Matthias Freihof

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Matthias Freihof
Born (1961-11-25) 25 November 1961 (age 62)
Plauen, East Germany
Occupation(s)Actor, singer and director
Years active1989-present

Matthias Freihof (born 25 November 1961) is a German television actor and director. He has performed in many TV films and series including police drama Siska for 5 years. but also works on live stage performing as an actor and a singer. He is most known for the 1989 East German film Coming Out. He and the film won prizes in several festivals as best actor and best film as well as 'The Silver Bear' in the Berlin Film Festival 1990.

Life[edit]

Freihof was born in Plauen[1] on 25 November 1961.[2] After graduating from high school and completing his three-year military service in the NVA, Freihof then studied at Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin.[3][4] He made his stage debut at the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin between 1983 and 1984 in The Pilot Of the Stars.[5] He then spent two years at the Kleist Theater in Frankfurt (Oder) from 1987 to 1989. His first TV movie role was a student in Die erste Reihe in 1987.

His first DEFA film was "Käthe Kollwitz", where he played the son of Jutta Wachowiak.[6] His second film role, at age 27, was in Coming Out, an LGBT-themed film and one of the last DEFA productions. He played Philip, a teacher realising late in life that he is gay.[7] Freihof himself also came out as gay after the film's release.[8] He had come out as a teenager, but wanted to come out officially and to the public (such as in interviews).[6]

In 1989, he performed in Cabaret Intim at the Berliner Palast der Republik, and then Spass am sein in 1990. From 1992 to 1994, he went on an international tour with the musical program Leidenschaften.[2]

Freihof has also been active as a singer.[9] He released a song titled Tastes Your Life after Chamomile Tea (1989).

From 1996 to 1997, he played teacher Boris Magnus in the ARD series Marienhof. From 1998 to 2003, in 50 episodes, he played the role of "Assistant Lorenz Wigand" to Chief Commissioner Siska in the eponymous ZDF crime series.[10] He had guest appearances in Mona M. – Mit den Waffen einer Frau and Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei, both in 1996, and Der Alte in 1997.

At times he taught as a lecturer at his former drama school, the Ernst Busch and the Berlin School of Drama.

Freihof played Heinrich Himmler, the Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel (SS) in the movie Valkyrie, about the Stauffenberg assassination (Operation Valkyrie), which reconstructed the assassination of Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944 and starred Tom Cruise as Stauffenberg.[11] However, his two short scenes were cut from the final theatrical version.[3]

After leaving the TV show Siska, he has mainly worked on the stage. In 2008, he directed a play called "Ganz Kerle", which was performed in the Theater am Kurfürstendamm in Berlin.[8][10] He also brought Canadian comedy "Whole Guys" by Kerry Renards to the stage.[10] He has directed in Düsseldorf and had a starring role at Berlin's Schlosspark-Theater.[4]

Personal life[edit]

Freihof is openly gay and is married with a husband.[12]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role
1986 Käthe Kollwitz
1989 Coming Out Philipp Klarmann
1994 Im Zeichen der Liebe
1997 Not a Love Song Karl
2000 Zurück auf Los! Bastl [13][14]
2001 Courts mais Gay: Tome 2 (segment "Les 3 souhaits")
2002 Führer Ex Stasi-Offizier
2008 Valkyrie Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler
2010 Die Friseuse (The Hairdresser) Micha
2014 Der Tropfen - Ein Roadmovie Pfarrer Brhl

