Peter Weck is 95: A Stage and TV Legend Celebrates

With his versatility and series like "Wenn der Vater mit dem Sohne" ("When the Father with the Son") or "Ich heirate eine Familie" ("I Marry a Family"), he not only made TV history but is also considered a pioneer of German-language musicals far beyond the borders of Vienna. Today, the charming multi-talent celebrates his 95th birthday.

Peter Weck: A Choirboy on the Acting Stage

Peter Weck was born on August 12, 1930, in a middle-class household in Vienna. The former choirboy completed his training in the acting department of the Max Reinhardt Seminar with distinction. His first engagement at the Stadttheater Klagenfurt (1953) was followed by commitments at the Berlin Theater am Kurfürstendamm, the Theater in der Josefstadt, the Munich Kammerspiele, and the Hamburg Schauspielhaus. From 1957, Weck was a member of the Burgtheater for eleven years, where he celebrated stage successes in plays by Hofmannsthal, Shaw, or Nestroy, among others. In addition, he appeared at the Munich Residenztheater and at the Salzburg and Bregenz Festivals.

The first major turning point came when Peter Weck tried his hand as a director for the first time at the Schauspielhaus Zürich, thus paving a new path in his career. Only his attempt to succeed as a pop singer with numbers like "Jederzeit und überall" ("Anytime and Anywhere"), "Hundertmal am Tag" ("A Hundred Times a Day"), or "Ein kleines Einfamilienhaus" ("A Small Single-Family House") was less successful. In contrast, his acting career reached great heights.

After film successes with "Mädchenjahre einer Königin" ("The Young Years of a Queen") and as Archduke Karl-Ludwig in "Sissi" with Romy Schneider, "Mariandl", "Vater, unser bestes Stück" ("Father, Our Best Piece"), or "Immer Ärger mit den Paukern" ("Always Trouble with the Teachers"), Weck scored TV hits: in the 1970s as the son of Fritz Eckhardt in "Wenn der Vater mit dem Sohne" and in the 1980s in "Ich heirate eine Familie" alongside Thekla Carola Wied.

From TV to the Artistic Director's Chair

In 1983, the next major turning point in the equally significant career of the enterprising stage personality occurred when Weck took over the management of the Theater an der Wien, where he launched the successful musical "Cats" as his debut. In 1984, he founded an in-house musical school, which lasted until 1994. In 1987, the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien (VBW) were established and placed under his general management. Other musical successes under Weck's leadership include "A Chorus Line" and "Les Miserables" at the Raimund Theater, as well as "Phantom of the Opera" and "Freudiana" at the Theater an der Wien - the first original production to be set against Broadway musical imports. With the world premiere of the huge success "Elisabeth," Weck ended his era as head of the VBW in 1992.

This was followed by the artistic direction of the Rhein-Main-Musical-Theater in Niederhausen near Frankfurt and, in parallel, further television work such as the TV remake of "Hofrat Geiger" or, in the position of director, "Die Rosenkönigin" in 2007. In 2008, Peter Weck appeared on stage with Harald Serafin as "Sonny Boys" at the Volkstheater Wien. And since not only facial expressions but also literature are part of the artist's area of interest, Weck published his memoirs in 2010 under the title "War's das?" which he expanded in 2020.

Not Spared from Blows of Fate

At the same time, this successful life was not spared from blows of fate. After the sudden death of his wife Ingrid, with whom he had been married for almost 45 years, Weck took a long break. The death of his wife in 2012 was a deep cut for him, Weck said. He no longer wanted to participate in light entertainment films. "I am no longer willing to chatter about trivialities in films. I want serious roles with high acting demands. That is the tenor for the future," he told the dpa at the time. In 2014, Weck was seen as a murderous pensioner in "Tatort." The following year, he played a man in the ZDF series "Engel der Gerechtigkeit" who does not want to let his clinically dead wife die. He bid farewell to the stage in 2019 when he appeared once more in "Sonny Boys" in Munich. Since a stroke in 2022, Peter Weck has been dependent on a wheelchair.

The accolades for a life crowned with success are certainly numerous. Three Golden Cameras, Bambi, and Romy in platinum for his life's work are among the success trophies of the television star, and he also received the honorary award of the German Musical Academy. Weck, who holds the titles of Professor and Kammerschauspieler, was also awarded the Golden Medal of Honor of the City of Vienna and the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, First Class.

(APA/Red)

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