“Klimbim grandpa” Wichart von Roëll died
Wichart von Roëll as Grandpa Klimbim, here in a revival from 2005
Source: dpa/Patrick Lux
The legendary “Klimbim” ensemble has lost its last living member – actor Wichart von Roëll has died at the age of 86. His role as a quirky Prussian militarist grandpa made him famous.
WIchart von Roëll is dead. The actor known from the 70s comedy series “Klimbim” died on Tuesday at the age of 86, a spokeswoman for his acting agency announced. Von Roëll most recently lived in a hospice in Recklinghausen (North Rhine-Westphalia). First “Image” had reported on the actor’s death.
Von Roëll stood in front of the camera from 1973 to 1979 with the other “Klimbim” stars Ingrid Steeger, Elisabeth Volkmann, Horst Jüssen and Peer Augustinski. The ARD program, which caused a sensation in the 70s because of its revealing scenes and cheeky sayings, was discontinued 45 years ago and is now considered a TV classic and the mother of all comedy shows.
The “Klimbim” ensemble
Source: dpa/Patrick Lux
After Ingrid Steeger’s death last year, von Roëll was the last living member of the legendary ensemble.
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“That was an incredibly formative time for all of us,” he told the “t-online.de” portal in 2019 about his “Klimbim” time. Sometimes he still sees scenes from the show in his dreams or he remembers private conversations from before.
Von Roëll played the quirky Prussian militarist grandpa “Benedikt von Klimbim” in the ARD comedy. The costume included a monocle, saber and dressing gown. He was therefore also lovingly and reverently called “Klimbim-Grandpa”.
The actor would have turned 87 next Saturday. “My husband wanted to leave, he had stipulated that all life support measures would be stopped. He stopped eating and drinking nothing. We accompanied him on his last journey and were at his side,” his wife Anne Althoff told “Bild”.