TV[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Die erste Reihe Student (TV movie)
1991 Mokka für den Tiger (TV movie)
1992 Hamburger Gift Direktionsassistent (TV movie)
1993 Ein Fall für zwei Rüdiger Kleinert TV series, 1 episode
Motzki Schlosser TV mini-series, 2 episodes
1994 Die Männer vom K3 Arthur Herford TV series, 1 episode
1994-2012 SOKO 5113 Georg von Heinemann (2012)/ Siegfried Weisshäupl (2010)/ Michael Grosz (1994 + 2000) TV series, 4 episodes
1996 Liane Journalist Ziemer (TV movie)
SK-Babies Marc König TV series, 1 episode
Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei Jochen Seyfert / Polizeimeister Jochen Seyfert TV series, 8 episodes
Mona M. – Mit den Waffen einer Frau Frank TV series, 1 episode
1996-1997 Marienhof Boris Magnus TV series, 2 episodes
1997 Lea Katz – Die Kriminalpsychologin: Einer von uns Bernd May (TV movie)
The Old Fox Ingo Orlak (1997)/ Manfred Kiessling (1997) TV series, 2 episodes
Parkhotel Stern Dan Norton TV series, 1 episode
Death Game [de] Chefpilot Jürgen Schumann (TV Movie documentary)
1998-2003 Siska Lorenz Wiegand TV series, 50 episodes
2000 Stubbe – Von Fall zu Fall Gottfried Wilfert TV series, 1 episode
Für alle Fälle Stefanie Rainer TV series, 1 episode
2001 Vera Brühne (or The Trials of Vera B.) Lawyer Kubalek (TV movie)
2002 Highspeed – Die Ledercops Lieutenant Dannert TV series, 1 episode
2003 Geschlecht weiblich Dr. Westermann (TV movie)
2004-2009 In aller Freundschaft Andreas Reuter (2009)/ Florian Bauer (2004) TV series, 2 episodes
2004-2010 Tatort Ernst Heck (2010)/ Röckmann (2004) TV series, 2 episodes
2006 The Crows Jasper (TV movie)
2007 SOKO Rhein-Main Lucky Schäfer TV series, 1 episode
2007-2014 Küstenwache Christian Voss (2014)/ Daniel Hege (2008)/ Bruno Fredersen (2007) TV series, 3 episodes
2009 SOKO Wismar Dr. Frank Lindenroth TV series, 1 episode
2009-2017 Leipzig Homicide Anwalt Harald Kordes (2017)/ Dr. Grohe (2013)/ Harry Rhese (2009) TV series, 3 episodes
2009-2015 Notruf Hafenkante Siegfried Höpfner (2015)/ Dr. Bauer (2009) TV series, 2 episodes
2011-2013 Stuttgart Homicide Jürgen Schierle (2013)/ Philip Stark (2011) TV series, 2 episodes
2012 Nicht mit mir, Liebling Wachmann Lutz (TV movie)
2014 Letzte Spur Berlin Dr. Kirsten TV series, 1 episode
Sprung ins Leben Dr. Thomas Hopenberg (TV movie)
2018 Ihr seid natürlich eingeladen Standesbeamter (TV movie)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Matthias Freihof mit Coming out in Plauen - www.spitzenstadt.de". www.spitzenstadt.de. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Freihof, Matthias, DEFA Film Library". ecommerce.umass.edu. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b Reichert, Martin (9 November 2009). "Homosexueller Beweis: Das Jubiläum des Ost-Coming-outs". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  4. ^ a b Geyer, Steven (5 November 2014). "25 Jahre Kultfilm "Coming Out": Die Party der Anderen". Berliner Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  5. ^ "programmheft berlin von maxim gorki theater intendant albert - ZVAB". www.zvab.com. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  6. ^ a b Schall, Johanna (10 March 2011). "Theaterliebe: Interview mit Matthias Freihof zu "Coming Out"". Theaterliebe. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  7. ^ Brigitta B. Wagner (Editor) DEFA After East Germany, p. 233, at Google Books
  8. ^ a b "Leben in Sachen: Matthias Freihof". queer.de (in German). 8 October 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Matthias Freihof & Stefan Kling in Berlin: Theater im Palais". www.kulturvolk.de (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  10. ^ a b c Schock, Axel (7 July 2008). "Freihof. Ich finde Travestie zum Kotzen langweilig". tagesspiegel.de (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  11. ^ Goldlücke, Regina (17 August 2007). ""Ganze Kerle" und "Valkyrie": Von der Komödie zum Kinofilm". RP ONLINE (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  12. ^ Semenova, Janina; Lippelt, Joschka; Ziegler, Sebastian (25 October 2019). The Berlin Wall fell while he had his gay film premiere in the GDR: Coming out of Matthias Freihof. DW Euromaxx. Retrieved 7 March 2022 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ Birgit Tautz (editor) Colors 1800 /1900 /2000: Signs of Ethnic Difference, p. 269, at Google Books
  14. ^ Michelle Langford (editor) Directory of World Cinema: Germany, Volume 10, p. 196, at Google Books

External links[edit]

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