Paul Westermeier

German theatre and movie actor who appeared in over 200 films. He played comedic supporting roles in his early films and was somewhat typecast as the grumpy man next door, often with Berlin flair, in his later films. In his youth he was a circus clown, performing at the local student theatre club. He left school before graduation and took acting lessons with Moritz Zeisler at the Royal Theater and the drama school of Maria Seebach. At the age of 17, he made his debut at the Royal Theater, and in 1909 he received his first engagement as a young hero and lover in Stralsund. In the next two years he worked in Plauen and Magdeburg. In 1911 he moved to Hamburg, the following year to Bremen, where he appeared as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. From 1913 he appeared on stage in Berlin, especially at the Metropoltheater, at the Theater in the Admiralspalast and at the Thalia-Theater. He became a well-known star in operettas and revues during the Golden Twenties. He acted in operettas like Maske in Blau, The Merry Widow, Wedding Night in Paradise and as Lothar in Ein Walzertraum as well as Giesecke in Im weißen Rößl. Several times he played opposite Lotte Werkmeister. After the Second World War, he easily continued his career. He was even more committed to the perennial role of the bearded Berliner, for example, as captain and opponent of Heinz Erhardt three times in Drillinge an Bord. Westermeier continued to play on Berlin stages and also worked as a radio play actor. He was married to former actress Lotte Dobschinsky since 1935. In 1967 he received the Filmband in Gold for his many years of outstanding work in German film. He died on 17 October 1972, aged 80, in Berlin. Link to Wikipedia biography