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
2025
- Other People's Money as Rolf Lebert
- Berlin Hero as Harald Wischnewsky
- The Next Level as Matt
- Miss Merkel - Ein Kreuzfahrt-Krimi as Joachim
- The Policeman's Niece as Werner Barth
- Cicadas as Uwe
2024
- Pumpen as Rainer Müller
- From Hilde, with Love as Dr. Minergerode
- Miss Merkel - Mord auf dem Friedhof as Achim Sauer
- Bach - A Christmas Miracle as Adrian Stieglitz
- Der Fall Marianne Voss as Fritz Malowski
- Roxy as Passfälscher
- Night to be Gone as Dieter
2023
- Sam: A Saxon as Major Schreier
- The Gryphon as Dr. Peters
- German Genius as Olli Hansen
- Berlin Bad Trip as Jens Lamprecht
- Der zweite Kurzschluss as Oliver
- Kleine Eheverbrechen as Dieter Beil
- Miss Merkel - Ein Uckermark-Krimi as Joachim Sauer
2022
- Divided We Stand as Hajo Gärster
- Locked in Society as Manfred Prohaska
- Hunting Season as Vermieter
- Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos! as Herr Flickendorf
- What You Can See from Here as Herr Rödder
- Eine riskante Entscheidung as Bernhard Elster
2021
- Curveball as Schatz
- Befriending the Grouch as Nowak
- Sprachlos in Irland as Dirk
2020
- Deutscher as Frank Pielcke
- The Last Word as Andreas Borowski
- In Berlin wächst kein Orangenbaum as Wärter Grunert
- Exit as Hönings
- Nothing More Perfect
2019
- Alfons Zitterbacke as Mr. Flickendorf
- The Audition
- Good Girl Gone Bad as Helmut Mayer
- Knorx as Vogtländer
- Der vierte Mann as Kurt Lehrmann
2018
- The Institute - Oasis of Failure
- Donbass as German Journalist
- Atlas as Alfred Hoppe
- The Most Beautiful Girl in the World as Taxifahrer Klaus
- Gundermann as Puppenspieler
2017
- Babylon Berlin as Henning
- In Times of Fading Light
- Bruder - Schwarze Macht as Bahr
- Tiger Milk as Stefan
- 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
- Foreign Body as Wolfgang
- Heil as Verfassungsschützer F. – Sachsen
- Alki Alki as Thomas
- Einschnitt as der Bürochef
- Rough Road Ahead
2014
- Helen Dorn as Wachmann Strauch
- Der Rücktritt as Martin Heidemanns
- Open the Wall as Manfred
- Willkommen bei Habib as Bruno
- We Are Young. We Are Strong.
2013
- Silvi - Maybe Love as Michael
- The Golden Goose as Räubervater
- Der zweite Mann as Klaus Padberg
- Kohlhaas or the Proportionality of Means as Herse
- Sunny
2012
- Letzte Spur Berlin as Jürgen Beck
- Die Chefin as Harald Steiner
- 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
- Inklusion - gemeinsam anders as Heribert Stein
- Weisst du eigentlich dass ganz viele Blumen blühen im Park
- Augen zu as Frank
2010
- Frösche petzen nicht as Jörg Hilbert
- Auf Doktor komm raus as Apotheker Walter
- Gravity as Kollath
- Haltet die Welt an as André Spanuth
- 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
- Sooner or Later
- Lunik as Toni Harmann
- Meer is nich as Friedrich
- Die Frau am Ende der Straße as Klaus Garbers
2006
- Der Kriminalist as Lutz Ebeling
- Kommissar Stolberg as Manuel Lichtenberg
- Unter anderen Umständen as Achim Kaminski
- Spreewaldkrimi as Fichte
- 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
- 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
- Solo für Schwarz as Raik Schleusser
- Gun-shy as Krausser
- K3 – Kripo Hamburg as Kurt Schmidt
2002
- Bloch as Frank
- Grill Point as Christian
2001
- Murder in the Mountains as Stefan Schiener
- SOKO Leipzig 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
- 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