Helmut Berger

Helmut Berger (; né Steinberger; 29 May 1944 – 18 May 2023) was an Austrian actor, known for his portrayal of narcissistic and sexually ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of European cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is regarded as a sex symbol and pop icon of that period. After studying languages at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia in Italy, Berger moved to Rome.

Career 1964 to 1976

He met the film director Luchino Visconti in 1964. Visconti gave him his first acting role in the film Le streghe (The Witches, 1967) (in the episode "La Strega Bruciata Viva"). He gained international prominence as Martin von Essenbeck in Visconti's The Damned (1969). In that film, in what is perhaps his best-known scene, he pretends to be Marlene Dietrich as she appeared in the film The Blue Angel (1930). He then performed the title role in the Oscar Wilde adaptation Dorian Gray (1970) and a leading role in the Oscar-winning Italian drama film The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970). In Visconti's Ludwig (1972), Berger portrays Ludwig II of Bavaria from his youth to his dissolute final years. Romy Schneider starred alongside him. This performance earned him a David di Donatello award. In 1974, Berger starred with Burt Lancaster in Visconti's Conversation Piece. The story of Conversation Piece is often considered an allegory of the personal relationship between Berger and Visconti. On several occasions Berger mentioned this film as his favorite.

He then played leading roles in such international productions as Ash Wednesday (1973) alongside Elizabeth Taylor and Henry Fonda and The Romantic Englishwoman (1975) alongside Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson. He also appeared in Tinto Brass's controversial film Salon Kitty with Ingrid Thulin in 1976. Well-known photographers including Helmut Newton, Mary Ellen Mark, and David Bailey published a series of pictures of him. Andy Warhol made Polaroids of him and produced serigraphs. Berger was also, in 1970, alongside his girlfriend Marisa Berenson, the first man photographed for the cover of Vogue.

1976 to 1999 The death of Luchino Visconti in 1976 plunged him into a personal crisis. Exactly one year after Visconti died, Berger tried to commit suicide but was found in time to be saved. Drug and alcohol abuse began to shadow his acting career. In 1980 Berger was cast by Claude Chabrol as Fantômas before he went to the United States to work in television in the role of Peter De Vilbis in nine episodes (1983–1984) of the U.S. prime time soap opera Dynasty, which he said he did only for money. He later said he was "crying on the way to the set but laughing on the way to the bank". This was his last appearance in a long-running television series. He continued working in the U.S. on various projects, most notably starring in Code Name: Emerald in 1985. In Europe, he acted in the TV-miniseries The Betrothed in 1989.

In 1990, Berger appeared in The Godfather Part III as corrupt banker Frederick Keinszig. He later appeared in the music video of Madonna's song "Erotica" in 1992 and appeared in Madonna's book Sex. In 1993, Berger reprised his role as King Ludwig II in the critically acclaimed film Ludwig 1881. Throughout the second half of the 1990s, he concentrated mainly on European productions, acting in films directed by Christoph Schlingensief, Yves Boisset, and many others.

In 1997, Quentin Tarantino included some archival footage of the film Beast with a Gun in his film Jackie Brown and thanked Berger in the closing credits for his performance.

2000s to 2023 From the early 2000s to 2009, Berger largely withdrew from the acting world, moving to Salzburg to care for his mother, who died in 2009. For the documentary film Helmut Berger: My Life, directed by Cordula Kablitz-Post, Berger recounted his life with Visconti in 2006; he visited Rome and Visconti’s former Villa La Colombaia, Ischia and reflected candidly on his life up to that point.

Berger then returned to acting in bigger production films. In 2012, Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf Verlag published Helmut Berger – A Life in Pictures, a coffee table book about his life, featuring many previously unreleased photographs plus essays in German, English, Italian, and French. The book was well received by the reviewers.

In the thriller film Iron Cross (2009), Berger played Shrager, an aging character believed to be an old SS commander responsible for murdering Jews during World War II. In the early 2010s, Berger starred in two films directed by Peter Kern, Blutsfreundschaft (shown at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival (2010)) and Mörderschwestern (2011). In 2014, Berger appeared in Saint Laurent as the older Yves Saint Laurent for which he was "celebrated" at the Cannes Film Festival. The short film Art!, in which Berger had a starring role, had its world premiere at the Paris Independent Film Festival 2015.

In 2015, Austrian filmmaker Andreas Horvath released a feature-length documentary about Berger called Helmut Berger, Actor. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival. In the magazine Artforum, American film director John Waters chose Helmut Berger, Actor as the 'Best Motion Picture of the year 2015'. Berger later filed a lawsuit against Horvath.

On 22 February 2018, the premiere of Albert Serra's play, Liberté, starring Berger and Ingrid Caven was performed at the Volksbühne theatre in Berlin. It was the first stage role in Berger's career. In 2019, another documentary film Helmut Berger, meine Mutter und ich was released, dealing with his personality and an attempted comeback.

After suffering several bouts of pneumonia, Berger announced his retirement from acting in November 2019 and stated that he wanted to spend his remaining years away from the public eye.

