Departures of note

Ralf Richter was born in 1957 in Essen. After completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter, he studied acting at the Westfälische Schauspielschule Bochum from 1977. His breakthrough came as Zentralemaat Frenssen in the internationally acclaimed anti-war film Das Boot, which made him known across Germany.

In the late 1990s he achieved cult status with the comedy Bang Boom Bang – Ein todsicheres Ding and its follow-ups, becoming a familiar face in German television series and films for decades. He is remembered as a beloved character actor, and leaves behind a son and a daughter as well as six grandchildren.