Thorsten Merten

Known for ActingBorn 1963-12-01 (age 62)Ruhla, Germany

Thorsten Merten (born December 4, 1963, in Ruhla) is a German actor. Thorsten Merten originally intended to become a journalist and initially worked as a trainee at the newspaper *Das Volk*. After completing his military service, he underwent acting training from 1986 to 1990 at the "Ernst Busch" Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin, where he attended the newly established cabaret department and graduated with a diploma in cabaret performance. This was followed by engagements at various theaters both at home and abroad, including the Théâtre Vidy in Lausanne, the Staatstheater Schwerin, the Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, the Volksbühne Berlin, and the Deutsches Theater Berlin. For his stage work, he was awarded the Conrad Ekhof Prize in 1999. His notable stage roles include McMurphy in *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*, the Ghost in *Hamlet*, as well as roles in *Ivanov*, *Prometheus*, and *Sonnenallee*. In 2024, he played the role of operations manager Kuckuck in the operetta *Messeschlager Gisela* at the Komische Oper Berlin. Merten gained his first experience in front of the camera in 1992 in Andreas Dresen's film *Stilles Land*. He achieved his breakthrough in 2001 with the tragicomedy *Halbe Treppe* (Grill Point), also directed by Dresen. Since then, he has appeared regularly in both feature films and television productions. Merten also gained recognition through roles in *Wilsberg*, *Afrika, mon amour*, *Bella Block*, *Helen Dorn*, *Donna Leon*, and numerous episodes of *Tatort*. From 2013 to 2021, he played the role of precinct chief Stich in the Weimar-based *Tatort* series. Since 2009, he has portrayed Chief Inspector—later Police Commissioner—Martin Fichte in the ZDF series *Spreewaldkrimi*. He has also played lead roles in other productions, including *Silvi* and *Fremdkörper*. In 2021, he received the German Film Award for his supporting role in *Curveball – Wir machen die Wahrheit*. Furthermore, Merten came up with the idea for the Netflix series *Das letzte Wort*, in which he appeared alongside Anke Engelke.Read more

Movies & web series

Night to be Gone

Roxy

Transport

The Institute - Oasis of Failure

Sedwitz

Kommissar Marthaler

Frösche petzen nicht

Remarque - Sein Weg zum Ruhm

Berlin Bad Trip

Up – Down

Babylon Berlin

Wilsberg

The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

Befriending the Grouch

Naked Among Wolves

Open the Wall

Gundermann

Curveball

Silvi - Maybe Love

Donna Leon

The Policeman's Niece

The Next Level

Other People's Money

From Hilde, with Love

SOKO Köln

Im Namen des Gesetzes

Augen zu

Vom Atmen unter Wasser

Alki Alki

Kohlhaas or the Proportionality of Means

Divided We Stand

Stopped on Track

Donbass

Spreewaldkrimi

We Are Young. We Are Strong.

Der Fall Marianne Voss

The Gryphon

Underdogs

KDD - Kriminaldauerdienst

Wahrheit oder Pflicht

In Times of Fading Light

The Hero of Friedrichstrasse Station

Bach - A Christmas Miracle

I've Never Been Happier

Unter anderen Umständen

Grill Point

What You Can See from Here

Locked in Society