Thorsten Merten
Birthday: 1963-12-01
Birthplace: Ruhla, Germany
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned
Thorsten Merten (born December 4, 1963, in Ruhla) is a German actor.
Thorsten Merten originally intended to become a journalist and initially worked as a trainee at the newspaper *Das Volk*. After completing his military service, he underwent acting training from 1986 to 1990 at the "Ernst Busch" Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin, where he attended the newly established cabaret department and graduated with a diploma in cabaret performance.
This was followed by engagements at various theaters both at home and abroad, including the Théâtre Vidy in Lausanne, the Staatstheater Schwerin, the Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, the Volksbühne Berlin, and the Deutsches Theater Berlin. For his stage work, he was awarded the Conrad Ekhof Prize in 1999.
His notable stage roles include McMurphy in *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*, the Ghost in *Hamlet*, as well as roles in *Ivanov*, *Prometheus*, and *Sonnenallee*. In 2024, he played the role of operations manager Kuckuck in the operetta *Messeschlager Gisela* at the Komische Oper Berlin.
Merten gained his first experience in front of the camera in 1992 in Andreas Dresen's film *Stilles Land*. He achieved his breakthrough in 2001 with the tragicomedy *Halbe Treppe* (Grill Point), also directed by Dresen. Since then, he has appeared regularly in both feature films and television productions.
Merten also gained recognition through roles in *Wilsberg*, *Afrika, mon amour*, *Bella Block*, *Helen Dorn*, *Donna Leon*, and numerous episodes of *Tatort*. From 2013 to 2021, he played the role of precinct chief Stich in the Weimar-based *Tatort* series. Since 2009, he has portrayed Chief Inspector—later Police Commissioner—Martin Fichte in the ZDF series *Spreewaldkrimi*.
He has also played lead roles in other productions, including *Silvi* and *Fremdkörper*. In 2021, he received the German Film Award for his supporting role in *Curveball – Wir machen die Wahrheit*. Furthermore, Merten came up with the idea for the Netflix series *Das letzte Wort*, in which he appeared alongside Anke Engelke.
Credits
| Year | Title | Character | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Der große Zusammenbruch | ||
|
Gespensterwald | Jan Jürgens | |
|
Schwarzer Sommer | Jan Jürgens | |
|
Die Verteidigerin - Tötungsabsicht | ||
|
Triptych | ||
 |
2026-09-24 | Bibi Blocksberg - Die total verhexte Zeitreise | Krause |
 |
2025-12-11 | The Hero of Friedrichstrasse Station | Harald Wischnewsky |
 |
2025-08-26 | Miss Merkel - Ein Kreuzfahrt-Krimi | Joachim |
 |
2025-06-30 | The Policeman's Niece | Werner Barth |
 |
2025-06-19 | Cicadas | Uwe |
 |
2024-10-30 | Bach - A Christmas Miracle | Adrian Stieglitz |
 |
2024-10-17 | From Hilde, with Love | Dr. Minergerode |
 |
2024-03-22 | Der Fall Marianne Voss | Fritz Malowski |
 |
2024-03-12 | Miss Merkel - Mord auf dem Friedhof | Achim Sauer |
 |
2024-01-25 | Roxy | Passfälscher |
 |
2024-01-11 | Night to be Gone | Dieter |
 |
2023-12-30 | Der zweite Kurzschluss | Oliver |
 |
2023-05-13 | Kleine Eheverbrechen | Dieter Beil |
 |
2023-03-14 | Miss Merkel - Ein Uckermark-Krimi | Joachim Sauer |
 |
2022-12-29 | What You Can See from Here | Herr Rödder |
 |
2022-08-18 | Hunting Season | Vermieter |
 |
2022-07-07 | Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos! | Herr Flickendorf |
