Peter Simonischek, the Austrian actor who starred in the film Tony Erdman and was known for his work on theatrical stages, in films and on TV, has passed away at the age of 76.
The Austrian public broadcaster ORF, the German press agency dpa and other media in Austria and Germany released the news on Tuesday without immediately naming a cause of death. The Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria also tweeted that Simonischek, a member of the ensemble and honorary member of the theatre, had passed away overnight.
The actor performed regularly at the Salzburg Festival, where he was known for playing the title role in the play Jedermann (Everyone), who has organized the festival regularly, countless times. For his role in Maren Ade’s 2016 eccentric dramedy and nominated for an Oscar Tony Erdman, opposite Sandra Hüller, Simonischek won the German Film Award, or Lola, and the European Film Award for Best Actor. He was also nominated for a London Critics Circle Film Awards, as well as a Toronto Film Critics Association Awards, among others.
In a review of Tony Erdman for THRwrote Leslie Felperin: “Ade herself plays a particularly adept game as she manipulates, aids and encourages through intricately layered performances from Simonischek and Hüller, audience sympathy for these initially irritating, perhaps even wildly unlikely, characters who take on soft sides and sweet spots . in the course of the movie.”
Born on August 6, 1946 in Graz, Austria, Simonischek was also honored with awards in the German-speaking world. For example, he twice won the prestigious Grimme Preis for German TV productions.
