Thorsten Merten
Born: 1963-12-01 in Ruhla, Germany
Known For: Acting
Biography
Thorsten Merten (born December 4, 1963, in Ruhla) is a German actor. Thorsten Merten originally intended to become a journalist and initially worked as a trainee at the newspaper *Das Volk*. After completing his military service, he underwent acting training from 1986 to 1990 at the "Ernst Busch" Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin, where he attended the newly established cabaret department and graduated with a diploma in cabaret performance. This was followed by engagements at various theaters both at home and abroad, including the Théâtre Vidy in Lausanne, the Staatstheater Schwerin, the Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, the Volksbühne Berlin, and the Deutsches Theater Berlin. For his stage work, he was awarded the Conrad Ekhof Prize in 1999. His notable stage roles include McMurphy in *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*, the Ghost in *Hamlet*, as well as roles in *Ivanov*, *Prometheus*, and *Sonnenallee*. In 2024, he played the role of operations manager Kuckuck in the operetta *Messeschlager Gisela* at the Komische Oper Berlin. Merten gained his first experience in front of the camera in 1992 in Andreas Dresen's film *Stilles Land*. He achieved his breakthrough in 2001 with the tragicomedy *Halbe Treppe* (Grill Point), also directed by Dresen. Since then, he has appeared regularly in both feature films and television productions. Merten also gained recognition through roles in *Wilsberg*, *Afrika, mon amour*, *Bella Block*, *Helen Dorn*, *Donna Leon*, and numerous episodes of *Tatort*. From 2013 to 2021, he played the role of precinct chief Stich in the Weimar-based *Tatort* series. Since 2009, he has portrayed Chief Inspector—later Police Commissioner—Martin Fichte in the ZDF series *Spreewaldkrimi*. He has also played lead roles in other productions, including *Silvi* and *Fremdkörper*. In 2021, he received the German Film Award for his supporting role in *Curveball – Wir machen die Wahrheit*. Furthermore, Merten came up with the idea for the Netflix series *Das letzte Wort*, in which he appeared alongside Anke Engelke.
Filmography
2026
2025
- Other People's Money as Rolf Lebert
- Berlin Hero as Harald Wischnewsky
- The Next Level as Matt
- The Policeman's Niece as Werner Barth
- Miss Merkel - Ein Kreuzfahrt-Krimi as Joachim
- Cicadas as Uwe
2024
- Pumpen as Rainer Müller
- From Hilde, with Love as Dr. Minergerode
- Der Fall Marianne Voss as Fritz Malowski
- Miss Merkel - Mord auf dem Friedhof as Achim Sauer
- Bach - A Christmas Miracle as Adrian Stieglitz
- Night to be Gone as Dieter
- Roxy as Passfälscher
2023
- The Gryphon as Dr. Peters
- German Genius as Olli Hansen
- Sam: A Saxon as Major Schreier
- Berlin Bad Trip as Jens Lamprecht
- Miss Merkel - Ein Uckermark-Krimi as Joachim Sauer
- Der zweite Kurzschluss as Oliver
- Kleine Eheverbrechen as Dieter Beil
2022
- Divided We Stand as Hajo Gärster
- Locked in Society as Manfred Prohaska
- Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos! as Herr Flickendorf
- What You Can See from Here as Herr Rödder
- Hunting Season as Vermieter
- Eine riskante Entscheidung as Bernhard Elster
2021
- Befriending the Grouch as Nowak
- Curveball as Schatz
- Sprachlos in Irland as Dirk
2020
- The Last Word as Andreas Borowski
- Deutscher as Frank Pielcke
- In Berlin wächst kein Orangenbaum as Wärter Grunert
- Exit as Hönings
- Nothing More Perfect
2019
- The Audition
- Alfons Zitterbacke as Mr. Flickendorf
- Good Girl Gone Bad as Helmut Mayer
- Der vierte Mann as Kurt Lehrmann
- Knorx as Vogtländer
2018
- The Institute - Oasis of Failure
- The Most Beautiful Girl in the World as Taxifahrer Klaus
- Atlas as Alfred Hoppe
- Donbass as German Journalist
- Gundermann as Puppenspieler
2017
- Babylon Berlin as Henning
- In Times of Fading Light
- Tiger Milk as Stefan
- Bruder - Schwarze Macht as Bahr
- Hit Mom – Mörderische Weihnachten as Professor
- Rübezahls Schatz as Arzt
- Das Nebelhaus as Doros Chef
- Brothers as Rainer Welke
2016
- Die Pfeiler der Macht as Joseph Pilaster
- The Last Pig as Meier
2015
- Die Kanzlei as Otto Suhlke
- Naked Among Wolves as Hans Bochow
- Sedwitz as Ralf "Ralle" Pietzsch
- Einschnitt as der Bürochef
- Foreign Body as Wolfgang
- Rough Road Ahead
- Alki Alki as Thomas
- Heil as Verfassungsschützer F. – Sachsen
2014
- Helen Dorn as Wachmann Strauch
- Der Rücktritt as Martin Heidemanns
- We Are Young. We Are Strong.
