Peter Simonischek Biography: Movies, Age, Height, Ethnicity, Parents, Religion, Instagram, Net Worth, Awards, Death

Peter Simonischek was an accomplished Austrian actor known for his extensive theater work and international recognition in film.

He achieved global fame for his leading performance in the 2016 Maren Ade film Toni Erdmann, where he portrayed the eccentric father Winfried Conradi. This role brought him global acclaim and made his face recognizable far beyond German-speaking audiences.

He was also a respected member of the ensemble at the prestigious Vienna Burgtheater for many years.

Profile

• Full names: Peter Maria Simonischek
• Date of birth: August 6, 1946
• Age: Deceased
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Graz, Austria
• State of origin: Styria, Austria
• Nationality: Austrian
• Profession: Actor
• Height: 6 feet 2¾ inches (1.90 m)
• Eye color: Blue-Hazel
• Hair color: Grey
• Parents: Father was a dentist, mother was a homemaker
• Siblings: Reinhard Simonischek
• Spouse: Brigitte Karner (m. 1989), Charlotte Schwab (m. ? – div. ?)
• Children: Max Simonischek, Benedikt Simonischek, Kaspar Simonischek
• Relationship status: Deceased, was married at time of death
• Religion: Christian
• Ethnicity: Austrian
• Net worth: $5 million

Early Life and Education

Peter Maria Simonischek was born in Graz, Austria, on August 6, 1946. He passed away in May 2023 at the age of 76. He spent his formative years growing up in the municipality of Markt Hartmannsdorf in the state of Styria, where his father practiced dentistry and his mother managed the household.

His brother, Reinhard Simonischek, is also involved in acting and directing. While initially enrolling in architecture studies at the Graz University of Technology and taking some prosthodontics courses to satisfy his father’s wishes for a medical career, he maintained a strong interest in performance arts.

He secretly began training at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, from which he graduated in the early 1970s. In 2022, his alma mater awarded him an honorary doctorate.

Personal Life

Simonischek was married twice. His first marriage was to the Swiss actress Charlotte Schwab, which ended in divorce. They had one son together, Max. On August 26, 1989, he married his second wife, the Austrian actress Brigitte Karner, with whom he had two more sons, Benedikt and Kaspar.

All three of his sons pursued careers in the arts; Max and Kaspar became actors, and Benedikt became a director.

Career

Peter Simonischek had a highly distinguished career primarily in German-language theater before gaining international film prominence later in life.

Following his graduation from acting school, he secured early engagements at theaters in St. Gallen and Bern, Switzerland, as well as in Darmstadt and at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus in Germany. From 1979 to 1999, he was a long-standing ensemble member of the Berlin Schaubühne theater.

In 1999, he joined the ensemble of the renowned Vienna Burgtheater, where he remained a core member for the rest of his life and was eventually appointed an honorary member.

On stage, he was particularly noted for playing the title role in Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s play Jedermann at the Salzburg Festival for seven consecutive years, from 2002 to 2009.

While a fixture on the stage, he also appeared in over 60 films. His performance in the 2016 film Toni Erdmann, directed by Maren Ade, brought him global attention. His portrayal of the character Winfried Conradi, who creates a prankster alter ego to reconnect with his daughter, earned him numerous film awards.

Awards

• European Film Award for Best Actor (2016)
• Austrian Film Award for Best Actor (2017)
• German Film Award for Best Actor (2017)
• Honorary title of “Kammerschauspieler” by the President of Austria
• Honorary membership of the Vienna Burgtheater (2019)
• Honorary doctorate from the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (2022)

Net Worth

Peter Simonischek estimated net worth ranges between $1 million to $5 million at the time of his death, accrued primarily from his extensive career as an actor in European theater and film.

Death

Peter Simonischek died on May 29, 2023, in Vienna, Austria, at the age of 76. He passed away at his home surrounded by his family after a short, serious illness, which was reported as lung cancer.

Social Media

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Filmography

• Die Ausgesperrten (1982)
• Derrick: Die Tote in der Zelle (1984)
• Running Wild (1988)
• Love and Fear (1988)
• The Mountain (1990)
• Success (1991)
• Carrier Pigeon (1995)
• Beresina, or the Last Days of Switzerland (1999)
• Come Sweet Death (2000)
• Jedermann (2002)
• Hierankl (2003)
• Sapphire Blue (2014)
• Toni Erdmann (2016)
• Wunderlich’s World (2016)
• Only God Can Judge Me (2017)
• The Interpreter (2018)
• Kursk (2018)
• Crescendo (2019)
• Measures of Men (2023)