Karin Ugowski


Karin Ugowski née Karin Komischke is a German film and stage actress, voice actress, narrator, film producer and furtherer of art and culture in Germany with various stations of work in UK, France, Italy, Israel, Russia, Hungary, Poland, Spain, US and Germany.

Early life

Karin Ugowski was born in Berlin Johannisthal, Germany during the last stage of The Battle of Berlin in the middle of the Berlin bombings, 2 years before the end of Second World War. She grew up in postwar Germany behind the Iron Curtain and her parents were both wartime traumatized. After finishing Gymnasiale Oberstufe she was intended to study medicine. Against the will of her parents she attended to the Film University Babelsberg in 1962 and received her B.A. in drama from the Film University Babelsberg, Germany in 1965. She has a younger brother.

Career

During her acting studies she already gained notice and received widespread recognition for her enchanting but self-confident impersonations of the princess roles in German classic theatrical motion pictures in the early 1960s based on historical fairy tales, like Mother Holly, The Golden Goose and King Thrushbeard co-starring German cult actor Manfred Krug. Her first cinema appearances were heavily related to an ideal of female youth and beauty in the 1960s of postwar Germany. In this time she already became an up-and-coming film star building a fan base, which still remains until today for these old film classics, which are still airing in German TV frequently.
In early Science Fiction motion pictures like Signale - Ein Weltraumabenteuer and in historical feature films like the spy thriller The Invisible Visor which has already achieved cult status, co-starring the young Armin Mueller-Stahl, or as the malicious white farmers daughter in the German film version of the American Indian legend story Osceola or even in first episodes of the German TV classic crime series Police call 110, where she appears as one of the first officiating female police detectives and inspectors besides the actress Sigrid Göhler in German TV, she has so much the more astounded and irritated her fan base knowing her from the princess roles by showing completely different faces in the 1970s and exposing as character actress of complex parts. More than once she has surprised with her versatility, as shown again in the more recent years, like in the cinema short film Open of the director Charlotte Siebenrock, when she turned from an old frustrated canteen kitchen porter into an attractive buoyant and beautiful looking women within minutes, leading to the presentation of the short film at various short film festivals or in the motion picture In All Colours of the Rainbow in a role of an older woman falling in love with a much younger man fighting the social resentment, directed by her son, Sebastian Ugovsky.
Already during her first film work she fell in love with theater, especially the experimental and political theatre, which was able to change something in the time of upheaval in Germany. As a permanent company member of the Volksbuehne Berlin theatre, she worked early with great personalities such as Benno Besson, Heiner Müller and later Frank Castorf, Johann Kresnik, Leander Haußmann, Christoph Schlingensief and other Berlin theater-greats with guest performances all over the world. This is how she became a member of the political movement Neues Forum in the late 1980s, supporting the political rally in November 1989 at the Berlin Alexanderplatz, which was part of the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the lifting of the Iron Curtain leading to the end of the Cold War.
The actress, who has frequently campaigned for art and culture support and development in Germany in the last decades and has carried a yearly exhibition festival with her husband to support artists in this area, became a talking point recently again by participating in a supporting role as mother of the lead in Samuel Maoz's latest international motion picture Foxtrot, a sequel of his award-winning motion picture Lebanon, which will likely screen in Cannes and won the Silver lion at the Biennale 2017/18.
In all, the actress was involved in over 80 theater productions and over 150 film and television productions. Politically, Karin Ugowski can be considered as critical of any system, reasoned by her own history and which is mirrored in her commitment for political theater and various interpretive readings up to today. Since 2006, Karin Ugowski is an active member of the German Film Academy and member of the jury for the German film award.

Personal life

During her acting studies in the time when she came to be known for her first motion picture appearances in the 1960s she met her first husband Eberhart Ugowski and married very quickly. In this time her first son was born. Even if the marriage only lasted for a few years, her last name by which she is known remains from this marriage. Since then she kept the name even after the divorce in 1967 because of the name recognition.
In the 1970s she was in a long-term relationship with the actor and well-known theater director Helmut Straßburger she met when working with him on theater stagings, bringing her second son into the world: the author, play wright, independent stage director and film maker, composer and music producer Sebastian Ugovsky, the founder of the music record label REQQORD in Berlin, Germany, who has contributed music titles to film scores of motion pictures like The Equalizer.
Karin Ugowski has cultivated a long-term friendship with the author and play wright Peter Brasch, brother of also well-known author, poet and play write Thomas Brasch and the actor Klaus Brasch. The parents of the Brasch brothers were Jewish immigrants to the UK in the late 1930s during the pogrom in Germany and moved back to Germany after the end of Second World War, which made both authors, Thomas and Peter, being strongly driven by the dream for eternal peace and freedom of thought in their work, a common ground between the Braschs and Karin Ugowski. Peter Brasch had a crash on Karin Ugowski and has dedicated a book of poetry to her and wrote another radio play called The Golden Goose - an audio drama adaptation in 1989 inspired by her role of princess Roswitha in the classic movie. He died in 2001. He was one of the first having insights in the first writings of Karin Ugowski's son Sebastian Ugovsky.
Since 1993 she's married to the painter and scenographer Günter Horn, the last living advisee of the famous painter Otto Nagel.

