German actor Michael Mendl, known for Downfall, dies at 82

Michael Mendl, the German actor known for his role in “Downfall,” has died at the age of 82, his agent told Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Mendl appeared in more than 200 theater, television and film productions. One of his best-known performances came in the 2003 television film “Im Schatten der Macht,” in which he played former West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. He received the Golden Camera award for best German actor for the role in 2004.

In 2006, Mendl portrayed Pope John Paul II in the docudrama “Karol Wojtyła: The Secrets of the Pope.” The production combined dramatized scenes from Karol Wojtyła’s life with testimony from witnesses.

Mendl was born in 1944 in Lünen as the illegitimate son of a Catholic priest. He spent about 25 years working mainly on the stage and began building a larger film career only around the age of 50.

“When I moved into film, I was extremely lucky,” he said in a 2019 interview with the dpa news agency. He described himself as a character actor who took on difficult roles, including criminals, psychopaths and politicians.

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When I moved into film, I was extremely lucky.