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
- The Hero of Friedrichstrasse Station as Harald Wischnewsky
- The Next Level as Matt
- The Policeman's Niece as Werner Barth
- Cicadas as Uwe
- Miss Merkel - Ein Kreuzfahrt-Krimi as Joachim
2024
- Pumpen as Rainer Müller
- From Hilde, with Love as Dr. Minergerode
- Der Fall Marianne Voss as Fritz Malowski
- Roxy as Passfälscher
- Bach - A Christmas Miracle as Adrian Stieglitz
- Night to be Gone as Dieter
- Miss Merkel - Mord auf dem Friedhof as Achim Sauer
2023
- Sam: A Saxon as Major Schreier
- The Gryphon as Dr. Peters
- German Genius as Olli Hansen
- 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
- What You Can See from Here as Herr Rödder
- Locked in Society as Manfred Prohaska
- Eine riskante Entscheidung as Bernhard Elster
- Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos! as Herr Flickendorf
- Hunting Season as Vermieter
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
- Exit as Hönings
- In Berlin wächst kein Orangenbaum as Wärter Grunert
- 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
- Gundermann as Puppenspieler
- The Most Beautiful Girl in the World as Taxifahrer Klaus
- Atlas as Alfred Hoppe
- Donbass as German Journalist
2017
- Babylon Berlin as Henning
- Tiger Milk as Stefan
- Bruder - Schwarze Macht as Bahr
- In Times of Fading Light
- Rübezahls Schatz as Arzt
- Hit Mom – Mörderische Weihnachten as Professor
- 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
- Alki Alki as Thomas
- Foreign Body as Wolfgang
- Heil as Verfassungsschützer F. – Sachsen
- Einschnitt as der Bürochef
- Rough Road Ahead
2014
- Helen Dorn as Wachmann Strauch
- Open the Wall as Manfred
- We Are Young. We Are Strong.
- Der Rücktritt as Martin Heidemanns
- Willkommen bei Habib as Bruno
2013
- Silvi - Maybe Love as Michael
- The Golden Goose as Räubervater
- Kohlhaas or the Proportionality of Means as Herse
- Der zweite Mann as Klaus Padberg
- Sunny
2012
- Die Chefin as Harald Steiner
- Letzte Spur Berlin as Jürgen Beck
- Kommissar Marthaler as Dr. Meisner
- Sushi in Suhl as Hans Leutner
- Ruhm as Klaus Rubinstein
- Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot as Hofrat
2011
- Stopped on Track
- Arschkalt as Erhard
- Augen zu as Frank
- Inklusion - gemeinsam anders as Heribert Stein
- Weisst du eigentlich dass ganz viele Blumen blühen im Park
2010
- Gravity as Kollath
- Auf Doktor komm raus as Apotheker Walter
- Haltet die Welt an as André Spanuth
- Frösche petzen nicht as Jörg Hilbert
- Empathie as Rüdiger
2009
- Flemming as Arndt Buchwald
- I've Never Been Happier as Schlickenrieder
2008
- November Child as Alexander
- Underdogs as Forster
- Vom Atmen unter Wasser as Jo
- Remarque - Sein Weg zum Ruhm as Chefredakteur der „Sport im Bild“
2007
- Hamburg Dockland as Bernd Wöhler
- KDD - Kriminaldauerdienst as Van Gogh
- Lunik as Toni Harmann
- Sooner or Later
- Die Frau am Ende der Straße as Klaus Garbers
- Meer is nich as Friedrich
2006
- Der Kriminalist as Lutz Ebeling
- Kommissar Stolberg as Manuel Lichtenberg
- Unter anderen Umständen as Achim Kaminski
- Spreewaldkrimi as Fichte
- Four Windows as Vater
- The Elementary Particles as Hubert
- Die Weihnachtswette as Reinhold
2005
- Vienna Crime Squad as Falk Link
- Der Staatsanwalt as Robert Stein
- Wahrheit oder Pflicht as Lehrer Behnke
- In Liebe eine Eins as Herr Steiner
2004
- Operation Valkyrie as Peter Graf Yorck v. Wartenburg
- Charlotte as Georg
- Transport
2003
- SOKO Köln as Lars Beck
- K3 – Kripo Hamburg as Kurt Schmidt
- Gun-shy as Krausser
- Solo für Schwarz as Raik Schleusser
2002
- Bloch as Frank
- Grill Point as Christian
2001
- SOKO Leipzig as Volker Hoss
- SOKO Kitzbühel as Stefan Schiener
2000
- Donna Leon as Palazzi
1997
- Küstenwache as Hartmut Schild
1995
- Wilsberg as Rainer Wiedemann
- Stubbe – Von Fall zu Fall as Uwe Diepenbrock
1994
- Ein starkes Team as Maik Lehmann
- Im Namen des Gesetzes as Bodo Seitz
- 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