Gallery
All Pictures (9)Biography
Tom Gerhardt was born in Cologne on December 12 1957. He got a degree in German literature and philosophy, and subsequently worked for the Cologne-based tabloid Express. Through his articles about the city"s cultural scene, he found his own way to the stage and started appearing as an entertainer. After being discovered by TV host Jürgen von der Lippe, he had his breakthrough with the stage programme "Dackel mit Sekt" in 1988.
He gained more popularity with his 1992 programme "Voll die Disco", and two years later, he made his screen debut in the ribald comedy "Voll normaaal". His second feature film "Ballermann 6" (1997) further cemented his screen image as the well-meaning nincompoop, and attracted over two million viewers.
In 1999, Gerhardt got his own TV series "Hausmeister Krause", which tells of the adventures of a misanthropic janitor and won the 2002 German Comedy Award for Best Series. On the big screen, he was seen in supporting roles in the comedy "Pura Vida Ibiza" (2004) and "Germanikus"(2004). He then spoofed the hero epic with "Siegfried" (2005), which had around 1,3 Million admissions.
At the end of 2010, he returned to his trademark character Tommie and his long-standing screen partner Hilmi Sözer for another comedy : "Die Superbullen" sees the two playing the dumbest policemen in Germany.