Helmut Griem

Helmut Griem (6 April 1932 – 19 November 2004) was a German film, television and stage actor and director.

Born in Hamburg, Griem was primarily a German-speaking stage actor, appearing at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, the Burgtheater in Vienna, the Munich Kammerspiele, and finally in the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, also in Munich.

Among his many film and TV appearances was one in NBC's Peter the Great as the formidable Tsar's lifelong friend and "right hand" Alexander Menshikov, alongside Maximilian Schell. His role in the Academy Award-winning film Cabaret (1972) as the wealthy Baron Maximilian von Heune is probably his best-known international performance. Other performances include his work in The Damned, The McKenzie Break, and Ludwig. He starred in the television mini-series The Devil's Lieutenant directed by John Goldschmidt, adapted by Jack Rosenthal and based on the novel by Maria Fagyas, for Channel 4 and ZDF.

Despite his success in film, the theatre remained at the heart of Griem's work, and he performed in many classic roles from both the German and English-language repertoire. Later in his career Griem turned to theatre direction, including Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill.

Before his death, he had planned to direct the Botho Strauss play, Die eine und die andere (This One and The Other). Griem twice won the Bambi Award: in 1961 and in 1976. He died in Munich in 2004.