70th birthday: August Zirner

He has played a roguish banker in Doris Dörrie's satire "Money," the eccentric publisher of a gay magazine in the comedy "Coming In," and a morally conflicted provincial police officer in the dark thriller "The Silent Forest." There is no doubt: August Zirner is one of the most versatile character actors in German cinema. Although the American-born actor's filmography spans nearly 180 titles, quantity has never come at the expense of quality. His work ranges from the beloved children's classic "The Slurb" to the Academy Award–winning concentration camp drama "The Counterfeiters." With his silver-gray hair, distinctive brow, and a gaze that effortlessly shifts between gentleness and authority, Zirner convincingly embodies father figures as well as ambitious careerists and duplicitous bureaucrats - or a greek actor, tongue-in-cheek named Socrates, in the recent tv comedy "Griechische Odyssee." On January 7, August Zirner celebrates his 70th birthday. We extend our warmest congratulations and look forward to many more surprising and memorable performances to come.