Bruno Ganz, Swiss Actor Who Portrayed Hitler in Downfall, Dead at 77

Bruno Ganz, the renowned Swiss actor who portrayed Adolf Hitler in 2004s Downfall and an angel in 1987s Wings of Desire, died Friday at the age of 77.

The actor died at his home in Zurich, his management confirmed to the BBC, who added that Ganz reportedly suffered from colon cancer.

Bruno Ganz was one of the greatest and most versatile actors who inspired generations of film fans, the Berlinale Film Festival tweeted Saturday. We are incredibly saddened by the loss of a long-standing festival companion and outstanding figure of the international film history.

Ganz appeared in English language films like 1978s The Boys From Brazil, the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate, 2008s The Reader and 2013s The Counselor.

The actor is also known for his collaborations with director Wim Wenders, who cast Ganz in 1977s The American Friend, 1987s Wings of Desire and 1993s Faraway, So Close. Ganz also worked with filmmakers like Werner Herzog (Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night), Francis Ford Coppola (Youth Without Youth), Barbet Schroeder (Amnesia) and, most recently, Lars Von Trier (The House That Jack Built).

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Farewell, Bruno Ganz! My movie Dogma never wouldve even occurred to me without seeing your angelic performance of Damiel in Wings of Desire. Your performance in Downfall was legendary, your vast career was enviable. Rest now, Thespian. https://t.co/jkqxcy69at

KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) February 16, 2019

In 2004, Ganz delivered perhaps his greatest performance when he portrayed Adolf Hitler confronting the end of the Third Reich in the German film Downfall. For the role, Ganz spent four months researching the dictator.

I cannot claim to understand Hitler. Even the witnesses who had been in the bunker with him were not really able to describe the essence of the man, Ganz told the Guardian in 2005. He had no pity, no compassion, no understanding of what the victims of war suffered.

Downfall received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. While Ganzs performance was critically lauded and award-winning at the time, the actors riveting performance went viral years later thanks to a series of memes that changed the films subtitles to reflect current events.

Goodnight, Bruno Ganz, an actor whose empathy on-screen was always palpable & whose presence in such films as WINGS OF DESIRE will always live on in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/FKVqWfGf1l

Criterion Collection (@Criterion) February 16, 2019