Filmography

A selection of Cinema and TV motion pictures.
Original TitleYearEnglish TitleDirector
Foxtrot2017FoxtrotSamuel Maoz
Auf dem Weg ins Leben2014On the waySebastian Ugovsky
Die Farben des Regenbogen2007In all Colours of the RainbowSebastian Ugovsky
Tornado2006TornadoAndreas Linke
Open2005OpenCharlotte Siebenrock
Der Mörder meines Vaters2005The Killer of my FatherUrs Egger
Soko Leipzig2005Leipzig HomicideMichel Bielawa
Sehnsucht2004DesireCiro Cappellari
Polizeiruf 1102001Police call 110Marco Serafini
Polizeiruf 1101999Police call 110Marijan David Vajda
Die Männer vom K31993K3Sigi Rothemund
Ein kleiner Knall am Nachmittag1991A Little Bang on PMChristine Krüger
Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort1990The Prosecutor holds the FloorManfred Mosblech
Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort1990The Prosecutor holds the FloorGunter Friedrich
Ein brauchbarer Mann1989A Useful ManHans-Werner Honert
Polizeiruf 1101989Police call 110Thomas Jacob
Die Beteiligten1989Those InvolvedHorst E. Brandt
Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort1987The Prosecutor holds the FloorThomas Jacob
Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort1986The Prosecutor holds the FloorGeorgi Kissimov
Der Doppelgänger1985DoublesWerner W. Wallroth
Polizeiruf 1101984Police call 110Klaus Grabowsky
Ach du meine Liebe1984Oh Dear!Georgi Kissimov
Das Puppenheim in Pinnow1984The Doll‘s House in PinnowChristian Steinke
Meine hoffnungsvollen Kinder1983Offsprings of HopeGeorgi Kissimov
Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort1983The Prosecutor holds the FloorHans Knötzsch
Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort1983The Prosecutor holds the FloorHans Werner
Im Spiegel1983In the MirrorHelmut Krätzig
Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort1981The Prosecutor holds the FloorAchim Hübner
Ernste Spiele1980Serious GamesTamás Fejér
Das Ding im Schloß1979The Thing in the CastleGottfried Kolditz
Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort1978The Prosecutor holds the FloorHans-Werner Honert
Ehe man Ehefrau bleibt1977Ere Remain Being his WifeJens-Peter Proll
Das unsichtbare Visier - Afrikaanse Broederbond 31977The Invisible VisorPeter Hagen
Das unsichtbare Visier - Afrikaanse Broederbond 21977The Invisible VisorPeter Hagen
Das unsichtbare Visier - Afrikaanse Broederbond 11977The Invisible VisorPeter Hagen
Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort1976The Prosecutor holds the FloorHorst Zaeske
Polizeiruf 1101973Police call 110Jerzy Bednarczyk, Jan Laskowski
Die Nacht der Barrikaden1973The Nights of the BarricadesHubert Kreuz
Polizeiruf 1101972Police call 110Bernhard Stephan
Osceola1971OsceolaKonrad Petzold, James Winburn
Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort1971The Prosecutor holds the FloorHorst Zaeske
Caesar & Cleopatra1970Caesar & CleopatraOttofritz Gaillard
Signale - Ein Weltraumabenteuer1970SignalsGottfried Kolditz
Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort1969The Prosecutor holds the FloorUrsula Reinhold
Tolle Tage1969Happy DaysWolfgang Luderer
Geheime Spuren 1969Undercover TrailsHelmut Krätzig
Geheimkommando Spree 1968Secret Operation Unit „Spree“Helmut Krätzig
Der erste Sommer1968The first SummerUrsula Schmenger
Die Erben des Manifests: Unterm Wind der Jahre 1967Heirs of the Manifesto: Wind of ChangePeter Hagen
Zielansprache1967The Target SpeechUrsula Reinhold
Hat Adam Riese sich verrechnet?1966Has Adam Riese been wrong?Hans Joachim Preil
Columbus 641966Columbus 64Ulrich Thein
Trick 17b1966Trick 17b - The PloyHans-Erich Korbschmitt
Der Nachfolger1965The SuccessorIngrid Sander
König Drosselbart1965King ThrushbeardWalter Beck
Julika1965JulikaMartin Eckermann
Ehering in der Westentasche1965The Wedding Ring in the Vest PocketHubert Hoelzke
Die goldene Gans1964The Golden GooseSiegfried Hartmann
Frau Holle1963Mother HollyGottfried Kolditz

