Irmgard Hermann (4 October 1942 â€" 26 May 2020) was a German actress.
She worked in film, television, and the stage, appearing in over 160
film and television productions. She was discovered, without formal
training, by Rainer Werner Fassbinder who cast her in many of his
films. She was awarded the Deutscher Filmpreis for playing Irmgard Epp
in Fassbinder's The Merchant of Four Seasons, and again for appearing
as Else Gebel, a woman in prison with Sophie Scholl, in Percy Adlon's
Fünf letzte Tage.Born in Munich, Hermann became a publishing clerk
after finishing school and worked as a secretary for ADAC. She met
Rainer Werner Fassbinder in 1966, who convinced her to quit her job to
work with him although she lacked formal training as an actress. The
same year, Hermann made her debut in Fassbinder's short film The City
Tramp (Der Stadtstreicher [de]), and then went on to play in 19 of
Fassbinder's films, including Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant
(The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, 1972). She was usually cast as a
frustrated, stuffy (spießig) woman. Her one leading role in his
films, Irmgard Epp in the 1971 Händler der vier Jahreszeiten (The
Merchant of Four Seasons), won her the Deutscher Filmpreis award. She
was a member of Fassbinder's complicated professional and personal
entourage, and became one of his confidantes, but the relationship
also involved abusive behaviour by Fassbinder towards her; after his
death, she said he had been physically abusive.In the mid-1970s,
Hermann broke with Fassbinder and moved to Berlin, where her career
developed. She played in numerous film and television productions with
directors such as Tankred Dorst, Werner Herzog, Hans W. Geißendörfer
and Christoph Schlingensief. Her performance as Else Gebel, a woman in
prison with the resistance fighter Sophie Scholl, in Percy Adlon's
1982 Fünf letzte Tage [de] (Last Five Days) was again honoured with a
Deutscher Filmpreis in 1983. She liked to play in comedies such as
Loriot's 1991 Pappa Ante Portas, Hape Kerkeling's 1996 Willi und die
Windzors (as a fictionalized version of Queen Elizabeth II) and Rudolf
Thome's 1999 Paradiso â€" Sieben Tage mit sieben Frauen. Paradiso won
a Silver Bear at the 2000 Berlinale for artistic achievement
(künstlerische Leistung). Overall, she appeared in over 160 film and
television productions until 2018. She played on stage at the Berlin
Volksbühne and with the Berliner Ensemble.
She worked in film, television, and the stage, appearing in over 160
film and television productions. She was discovered, without formal
training, by Rainer Werner Fassbinder who cast her in many of his
films. She was awarded the Deutscher Filmpreis for playing Irmgard Epp
in Fassbinder's The Merchant of Four Seasons, and again for appearing
as Else Gebel, a woman in prison with Sophie Scholl, in Percy Adlon's
Fünf letzte Tage.Born in Munich, Hermann became a publishing clerk
after finishing school and worked as a secretary for ADAC. She met
Rainer Werner Fassbinder in 1966, who convinced her to quit her job to
work with him although she lacked formal training as an actress. The
same year, Hermann made her debut in Fassbinder's short film The City
Tramp (Der Stadtstreicher [de]), and then went on to play in 19 of
Fassbinder's films, including Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant
(The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, 1972). She was usually cast as a
frustrated, stuffy (spießig) woman. Her one leading role in his
films, Irmgard Epp in the 1971 Händler der vier Jahreszeiten (The
Merchant of Four Seasons), won her the Deutscher Filmpreis award. She
was a member of Fassbinder's complicated professional and personal
entourage, and became one of his confidantes, but the relationship
also involved abusive behaviour by Fassbinder towards her; after his
death, she said he had been physically abusive.In the mid-1970s,
Hermann broke with Fassbinder and moved to Berlin, where her career
developed. She played in numerous film and television productions with
directors such as Tankred Dorst, Werner Herzog, Hans W. Geißendörfer
and Christoph Schlingensief. Her performance as Else Gebel, a woman in
prison with the resistance fighter Sophie Scholl, in Percy Adlon's
1982 Fünf letzte Tage [de] (Last Five Days) was again honoured with a
Deutscher Filmpreis in 1983. She liked to play in comedies such as
Loriot's 1991 Pappa Ante Portas, Hape Kerkeling's 1996 Willi und die
Windzors (as a fictionalized version of Queen Elizabeth II) and Rudolf
Thome's 1999 Paradiso â€" Sieben Tage mit sieben Frauen. Paradiso won
a Silver Bear at the 2000 Berlinale for artistic achievement
(künstlerische Leistung). Overall, she appeared in over 160 film and
television productions until 2018. She played on stage at the Berlin
Volksbühne and with the Berliner Ensemble.
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