Ralf Richter
Born: 1957-08-17 in Essen, Germany
Died: 2026-09-15
Known For: Acting
Biography
Ralf Richter (August 17, 1957 - September 15, 2026) was a German film, television, and stage actor. Born in Essen, he grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Bochum. After completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter, he studied acting at the Westphalian Drama School in Bochum and began his career on stage. He gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Chief Petty Officer Frenssen in Wolfgang Petersen’s acclaimed war film Das Boot (1981). The role established him as one of Germany’s most recognizable character actors, particularly known for portraying tough, outspoken, and often eccentric figures. His notable film credits include Die Katze (1988), Manta - Der Film (1991), Superstau (1991), and Fußball ist unser Leben (2000). He achieved cult status with his portrayal of the hot-tempered criminal Kalle Grabowski in Peter Thorwarth’s crime comedy Bang Boom Bang (1999). Richter continued his collaboration with Thorwarth in Was nicht passt, wird passend gemacht (2002) and Goldene Zeiten (2006). Together, these three films became known as the Unna Trilogy. His later film appearances included Vorstadtkrokodile (2009), Nicht mein Tag (2014), Radio Heimat (2016), Enfant Terrible (2020), and Bad Director (2023). In addition to his film career, he appeared in numerous German television series, including Tatort, Der Fahnder, Alarm für Cobra 11, Ein Fall für zwei, and Heldt. Richter was particularly associated with the Ruhr region and became known for his distinctive voice, direct manner, and memorable portrayals of working-class characters and small-time criminals. He died in Cologne in September 2026 at the age of 69.
Filmography
2026
2025
2024
- Bad Director as Compagnon Sommerwind
- Die Passion as Barabbas
2021
- Das Boot Revisited: An Underwater Success Story as Self - Das Boot Actor
2020
- auto mobil - Das VOX-Automagazin as Self
- Sky Sharks as Joseph Langner
- Enfant Terrible as Blumenpeter
- Lebendig skalpiert
2019
- Breakdown Forest as Hans Joachim (HaJo) Jendriczek
- The Last Cop as Schore Siggi
- Stories of the Dead
2018
- SOKO Potsdam as Boris Strahlkowski
2016
- Sträters Männerhaushalt as Self
- Im Winter, so schön as Butcher
- 1000 Mexicans
- Radio Home as Onkel Josef
2015
- Rentnercops as Ralle Pulver
- Die Geschichte eines Abends as Self
- Ponyhof as Self
- Nichtlustig - die Serie!
- Half Brothers as Barmann Zum Leuchtturm
- Das fehlende Grau
2014
- Not My Day as Langer
- Baggerführer Bob
- Nachtwalzer as Wirt
2013
- Heldt as Sven Lattbeck
- Circus Halligalli
- nate light as Self
- freitag auf d’nacht as Self
- Turbo & Tacho as Charly Wischollek
- Ohne Gnade as Tarzan
- The Devil loves Rock N Roll as Kalle Grabowski
2012
- Fantalk as Self
- Vater aus heiterem Himmel as Jenninger
- Und weg bist Du as Receptionist
2011
2010
2009
- SOKO Stuttgart as Kai Meerbusch
- The Crocodiles as Chief Police Officer
- Village People - Auf der Jagd nach dem Nazigold as Hehler
- Kopf oder Zahl as Ron
- Chaostage - We Are Punks! as Herr Krupp
2008
- Plasberg persönlich as Self
- Streets of Rio as Horst
- Spiel mir das Lied und du bist tot! as Grandpa St. John
- Finnischer Tango as Sexshop-Besitzer
2007
- Inas Nacht as Self
- Die Kocharena as Self