Theatrography

A selection.
German titleEnglish titleWritten byYearPosRoleDirector
KönigsbergAndrei Nekrasov2002SRMother of VladAndrei Nekrasov
BaalBaalBerthold Brecht2001SR4th Lady, and Luise, and Neger JohnThomas Bischoff
Paul + Paula. Die Legende vom Glück ohne EndeThe Legend of Paul and PaulaUlrich Plenzdorf2000LRPauls wife, InesLeander Haußmann
Engel der TankstelleEdward Thomas2000LRMati Lydia Bunk
TraumspielA Dream PlayAugust Strindberg2000ELRSebastian Hartmann
Heinrich IV., 1 - Die LohnarbeiterHenry IV, Part 1William Skakespeare1999SRQueenGabriele Gysi
Richard III. - Der FortschrittRichard IIIWilliam Shakespeare1999SRQueen ElisabethJohann Kresnik
Die Toten SeelenDead SoulsNikolaj W. Gogol1998LRLady of the manorAndrej Woron
ZementHeiner Müller 1996SRAndreas Kriegenburg
Golden Fliesst der Stahl - Wolokolamsker ChausseeKarl Grünberg, Heiner Müller1996SRMother SchreivögelFrank Castorf
HinkemannErnst Toller1995SRAndreas Kriegenburg
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. HydeStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hydebased on Robert Louis Stevenson1995SRMichael Simon
Angeklagt. Prozess gegen eine VideokameraMichael Zeyfang1994LRMichael Zeyfang
100 Jahre CDU – Spiel ohne GrenzenChristoph Schlingensief1993LROne of the Swinten SistersChristoph Schlingensief
Die Rausfallenden alten WeiberThe falling old girlsDaniil Charms1993EROne of the old girlsHerbert Fritsch
Stadt der GerechtigkeitCity of justiceLew Lunz1992SRAndreas Kriegenburg
Die Komödie der IrrungenThe Comedy of ErrorsWilliam Shakespeare1991LRAdrianaWerner Tietze
Wann Haben Sie Zuletzt... Ihre Hosen Gesehn?Ray Galton, John Antrobus1991SRB. K. Tragelehn
WoyzekWoyzeckGeorg Büchner1991SRNeighbourAndreas Kriegenburg
ClavigoClavigobased on Johann Wolfgang Goethe1990LRClavigoHenry Hübchen
Räuber von SchillerThe RobbersFriedrich Schiller 1990SROne of the TrudesFrank Castorf
HundeherzHeart of a DogAlexander Tscherwinski 1989SRHorst Hawemann
Der Letzte der Feurigen LiebhaberLast of the Red Hot LoversNeil Simon1988LRElaineKlaus Mertens
Kaspar der MenschAdolf Glasbrenner1987LRHarald Warmbrunn
GarageEmil Braginskij, Edgar Rjasanow1985LRMrs. KuschakowaHarald Warmbrunn
Die kleine Hexe, die nicht böse sein konnteMaria Clara Machado1985SROne of the 3 antagonistsWerner Tietze
Mein Dicker Mantel & Prinzessin Zartfuss und die 7 ElefantenAlbert Wendt1984LRPrincess ZartfußWerner Tietze
Das Sogenannte Privatleben Konstantin Simonov1982LRWerner Tietze
Der GeizigeThe MiserJean Baptiste Molière1981LREliseWerner Tietze
Die VerbrecherFerdinand Bruckner1981LRErnestine PuschekWerner Tietze
Vor aller AugenRudi Strahl1980LRWeibl HauptrolleHelmut Straßburger
HeimatHermann Sudermann1980LRMagdaWerner Tietze
Ende Gut, Alles GutAll's Well That Ends WellWilliam Shakespeare1979SRDianaHelmut Straßburger
Das Gewissenbased on the novel of Jòzef Lenart1979LRWife of male Leading roleWerner Tietze
Aufzeichnungen Eines Toten Theatrical NovelMichail Bulgakow 1977SRdiverseHelmut Straßburger
HandbetriebPaul Gratzik1976SROne of the girlfriendsHelmut Straßburger
Die Deutschen KleinstädterAugust von Kotzebue1976ERHelmut Straßburger
Das schöne grüne VögelchenCarlo Gozzi 1975SRQueen in the dungeonHelmut Straßburger
Familie TÓTIstván Örkeny1974SRKati Lutz Günzel, Helmut Straßburger, Thomas Vallentin und Klaus Waack
Rameaus NeffeRameau's NephewDenis Diderot1973SROne of the ChansonettesHelmut Straßburger
Pfeile des Eros. Ein Sittenbild der AntikeGünther Cwojdrak1971LROne of the 3 womenFritz Decho
Der Arzt Wider WillenThe doctor in spite of himselfJean Baptiste Molière 1970LRYouthful loverBenno Besson
O, Hamlet, welch ein Aufstieg!Notes of Hermann Kant1968LRThe female Leading roleFritz Decho
V wie VietnamV like VietnamArmand Gatti1968SRTV correspondentHans-Joachim Martens, Wolfgang Pintzka
Kabale und LiebeIntrigue and LoveFriedrich Schiller1967SRServantHans-Joachim Martens
Siebentens: Stiehl Ein Bischen WenigerDario Fo1967SRDancing ProstituteWolfgang Pintzka
Jeanne Oder Die LercheThe LarkJean Anouilh1966SRThe little QueenHans-Joachim Martens
Der züchtige Klapperstorch. Ein Abend mit Chansons und Gedichten.Kurt Tucholsky, Erich Kästner1964LR