDie Fremde in meiner Brust, as Richard KellerBlack Ice, as Kurt WallmannAsterix and Obelix vs. Caesar, as Julius Caesar', as Count HanskiTeuflischer Engel, as Henry Martens
', as Herod AntipasProof of Life, as Eric KesslerDie Cleveren: Arzt und Dämon, as Dr. BrendelDer Solist: In eigener Sache, as Martin KrohnThe Gathering Storm, as Friedrich von SchroderNancy & Frank – A Manhattan Love Story, as Paul von BernwarthEntrusted, as Thomas von GallImperium: Augustus, as Cicero', as Schulrat Aschenbrenner
', as Count Sagrato', as Aldo Caldini
', as Duc d'ArmagnacDonna Leon: Acqua Alta, as Carmello La CapraCowgirl, as Hans KrahlThe Piano Tuner of Earthquakes, as Dr. Emmanuel Droz', as Konrad von WallenrodFlood, as Arthur Moyes
', as Robert Kreutzer', as Paolo NaldiniJohn Rabe, as Oskar TrautmannFlores negras, as Curtis
', as King GustavAghet – Ein Völkermord, as General Kress von KressensteinLife Is Too Long, as Georg Maria StahlDie Löwin, as Jo, as Dr. Jan KersebohmRuby Red, as Dr. White

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
2004: Euregio Filmball – Best Euregio-Actor
2006: DIVA-Award – European Award
2017: RF Hall of Fame