Peter Simonischek Passes Away At 76

Peter Simonischek

Peter Simonischek, an Austrian actor best known for playing Toni Erdmann, has passed away at the age of 76.

The revelation was announced on Tuesday by the Austrian public broadcaster ORF. Along with the German news agency dpa, and other media sources in Austria and Germany.

Simonischek, a member of the ensemble and a distinguished member of the theater, passed away overnight, according to a tweet from the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. In addition to frequently performing at the Salzburg Festival, Simonischek was well-known for portraying the title character in the production of the play Jedermann (Everyman), which the festival has frequently staged. 

Peter Simonischek Will Be Missed

Simonischek earned the German Film Award, or Lola, and the European Film Award for best actor for his performance in Sandra Huller’s Oscar-nominated quirky dramedy Toni Erdmann from 2016 directed by Maren Ade.

Peter Simonischek received nominations from the Toronto Film Critics Association. And the London Critics Circle. Simonischek was twice awarded the esteemed Grimme Preis for German television shows.

At the 89th Academy Awards in 2017, the German director Maren Ade’s film Toni Erdmann was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. Simonischek made history by becoming the first Austrian performer to win the European Film Award for best actor award for his lead performance in a movie, even though the Iranian film The Salesman won the Oscar that year. Toni Erdmann, meanwhile, “was an undisputed hit with viewers at the Cannes Film Festival,” according to the Burgtheater.