Remembering Heidelinde Weis: A Lifetime of Acting and Artistry

2023-11-24 21:21:02

The actress Heidelinde Weis died on Friday in Villach at the age of 83. This was reported by several media outlets in the evening. The Villach native, who has overcome three bouts of cancer, spent practically her entire professional life in Germany, but returned to Villach a few years ago. Over the course of her career, she has made more than 100 appearances in films and TV productions such as “Derrick”, “Der Alte”, “Traumschiff” and “Schwarzwaldklinik”.

But her real love was the stage. “I much preferred doing theater,” Weis once said in an ORF documentary. Born on September 17, 1940, she showed her talent early on in a fairy-tale role on the school stage. Her parents allowed her to train at the renowned Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna. From then on it was almost a steady climb.

In 1959 and 1960 she was a member of the ensemble at the Theater an der Josefstadt, moved to Berlin and appeared on stage in Hamburg and Düsseldorf. Munich in particular became her artistic home for many years. Classical roles such as Antigone and Eurydice were initially her specialty. One of her signature roles was the title character in the play “Colombe” by the French playwright Jean Anouilh. At the Salzburg Festival she appeared on stage with Klaus Maria Brandauer in “Leonce and Lena” and “The Wedding of Figaro or The Great Day”.

In the mid-1970s, the actress also became a singer. Three long-playing records with her own lyrics were so well received that they earned her the German Record Prize from the Phonoakademie Berlin. The actress, popular with viewers, received the Golden Camera and the Golden Screen.

One of her sayings made it into several treasure troves of quotes: “When it comes to reading a woman’s eyes, most men are illiterate.” She was happily married to the theater producer Hellmuth Duna for many years.

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