- Lutter as Mike Pätzold
2006
- Das perfekte Promi-Dinner as Self
- Das NRW Duell as Self
- Die ProSieben Märchenstunde as Bergmann
- Out of Bounds as Harald "Bullet Harry" Grabowski
- Mondmann as General
2005
- Pastewka as Ralf Richter
- TV total Stock Car Crash Challenge as Rennfahrer
- Promi ärgere Dich nicht as Self
- Urmel aus dem Eis as Dr. Zwengelmann
2004
- Cowgirl as Peter Blessing
2003
- SOKO Köln as Falk Fechner
- Alarm für Cobra 11 - Einsatz für Team 2 as Rodde Rodinsky
- Was nicht passt, wird passend gemacht as Karl-Heinz 'Kalle' Langmann
- Mädchen Nr. 1 as Ilia
- Dirty Sky as Tankwart
2002
- Die Rosenheim-Cops as Marek
- RTL Promi-Boxen as Self
- If It Don't Fit, Use a Bigger Hammer as Kalle
- Ladies and Gentleman
2001
- Hallo Robbie! as Rainer Kanitz
- Eine Hochzeit und (K)ein Todesfall as Richie
- The Cry of the Butterfly as Tom
- Suck My Dick as Hyde
- Planet Alex as Barkeeper
2000
- Geisterjäger John Sinclair as Collins
- Football Rules Ok as Mike
- Marmor, Stein & Eisen
1999
- Volle Kanne as Self
- SK Kölsch as Herbie Raiko
- Hausmeister Krause – Ordnung muss sein as Polizist
- TV total as Self
- Bang, Boom, Bang as Karl-Heinz 'Kalle' Grabowski
- Männer aus zweiter Hand as Dario
1998
- Die Ulla Kock am Brink Show as Self
- The Polar Bear as Zivilpolizist
- Liebe mich bis in den Tod as Krause
- Ein Bär für alle Fälle as Axel
- Gomez: Heads or Tails
1997
- Küstenwache
- If It Don't Fit, Use a Bigger Hammer as Karl Heinz Kaminski
- Mafia, Pizza, Razzia as Bulle #1
1996
- Alarm for Cobra 11: The Motorway Police as Frank
- Zimmer frei! as Self
- Mit einem Bein im Grab as Herr Schlömer
- Peanuts - Die Bank zahlt alles as Mario
- Happy Weekend as Engel
- Eine fast perfekte Liebe as Haucke
- Die Katze von Kensington as Reynolds
- Der Trip - Die nackte Gitarre 0,5
1995
- Die Harald Schmidt Show as Self
- Für alle Fälle Stefanie as Blacky Berg
- Unser Charly as Kalle
- Balko as Winfried Dragowski
- Versteckte Kamera as Self
- Der schwarze Fluch as Gangster
- Fatale Mutterliebe as Hoffmann
- Eine mörderische Liebe as Jan Becker
1994
- Inspector Rex as Hubert Nielsen
- Die Wache as Brockmann
- Im Namen des Gesetzes as Rechtsanwalt Dr. Müller-Dohme
- Lady Cop as Kai Zorski
- Zwei Brüder
- Alles außer Mord as Fritz Koller
- Fliege as Self
1993
- Bella Block as Polizist
- Wildbach as Theo
- Bistro, Bistro as Victor
1992
- Freunde fürs Leben as Herr Höhnisch
- Glückliche Reise as Eichborn
- Cosimas Lexikon as Klaus Borgmann
1991
- Novak as Schmitzchen
- Manta - Der Film as Polizist Wolle
- Superstau as Hermann Pacholke
- Es wäre gut, daß ein Mensch würde umbracht für das Volk as Petrus
1990
- Café Meineid as Henning Hahn8
- Alles im Griff as Günter 'Bolle' Bolkowski
1989
- Dobrodružství kriminalistiky as Jin McEachen
- Seven Minutes as SA-Führer
1987
- Die Hausmeisterin as Isarhocker
- Verlierer as Richy
- The Crack Connection as Sandrowski
1986
1985
- Das Boot as Frenssen
- Zielscheiben as Strotzki
1984
- Der Fahnder
- Pogo 1104 as Rick Bandora
- Decoder as Jaeger's Assistant
- Out of Order as Otto
1983
- Rote Erde as Otto Schablowski
1981
- A Case For Two as Dirk
- Das Boot as Frenssen
- Tour de Ruhr as Wölfchen
1980
- Auf Achse as Hennes
1978
- SOKO München as Stömmer
1977
- The Old Fox as Bernd
1974
- 3 nach 9 as Self
1971
1970
- Scene of the Crime as Wilfried Wilcke