German Actor Vadim Glowna Dead at 70

COLOGNE, Germany – German actor Vadim Glowna, a regular in film and  television drama who was also a successful director and screenwriter, has died after a short illness. He was 70.

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Glowna held several jobs, including sailor, taxi driver and hotel bellboy, before finding his calling as an actor. He was best known in Germany for his many TV roles, among them multiple appearances on hit crime series Tatort and Der Alte.

Glowna was rarely the leading man but he shined in supporting roles, among them performances in Chris Kraus’ Four Minutes (2006) and Oskar Roheler’s No Where To Go (2000), both of which won German Film Awards for best film of the year. His one major international production was in Sam Peckinpah’s WWII drama Cross of Iron (1977) alongside James Coburn and Maximilian Schell.

A multi-talent, Glowna won the golden camera honor at the Cannes film festival for his directorial debut Desperado City in 1981.  His sophomore effort, Dies rigorose Leben, won an honorable mention at the Berlin film festival in 1983. He also helmed dozens of episodes of German TV drama.

Glowna’s last performance was as Jorge Da Costa in Tom Fontana’s bad pope series Borgia starring John Doman.