Klaus J. Behrendt


Klaus Johannes Behrendt is a German actor. Since 1992 he has starred in the Westdeutscher Rundfunk version of the popular television crime series Tatort; he also starred in the 2008 film Die Bienen – Tödliche Bedrohung.

Life and education

Behrendt was born in Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia, the son of a pediatrician, he grew up in Ibbenbüren in North Rhine-Westphalia, where he trained as a mining mechanic. After completing his civil service, he then took acting lessons from 1981 to 1984 at the Hamburg drama school stage studio with Hedi Höpfner and then joined a festival engagement at the Theater Bremen. He performed there until 1988 in various works, including Danton's Death, The Seagull, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Three Sisters.

Career

Behrendt launched his television career in 1989, with a role in the television series Rote Erde as Jupp Kowalla.
Behrendt gained great popularity from 1992 to 1994 and then from 1997 onward with his role as investigator Max Ballauf in the WDR crime series Tatort. He was initially an assistant to Kommissar Flemming in Düsseldorf, later he was an investigative unit leader with his colleague Freddy Schenk in Cologne. In the 1990 Tatort episode 234 Behrendt previously had a supporting role as Erwin Spilonska.
From 1995 to 1997, Behrendt appeared in the Sat.1 series ' the leading role of private investigator Alexander Stein, in 29 episodes. In the Sat.1 television movie production The Miracle of Lengede, Behrendt appeared as a miner, his original profession. The film, directed by Kaspar Heidelbach, won a Grimme Award in 2004.
In the spring of 2005, Behrendt played the lead role in the ZDF television series Kanzleramt, as the fictional Chancellor Andreas Weyer. In 2006, he acted again with his colleague and friend Dietmar Bär in ' directed by Kaspar Heidelbach, a two-part catastrophe drama on the sinking of the German ship Pamir. In 2007, he played in the ARD television drama Einfache Leute alongside Barbara Auer, as a family man hiding his homosexuality.
Behrendt is a member of the Bundesverband Schauspiel.

Awards

For his acting work in Tatort, Behrendt was first awarded in 1998 with the Goldener Gong . The same episode also received a nomination for the Adolf Grimme Prize. In October 2000, Behrendt and Dietmar Bär received for their roles in Tatort the German Television Award for Best Series Actor of 1999. Two other episodes of Tatort were particularly distinguished; Odin's revenge in 2004 was for the German Television Award and 2004 European Civis Media Award. Then in 2007, the episode Mine Game was nominated for the Marler Media Prize Human Rights award. In 2011, he along with castmates Jan Josef Liefers, Axel Prahl and Dietmar Bär received a 1Live crown.
For his performance in the television film Mein Vater alongside Götz George, Behrendt received the Audience Award of the Marl Group at the Adolf Grimme Prize and the Bavarian Television Award in 2003. In addition, the film was awarded the International Emmy Award for best TV movie.
Since 2005, Behrendt has been the patron of the 'Honorary Brand' of the Bund Deutscher Kriminalbeamter. In 2009, he received a nomination for the Golden Camera as Best Actor. In 2015, Behrendt and Dietmar Bär were awarded the Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia for their social commitment. In 2018, Behrendt and Bär were awarded the Rhineland Medal of the LVR for their services to the cultural development and promotion of the Rhineland.

Personal life

Behrendt has two sons and a daughter from his first marriage, and lives with his second wife Karin and her son from a previous relationship in Berlin-Charlottenburg. His son Tom was a German national team rugby player in 2016, and played with FC St. Pauli Rugby.

Partial filmography

  • 1986: Großstadtrevier
  • 1988: Ein Treffen mit Rimbaud – Thomas
  • 1989–1993: Schulz & Schulz – Seibt
  • 1990-2019: Tatort – Max Ballauf / Erwin Spilonska
  • 1991-2010: Ein Fall für zwei – Dr. Fritsch / Martin Sutter / Klaus Hencke / Walter Schultheis
  • 1992: Elenya – Franz
  • 1993: ' – Tom Konnitz
  • 1993: Leo und Charlotte – Leo
  • 1995–1998: ' – Alexander Stein
  • 1996: ' – Jonny
  • 1996: Die Spur der roten Fässer – Wirt
  • 1997: Ein Vater unter Verdacht – Roman Bach
  • 1998: Ferkel Fritz – Martin
  • 1998: Kai Rabe gegen die Vatikankiller – Bernd Krüger
  • 1999: Verratene Freundschaft – Ein Mann wird zur Gefahr – Ulf Danner
  • 2003: Mein Vater – Jochen Esser
  • 2003: ' – Pit Spieker
  • 2004: Die Stunde der Offiziere – Oberst von Gersdorff
  • 2005: Kanzleramt – Bundeskanzler Andreas Weyer
  • 2005: Das Gespenst von Canterville – Jochen Brenner
  • 2006: ' – Boatswain Acki Lüders
  • 2007: ' – Bademeister Henrik Bode
  • 2007: ' – Horst Strasser
  • 2007: Jakobs Bruder – Jakob Goldt
  • 2008: Guter Junge – Achim Maas
  • 2008: Die Bienen – Tödliche Bedrohung – Hans Bergmann
  • 2009: Fünf Tage Vollmond – Anton Brunner
  • 2010: Unpunished – Lukas Dorwald
  • 2010: Wie ein Licht in der Nacht – Horst Keller
  • 2011: World Express – Atemlos durch Mexiko – Franz Joseph Anson
  • 2011: ' – Sydal von Friedberg
  • 2012: – Thomas Eichner
  • 2012: Rommel – General Guderian
  • 2012: Der Staatsanwalt – Karsten Wippermann / Robert Limmer
  • 2015: Letzte Spur Berlin – Christian Wagner
  • 2016: Liebe am Fjord – Henrik Jacobsen