 |
2022-04-14 | Locked in Society | Manfred Prohaska |
 |
2022-02-14 | Eine riskante Entscheidung | Bernhard Elster |
 |
2021-09-03 | Sprachlos in Irland | Dirk |
 |
2021-04-09 | Curveball | Schatz |
 |
2020-09-24 | In Berlin wächst kein Orangenbaum | Wärter Grunert |
 |
2020-07-31 | Exit | Hönings |
 |
2020-01-21 | Nothing More Perfect | |
 |
2019-11-11 | Knorx | Vogtländer |
 |
2019-11-06 | The Audition | |
 |
2019-11-02 | Der vierte Mann | Kurt Lehrmann |
 |
2019-09-05 | Good Girl Gone Bad | Helmut Mayer |
 |
2019-04-11 | Alfons Zitterbacke | Mr. Flickendorf |
 |
2018-11-26 | Atlas | Alfred Hoppe |
 |
2018-09-06 | The Most Beautiful Girl in the World | Taxifahrer Klaus |
 |
2018-08-30 | Donbass | German Journalist |
 |
2018-08-23 | Gundermann | Puppenspieler |
 |
2017-12-24 | Rübezahls Schatz | Arzt |
 |
2017-12-13 | Hit Mom – Mörderische Weihnachten | Professor |
 |
2017-11-28 | Das Nebelhaus | Doros Chef |
 |
2017-11-22 | Brothers | Rainer Welke |
 |
2017-08-17 | Tiger Milk | Stefan |
 |
2017-06-01 | In Times of Fading Light | |
 |
2016-09-29 | The Last Pig | Meier |
 |
2015-11-12 | Alki Alki | Thomas |
 |
2015-07-16 | Heil | Verfassungsschützer F. – Sachsen |
 |
2015-06-22 | Foreign Body | Wolfgang |
 |
2015-04-01 | Naked Among Wolves | Hans Bochow |
|
2015-04-01 | Einschnitt | der Bürochef |
 |
2015-03-12 | Rough Road Ahead | |
 |
2014-11-05 | Open the Wall | Manfred |
 |
2014-10-21 | We Are Young. We Are Strong. | |
 |
2014-06-05 | Willkommen bei Habib | Bruno |
 |
2014-02-25 | Der Rücktritt | Martin Heidemanns |
 |
2013-12-19 | The Golden Goose | Räubervater |
 |
2013-10-25 | Der zweite Mann | Klaus Padberg |
 |
2013-07-03 | Sunny | |
 |
2013-04-16 | Silvi - Maybe Love | Michael |
 |
2013-01-19 | Kohlhaas or the Proportionality of Means | Herse |
 |
2012-12-25 | Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot | Hofrat |
 |
2012-10-17 | Sushi in Suhl | Hans Leutner |
 |
2012-03-22 | Ruhm | Klaus Rubinstein |
 |
2011-12-19 | Stopped on Track | |
 |
2011-12-01 | Inklusion - gemeinsam anders | Heribert Stein |
 |
2011-10-27 | Augen zu | Frank |
 |
2011-07-20 | Arschkalt | Erhard |
 |
2011-02-14 | Weisst du eigentlich dass ganz viele Blumen blühen im Park | |
 |
2010-06-26 | Empathie | Rüdiger |
 |
2010-04-02 | Haltet die Welt an | André Spanuth |
 |
2010-03-24 | Gravity | Kollath |
 |
2010-02-17 | Auf Doktor komm raus | Apotheker Walter |
 |
2010-01-10 | Frösche petzen nicht | Jörg Hilbert |
 |
2009-01-29 | I've Never Been Happier | Schlickenrieder |
 |
2008-11-20 | November Child | Alexander |
 |
2008-07-24 | Underdogs | Forster |
 |
2008-06-07 | Remarque - Sein Weg zum Ruhm | Chefredakteur der „Sport im Bild“ |
 |
2008-06-06 | Vom Atmen unter Wasser | Jo |
 |
2007-10-25 | Sooner or Later | |
 |
2007-10-24 | Meer is nich | Friedrich |
 |
2007-09-19 | Die Frau am Ende der Straße | Klaus Garbers |
 |
2007-03-18 | Lunik | Toni Harmann |
|
2006-12-30 | Die Weihnachtswette | Reinhold |
 |
2006-02-14 | Four Windows | Vater |
 |
2006-02-10 | The Elementary Particles | Hubert |
 |
2005-11-29 | In Liebe eine Eins | Herr Steiner |
 |
2005-01-18 | Wahrheit oder Pflicht | Lehrer Behnke |
 |
2004-02-24 | Operation Valkyrie | Peter Graf Yorck v. Wartenburg |
 |
2004-02-12 | Transport | |
|
2004-02-09 | Charlotte | Georg |
 |
2003-01-01 | Gun-shy | Krausser |
 |
2002-02-12 | Grill Point | Christian |
 |
1994-03-03 | Up – Down | Peet |
 |
1992-05-07 | Silent Country | Kai Finke |