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Ralph Herforth

Date of Birth
01/15/1960 - 12:00
Geburtsort
Herford
Biography

Ralph Herforth (née Ralph Schwachmeier) was born in Herford on January 15 1960 as the "older" brother of a twin. At the age of 19, he worked as an assistant at the musical seminar in Salzburg and discovered his passion for acting. The same year, he successfully applied at the renowned Max-Reinhardt-Seminar in Vienna. He completed his training as an actor in 1982, and the following year, he got his first engagement at the Schillertheater in Berlin. Since director Hans Neuenfels objected to his birth name Schwachmeier, Herforth took his hometown as inspiration for his stage name which he kept ever since. After his stint at the Schillertheater, he worked at the Stadttheater in Heilbronn(1987-1989), the Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf (1990) and the Schauspielhaus Wien (1991).

Following small parts in TV series, Ralph Herforth made his movie debut as the lead in Lars Becker's crime drama "Schattenboxer" in 1992. He then appeared in works like Becker's "Bunte Hunde" (1995) and Thomas Jahn's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (1997), as well as TV productions like "Ausgerechnet Zoé" (1994) and "Landgang für Ringo" (1996). He caught the attention of audiences and critics alike with his turn as a ruthless gangster in Fatih Akin's award-winning debut "Kurz und schmwerzlos".

Given his masculine and athletic looks, he was often cast as the tough macho guy, for instance as an undercover detective in "Der Eisbär", as a porn star in the comedy "Bang Boom Bang" (1999), as the villain in "Erkan & Stefan gegen die Mächte der Finsternis" (2002) or as a killer in the international co-production "Æon Flux" (2005). A notable exception was "Der Felsen" by Dominik Graf, in which Herforth played a married man who breaks up with his affair during a summer holiday. But mainly Herforth maintained a steady presence in television, and his memorable performances include the comedy "Scharf aufs Leben" (2000), the adventure romp "Das Blut der Templer" and the vividly discussed drama "Wut". He also was a cast member in the TV series "Verdammt verliebt" (2002), "Bis in die Spitzen" (2005/2006), "Allein gegen die Zeit" (2010) and "Unter anderen Umständen" (2006-2010).

In recent years, he appeared on the big screen in the comedy "Unter Strom" and the action spectacle "Fire". Another leading role came with the family drama "Swans", which premiered at the 2011 Berlin IFF and was released in summer 2011.

First and foremost, however, Herforth continued appearing in TV productions. For example as a macho policeman in the crime comedy "Der Mann, der alles kann" (2011), as a professional killer in "Die Jagd nach dem Bernsteinzimmer" (" The Hunt for the Amber Room", 2012) and in numerous series guest roles, e.g. in "SOKO Köln", "Der Staatsanwalt", "Letzte Spur Berlin" and "Tatort". He had a recurring role in 2016 in "Tierärztin Dr. Mertens", as an energetic zoo director. In the highly acclaimed television play "Angst in meinem Kopf" (2018), he was seen in a signature role as a brutal prison inmate who takes a female prison officer hostage. In addition, Herforth continued to play the detective commissioner Matthias Hamm in the crime series "Unter anderen Umständen". On the big screen in 2019 he was seen in a supporting role in the action comedy "Der letzte Bulle".

In addition to his acting activities, Ralph Herforth is co-owner of the Lindow-based real estate agency "Die Immobiliensucher". He is married to actress Zora Holt.

Filmography
2021-2023
Überleben in Brandenburg
  • Cast
2021-2023
The Zone of Interest
  • Cast
2019/2020
König der Raben
  • Cast
2019/2020
Freaks - Du bist eine von uns
  • Cast
2018/2019
Der letzte Bulle
  • Cast
2019
Der Schneegänger
  • Cast
2017/2018
Bombengeschäft
  • Cast
2018
Angst in meinem Kopf
  • Cast
2016/2017
Liebesrausch
  • Cast
2017
Mutter Dunkelheit
  • Cast
2014/2015
8 Sekunden - Ein Augenblick Unendlichkeit
  • Cast
2014
Amok - Hansi geht's gut
  • Cast
2013/2014
Die Fahnderin
  • Cast
2013/2014
Kopfgeld
  • Cast
2013
Vergrabene Stimmen
  • Cast
2011/2012
Agent Ranjid rettet die Welt
  • Cast
2012
Fruchtfliegen
  • Cast
2012
Die Jagd nach dem Bernsteinzimmer
  • Cast
2012
Schutzengel
  • Cast
2011
Zwei Brüder
  • Cast
2010/2011
Swans
  • Cast
2011
Der Mann, der alles kann
  • Cast
2011
Mord im Watt
  • Cast
2008/2009
Fire!
  • Cast
2008/2009
Unter Strom
  • Cast
2009
Wir sind die Polizei!
  • Cast
2009
2030 - Aufstand der Jungen
  • Cast
2008/2009
Der Weltenbauer
  • Cast
2008
1 1/2 Ritter - Auf der Suche nach der hinreißenden Herzelinde
  • Cast
2007/2008
Die Frau des Anarchisten
  • Dubbing
2007/2008
Speed Racer
  • Cast
2007/2008
Märzmelodie
  • Cast
2007
Lamento
  • Cast
2007
Günstige Prognose
  • Cast
2005/2006
Unter anderen Umständen
  • Cast
2005/2006
Wut
  • Cast
2005/2006
Aeon Flux
  • Cast
2003/2004
Am Kap der Liebe
  • Cast
2004
Der Vater meines Sohnes
  • Cast
2003/2004
Tödlicher Umweg
  • Cast
2003/2004
Das Blut der Templer
  • Cast
2001/2002
Erkan & Stefan gegen die Mächte der Finsternis
  • Cast
2000-2002
Planet B: Detective Lovelorn
  • Cast
2001/2002
Der Felsen
  • Cast
2000/2001
Verbotene Küsse
  • Cast
2000
Tödliches Verlangen
  • Cast
1999/2000
Kanak Attack
  • Cast
2000
Gone Underground
  • Cast
1998/1999
Der Bunker - Eine todsichere Falle
  • Cast
1998
Mein Freund, der Bulle
  • Cast
1997/1998
Kurz und schmerzlos
  • Cast
1997/1998
Die Bubi Scholz Story
  • Cast
1998
Der Eisbär
  • Cast
1997
Tödliches Ultimatum
  • Cast
1996/1997
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
  • Cast
1997
Il segno della scimmia
  • Cast
1997
Liebe Lügen
  • Cast
1995/1996
Irren ist männlich
  • Cast
1995/1996
Brüder auf Leben und Tod
  • Cast
1994/1995
Marion Nr. 5
  • Cast
1994/1995
Bunte Hunde
  • Cast
1995
Unter Druck
  • Cast
1995
Eine Hand voll Schlaf
  • Cast
1994
Lemgo
  • Cast
1994
Ausgerechnet Zoé
  • Cast
1991/1992
Schattenboxer
  • Cast
1990-1992
Glück 1
  • Cast
Source-URL: https://www.filmportal.de/en/person/ralph-herforth_f300d195311b2f77e03053d50b371d4a