Mario Adorf has died: Farewell to a legend of German cinema

Well, the news hits you harder than you'd think. Mario Adorf – the bloke was just always there. Whether as a nasty villain on the Western prairie, a grumpy patriarch in his TV armchair, or when he'd look right through your soul in an interview with that mischievous glint in his eye. Yesterday, 8 April, he passed away peacefully at his home in Paris at the age of 95. A short illness knocked him out, but anyone who knew Mario Adorf knows he didn't miss a beat until the very end.

From an Eifel rascal to the face of German cinema

Born in 1930 in Zurich, raised in the rugged Eifel region – that shaped him. A boy without a father who had to carve his own path with charm and that incredible presence. Acting wasn't an accident; it was a pure necessity. He wasn't the classic hero – he was too real for that. Too close to life. While others came riding in on white horses, he played Bruno Lüdke in "Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam" (Night When the Devil Came). That was 1957, and audiences were shocked. And that was exactly his thing: the rough edges, the dark depths. He was the villain you still loved to watch. When he shot poor Nscho-tschi in "Winnetou" back in 1963 – kids behind their TV screens cheered with rage. And that's precisely what made him a true star.

The role that changed him forever

Of course, he could have landed in Hollywood. But he had that Italian father, that southern European temperament that just didn't fit with the rugged German type. Instead, he worked with the greats: Fassbinder, Schlöndorff, Billy Wilder. In Volker Schlöndorff's "The Tin Drum" (1979), he played the Nazi cook Matzerath – a role that finally cemented him in the pantheon of European cinema. Look, winning the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film is no small thing. But Mario Adorf was never the type to get a big head. He remained the kid from Mayen who was just bloody good at his job.

• 1957: Breakthrough as a tragic woman-killer in "Night When the Devil Came".
• 1979: The icon: Alfred Matzerath in the Oscar-winning "The Tin Drum".
• 1980s/90s: From villain to TV favourite ("Kir Royal", "Der große Bellheim").
• 2024: His last major appearance – via video message at the German Television Award.

"It could have been worse" – life as a masterstroke

A few years ago, he titled his autobiography: "It Could Have Been Worse – Mario Adorf". That was typical Adorf. No sob story, just a shrug and a wink. At 94, he sent a video message to the German Television Award because he couldn't travel: "I assume this will be my last award." He knew where he stood. And yet he thanked his audience for "decades of loyalty" – that was his final message to us. This man, who made over 200 films, who could laugh with Loriot and Peter Ustinov, remained humble to the end.

He leaves behind his wife Monique, his daughter Stella, and a stack of films we'll be revisiting this winter. Whether "Lola", "Rossini" or the cult series "Kir Royal" – that Monsignore in "Monaco Franze" was a genius move. Mario Adorf was a portrayer of people. No more, no less. But in today's world of slick, polished stars, that's the greatest thing of all. Take it easy, old mate. And yeah, you were right: it wasn't so bad. But without you, it feels somehow emptier.