Rolf Hoppe


Rolf Hoppe was a prolific German stage, cinema, and television actor, who played in more than 400 films in a career which spanned over six decades.
To international audiences Hoppe is perhaps best known for his roles in the Oscar-winning Mephisto and as the King in the East-German–Czechoslovakian Holiday classic Three Gifts for Cinderella.

Early life

Hoppe was born the son of a master baker in Ellrich, Thuringia, Germany. After his apprenticeship as a baker, he worked from 1945 to 1948 as a coach driver.

Career

Hoppe moved to Erfurt where he began formal training as an actor at the Staatliches Konservatorium from 1949 to 1951, during which time he supported himself by working as an animal handler at the Zircus Aeros. He later performed at Thalia Theater in Halle and at the Young World Theatre in Leipzig.
His stage performances included such notable venues as the Staatsschauspiel Dresden, the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, and the Salzburg Festival. Internationally, he worked in Switzerland, Italy, Poland and China.
In the East German DEFA movies, Hoppe often played villains, frequently in different Osterns. One of his most notable roles was that of the Tábornagy in Mephisto, which was awarded the 1981 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
In addition to numerous appearances in feature films and television productions, Hoppe also worked as a voice-artist in children's radio plays and audio-books, such as the German version of Alice in Wonderland where he provided the voice of the White Rabbit.

Private life and death

Hoppe died 14 November 2018 in Dresden, where he lived in the suburb of Weißig. He was interred in the Waldfriedhof Weisser Hirsch, Dresden; and survived by his wife Friederike with whom he had two daughters: Josephine and Christine Hoppe, the latter who is also an actress. His grandson Oscar Hoppe is an actor as well.

Selected filmography