Gottfried John (29 August 1942 – 1 September 2014) was a German stage, screen, and voice actor. A longtime collaborator of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, John appeared in nine of his films between 1975 and 1981, the year before Fassbinder's death, including Eight Hours Don't Make a Day, Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven, Despair, The Marriage of Maria Braun, and Berlin Alexanderplatz. His distinctive, gaunt appearance saw him frequently cast as villains, and he is best known to audiences for his role as the corrupt General Arkady Ourumov in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye and his comedic turn as Julius Caesar in Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar, for the latter of which he won the Bavarian Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Early life

John was born in Berlin, Germany, on 29 August 1942. In World War II, he and his mother were evacuated to East Prussia; his father, whom he never met, was married to another woman. He grew up with his single-parent mother and in several protectories; John fled from one when he was 15 years old and returned to his mother, who was living in Paris. In Paris, he earned a living as a pavement artist and construction worker, returning to Berlin in 1960.

Career

During the 1970s and early 1980s, John was cast by director Rainer Werner Fassbinder in several of his projects, in particular as Reinhold in the Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) mini-series. He was internationally known for his portrayal of General Arkady Ourumov in the James Bond film GoldenEye and Julius Caesar in Asterix and Obelix take on Caesar.

Personal life

For many years, he lived in Kelmis, Belgium, just over the border from Aachen, until 2008. John then lived with his wife, Brigitte, in Utting am Ammersee, near Munich, Germany, from 2008 until his death. On 1 September 2014, it was announced that John had died in Utting am Ammersee of cancer aged 72.

Works

Filmography

Audiobooks

Written works

Nominations and awards