Helmut Berger (May 29, 1944 – May 18, 2023) was an Austrian actor best known for portraying egotistical and sexually ambiguous characters. He was a celebrity in European cinema in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and he is considered as a sex symbol and pop icon of the time.
He is best known for his collaborations with Luchino Visconti, particularly his portrayal of King Ludwig II of Bavaria in Ludwig, for which he earned a special David di Donatello award, and his performance in The Damned, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.
Berger died “peacefully but unexpectedly” early Thursday in Salzburg, his agent Helmut Werner wrote on his management company’s website.
Helmut Berger top movies and TV shows
The Witches, “La Strega Bruciata Viva”, Visconti’s The Damned (1969),
The Last Dance, Dynasty, The Revenge of the Whore, SOKO Kitzbühel, Spiegel TV – Reportage, Return of the Saint, Pregau, The Blue Angel (1930), Inspector Rex, 1994, Visconti’s Ludwig (1972)
Helmut Berger Awards and nominations
Berger was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance in The Damned in 1969, and he won a David di Donatello (the Italian equivalent of an Academy Award) for his performance in Ludwig in 1973.
At the 57th Berlin International Film Festival (2007), he got a special Teddy Award for his overall career achievements.
Berger got two Prix Lumières and the city’s “golden key” in 2010 at the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon.
In 2011, he got the Kristián Award for “Contributions to World Cinema” at the Czech film festival Febiofest.
