Josef Hader


Josef Hader is an Austrian comedian, actor, and writer.

Life and career

Hader was born in Waldhausen im Strudengau, Upper Austria and grew up in Nöchling in Lower Austria where he attended the Stiftsgymnasium Melk. After his civilian service at the Red Cross he started studying German and History. As a student he began working on his first comedy programme Fort Geschritten. His second programme Der Witzableiter und das Feuer won the prestigious Salzburger Stier comedy award. After aborting his study and writing Biagn und Brechen and Bunter Abend he celebrated his breakthrough with the tragicomic play Indien, which was filmed by Paul Harather in 1993 with Josef Hader himself in the leading role.
With the film Indien and his following shows Im Keller and Privat he became one of the most successful and most respected comedians in the German-speaking world. His comedy programme Privat is the most successful comedy in Austrian history. His most recent show called "Hader muss weg" is more acting than comedy. Hader plays seven different roles using no props other than a simple Trenchcoat and acts only through gestures, voice and facial expression.
Since then, Hader has starred in commercially successful films such as Komm, süßer Tod, Silentium and The Bone Man, while also gaining critical acclaim for his performances in dramas such as Der Überfall or Ein halbes Leben. Among others awards, he received the Best Actor Award at the Locarno International Film Festival, the Romy Award, the Adolf Grimme Award and the German Television Award.
He is a regular guest on various German Comedyshows, such as Neues aus der Anstalt on ZDF, Scheibenwischer on Das Erste, Quatsch Comedy Club on Pro Sieben or Ottfried Fischer's Ottis Schlachthof on Bayerischer Rundfunk which increased his popularity in Germany.
Hader is the father of two sons.

Comedy and Plays

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988Sternberg - Shooting StarMeier
1992DuettMallinger's nephew at the bankTV movie
1992Cappuccino MelangeManfred SeidlTV movie
1993IndienHeinz Böselalso co-writer
1999Geboren in AbsurdistanLorry driver
2000Hold-UpWerner Kopper
2000Komm, süßer TodBrenneralso co-writer
2000Gelbe KirschenOtto Bucek
2002Blue MoonJohnny Pichler
2002WeihnachtenHerr WächterTV movie
2004SilentiumBrenneralso co-writer
2004'Nowak
2005Josef Hader im heiligen LandHimselfDocumentary
2006HeavenHermann KaltenbrunnerPart of the 8 x 45 television series
2007JagdhundeHenrik
2007CleistoHimself
2007Attwenger AdventureHimselfDocumentary
2008RandgestaltenButcher
2008Ein halbes LebenUlrich LenzTV movie
2008ZibbHimselfTV series documentary
2009Screen TestHerr Kaiser Animated film
2009The Bone ManBrenneralso co-writer
2009Die PerlmutterfarbeAmetsbichler
2010Widerstand im HaiderlandHimselfDocumentary
2010AufschneiderDr. Hermann FuhrmannTV - series, also co-writer
2010Kabarett, KabarettHimselfDocumentary
2010Die verrückte Welt der Ute BockPoliceman
2011Wie man leben sollLeo
2012Diamantenfieber oder Kauf dir einen bunten LuftballonUncle Fritz
2015Life EternalBrenner
2016'Stefan Zweig
2017Wild MouseDirector
2020The Story of My WifePost-production

Awards