Peter Simonischek spent decades on the theater stage and also played the famous Jedermann. For most, however, he only became a discovery in 2016 – in the role of the odd “Toni Erdmann”.
Many associate Peter Simonischek with his biggest film role in 2016, which made him known all over the world in one fell swoop. In the comedic family drama “Toni Erdmann” by Maren Ade, Simonischek played the main character, the grey-haired, grey-bearded retired music teacher Winfried Conradi with the bizarre sense of humour.
In Bucharest he visits his career daughter Ines, who has become a stranger to him, and shakes everything up there. Wearing a dark wig and teeth with protruding teeth, he slips into the role of businessman Toni Erdmann and keeps intervening in his daughter’s everyday life.
Sandra Hüller as Ines and Peter Simonischek as Winfried/Toni in a scene from the film “Toni Erdmann”.
“Toni Erdmann” was nominated for an Oscar for best foreign language film. Peter Simonischek received critical acclaim for portraying this father-daughter relationship in a comedic yet sentimental way alongside actress Sandra Hüller.
20 years at the Berlin Schaubühne
Simonischek was born in Graz, Austria, in 1946, the son of a dentist who desperately wanted Peter to study medicine. But the boy fought back. He still had to start training as a dental technician, as well as studying architecture. But he had already discovered the school theater for himself at boarding school and his interest in acting grew, so he secretly registered at the Academy for Music and Performing Arts in Graz.
This was followed by theater engagements in Switzerland, in Sankt Gallen, Bern and in Germany at the Düsseldorf theater. From 1979 he was a member of the ensemble at the Berlin Schaubühne for 20 years.
At the turn of the millennium he finally moved to the Vienna Burgtheater and also became a star of the Salzburg Festival. For eight years he played Jedermann there in around 100 performances of the play of the same name by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Simonischek is practically the record holder for everyone in Salzburg.
Known for his versatility
Simonischek was considered a particularly versatile actor. Austria’s Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen honored him as one of the artists who remained true to themselves in every transformation.
And that was always Simonischek’s intention, as he told the Austrian broadcaster ORF in an interview.
An actor is, of course, a liar in the service of truth. Yes, there is truth in lying. But they know that when they go to the theater or when they see it in the cinema. You feel the moment unmistakably because nothing else happens than love flows. That’s why the actors all agree on who was the greatest: That was Marlon Brando, because he actually acted as if there were no script and no template. He played like he was making every decision in the moment. And that’s such a grace if you can do that.
Peter Simonischek died at the age of 76 on Tuesday night – a heavy blow for the well-known television actor Max Simonischek, the 40-year-old son.