- Open the Wall as Manfred
- Willkommen bei Habib as Bruno
2013
- Kohlhaas or the Proportionality of Means as Herse
- The Golden Goose as Räubervater
- Silvi - Maybe Love as Michael
- Der zweite Mann as Klaus Padberg
- Sunny
2012
- Letzte Spur Berlin as Jürgen Beck
- Die Chefin as Harald Steiner
- Kommissar Marthaler as Dr. Meisner
- Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot as Hofrat
- Ruhm as Klaus Rubinstein
- Sushi in Suhl as Hans Leutner
2011
- Stopped on Track
- Inklusion - gemeinsam anders as Heribert Stein
- Weisst du eigentlich dass ganz viele Blumen blühen im Park
- Arschkalt as Erhard
- Augen zu as Frank
2010
- Auf Doktor komm raus as Apotheker Walter
- Haltet die Welt an as André Spanuth
- Gravity as Kollath
- Frösche petzen nicht as Jörg Hilbert
- Empathie as Rüdiger
2009
- Flemming as Arndt Buchwald
- I've Never Been Happier as Schlickenrieder
2008
- Remarque - Sein Weg zum Ruhm as Chefredakteur der „Sport im Bild“
- Vom Atmen unter Wasser as Jo
- November Child as Alexander
- Underdogs as Forster
2007
- Hamburg Dockland as Bernd Wöhler
- KDD - Kriminaldauerdienst as Van Gogh
- Sooner or Later
- Lunik as Toni Harmann
- Die Frau am Ende der Straße as Klaus Garbers
- Meer is nich as Friedrich
2006
- Der Kriminalist as Lutz Ebeling
- Spreewaldkrimi as Fichte
- Kommissar Stolberg as Manuel Lichtenberg
- Unter anderen Umständen as Achim Kaminski
- The Elementary Particles as Hubert
- Four Windows as Vater
- Die Weihnachtswette as Reinhold
2005
- Vienna Crime Squad as Falk Link
- Der Staatsanwalt as Robert Stein
- In Liebe eine Eins as Herr Steiner
- Die Nachrichten
- Wahrheit oder Pflicht as Lehrer Behnke
2004
- Operation Valkyrie as Peter Graf Yorck v. Wartenburg
- Charlotte as Georg
- Transport
2003
- SOKO Köln as Lars Beck
- Solo für Schwarz as Raik Schleusser
- K3 – Kripo Hamburg as Kurt Schmidt
- Gun-shy as Krausser
2002
- Bloch as Frank
- Grill Point as Christian
2001
- Murder in the Mountains as Stefan Schiener
- Leipzig Homicide as Volker Hoss
2000
- Donna Leon as Palazzi
1997
- Küstenwache as Hartmut Schild
1995
- Wilsberg as Rainer Wiedemann
- Stubbe – Von Fall zu Fall as Uwe Diepenbrock
1994
- Im Namen des Gesetzes as Bodo Seitz
- Ein starkes Team as Maik Lehmann
- Up – Down as Peet
1993
- Bella Block as Peter Liersch
1992
- Riverboat as Self
- Wolffs Revier as Jörg Bauer
- Silent Country as Kai Finke
1971
- Polizeiruf 110 as Hannes Iwanowski
1970
- Scene of the Crime as Kriminalhauptkommissar Kurt Stich