Personal life Berger was openly bisexual. He was in relationships with his director and mentor Luchino Visconti and actress Marisa Berenson. Berger married Italian writer and model Francesca Guidato on 19 November 1994. After 2010 they lived separately. Berger lived for many years in Rome, but returned to Salzburg in the 2000s to take care of his elderly mother. According to his 1998 autobiography Ich. Die Autobiographie, the actor's affairs included flings with Rudolf Nureyev, Britt Ekland, Luchino Visconti, Ursula Andress, Nathalie Delon, Tab Hunter, Florinda Bolkan, Linda Blair, Marisa Mell, Anita Pallenberg, Marilù Tolo, Jerry Hall, and both Bianca and Mick Jagger. Miguel Bosé writes about his affair with Berger in his autobiography.

From the 1980s on, Berger's private life was also in the news for his struggles with alcohol and drugs, which sometimes resulted in eccentric and controversial television appearances. In 2013, Berger appeared on Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!, the German version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He had to leave for health reasons after only two days.

Death Berger died on 18 May 2023, at the age of 78.

Awards and honours In 1969, Berger was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role in The Damned, and in 1973 he won a David di Donatello – the Italian equivalent of an Academy Award – for his performance in Ludwig.

In 2007, he received a special Teddy Award at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival (2007) for his overall professional achievements.

In 2010, Berger received two Prix Lumières at the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon and also the "golden key" of the city.

In 2011, he received a Kristián Award, awarded at the Czech film festival Febiofest "for Contributions to World Cinema".

Reception

Filmography (director in parentheses; all films except as noted) + Film Year Title Director Role Notes 1967 Le stregheLuchino Visconti Young man at Hotel Segment: "La Strega Bruciata Viva" 1968 Antonio Leonviola Dario 1969 Maurizio Liverani Aldo The Damned Luchino Visconti Martin Von Essenbeck 1970 Dorian Gray Massimo Dallamano Dorian Gray The Garden of the Finzi-Continis Vittorio De Sica Alberto 1971 Un beau monstre Sergio Gobbi Alain Revent The Bloodstained Butterfly Duccio Tessari Giorgio 1972 La colonna infame Nelo Risi Arconati 1973 Otto Schenk Der Junge Herr / The Youngman / Alfred Sergio Gobbi Kosta LudwigLuchino Visconti LudwigAsh Wednesday Larry Peerce Erich 1974 Conversation Piece Luchino Visconti Konrad Huebel 1975 Order to KillJosé G. Maesso Clyde Hart The Romantic Englishwoman Joseph Losey Thomas 1976 Salon Kitty Tinto Brass Helmut Wallenberg Victory at Entebbe Marvin Chomsky Wilfried Böse 1977 Beast with a Gun Sergio Grieco Nanni Vitali Paperback David Bailey 1978 The Greatest BattleUmberto Lenzi Lt. Kurt Zimmer The Fifth Commandment Duccio Tessari Bernhard Redder 1980 Eroina Massimo Pirri Marco 1981 Mia moglie è una strega Castellano & Pipolo Asmodeo 1982 Károly Makk Boris 1983 Femmes Tana Kaleya Helmut Victoria! La gran aventura de un poble Antoni Ribas Tinent Rodríguez Haro Victoria! 2: El frenesì del 17 Veliki Transport V. Bulajic Colonel Glassendorf 1984 Victoria! 3: La razon y el arrebato Antoni Ribas Tinent Rodríguez Haro 1985 Code Name: Emerald Jonathan Sanger Ernst Ritter 1988 Faceless Jess Franco Docteur Flamand Act of Revenge Salvatore Nocita 1989 La Puritana Nini Grassia Carlo Martora-Doctor 1990 The Godfather Part III Francis Ford Coppola Frederick Keinszig 1992 Adelaide Lucio Gaudino Gilas 1993 Boomtown Christoph Schrewe Richard Schwarzer Ludwig 1881 F. Dubini / D. Dubini King Ludwig II 1995 L'affaire Dreyfuss Yves Boisset Schwartzkoppen 1996 L'ombra del faraone S. Ben Barka Teo Cinzia TH Torrini Signor Mastrovito 1997 Christoph Schlingensief Himself Last Cut Marcello Avallone 1999 Under the Palms M. Kruishoop David 2004 Honey Baby Mika Kaurismäki Karl / Hades 2005 Damals warst du still R. Matsutani Fabian Plessen 2009 Zapping Alien V. Zeplichal Jack / 00Y / Georg II Blutsfreundschaft Peter Kern Gustav Tritzinsky Iron Cross Joshua Newton Shrager / Vogler 2011 Mörderschwestern Peter Kern Dr. Schleier 2013 The Devil's ViolinistBernard Rose Lord Burghersh 2014 Saint Laurent Bertrand Bonello Yves Saint Laurent in 1989 2015 Helmut Berger, Actor Andreas Horvath Himself Documentary 2016 Timeless Alexander Tuschinski Professor Martin 2019 Helmut Berger, meine Mutter und ich Valesca Peters Himself Documentary Freedom Albert Serra Baron von Walchern 2024 Cutting Squares Alexander Tuschinski Professor Martin Partial television credits

Year Title Role Notes 1979 Le rose di Danzica Baron Erich von Lehner 1980 Fantômas / Nanteuil / Gurn / Valgrand 4 episodes 1983–1984 DynastyPeter De Vilbis 9 episodes 1986 Veliki Transport Colonel Glassendorf 3 episodes1993 Van Loc: un grand flic de Marseille Michael Bogner Episode: "La vegeance"Boomtown Richard Schwarzer TV Movie 2005 Damals warst Du still Fabian Plessen