Thomas Gottschalk | |
|---|---|
 Gottschalk at the talk showmaischberger. die woche in 2018 | |
| Born | Thomas Johannes Gottschalk (1950-05-18)18 May 1950 (age 75) |
| Occupation(s) | Radio and TV host, entertainer, actor |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Thomas Johannes Gottschalk (born 18 May 1950 in Bamberg) is a German radio and television host and entertainer. He is best known for hostingWetten, dass..?, for many years Europe's biggest television show,[1][2] which he steered to huge success in Germany, Austria, Switzerland andSouth Tyrol between 1987 and 2023. Until 2015, he was also the brand ambassador in television advertisements forHaribo confectionery.
Gottschalk was born inBamberg,Bavaria, the son of a lawyer. After attending theHumanistisches Gymnasium (humanities-oriented high school) inKulmbach, he studied history andGerman philology, eventually taking his exams as a teacher for primary and secondary schools; however, it was during this time that he discovered his true vocation: entertainment.[citation needed]
From 1971 on, Gottschalk worked as afreelancer for the youth program of theBayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting); in 1973, he became anchor for a news program. In 1976, after a brief detour to the newspaperMünchner Merkur, he became a regular contributor at the Bayerischer Rundfunk, and subsequently gained popularity as the host of the showPop nach acht. He was awarded theKurt-Magnus-Preis for his "outstanding talents" as a radio host in 1978.
Starting in 1977, Gottschalk hosted the TV showTelespiele. Initially broadcast on the Bayerischer Rundfunk's television channel, it switched to the national publicARD channel in 1980. In the same year, Gottschalk founded GLS United, the first German hip hop group and performed the first German rap song, "Rapper's Deutsch".[3][4]
From 1982 to 1987, Gottschalk hosted the showNa sowas onZDF and was awarded theGoldene Kamera (golden camera) for his performance on that show in 1985. During that period he also starred in several German comedies with actorMike Krüger. Gottschalk occasionally works as an actor until today, taking roles in the Hollywood moviesTrabbi goes to Hollywood (1991) andZookeeper (2011). In 1993, Gottschalk starred inSister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) as a consequence of leading actressWhoopi Goldberg losing a bet in Gottschalk's gameshowWetten, dass..?.[5] He plays the sausage-obsessed German cook, Father Wolfgang.
In 1987, Gottschalk replacedFrank Elstner as host ofWetten, dass..?, which he continued until December 2011, with only a brief interruption from 1992 to 1994 when the show was taken over byWolfgang Lippert. Reportedly, his withdrawal from the show was related to an accident that happened live onWetten, dass..? on 4 December 2010. A contestant in the show, a young gymnast namedSamuel Koch, was paralyzed from the shoulders down after being hit by a car during a stunt where he was to jump over it withspring-loaded boots. Gottschalk was upset this happened and called off the show early for the first time ever when it became apparent that Koch was severely injured. Gottschalk announced his retirement from the show in the next episode.[6]
From 1992 to 1995, Gottschalk also hosted a late night show on television,Gottschalk Late Night, and while it was not very successful, it is considered a predecessor to such shows such asDie Harald Schmidt Show,TV total and theJohannes B. Kerner Show.Gottschalk Late Night also featured theModel '92 Competition during 1992, in whichHeidi Klum was the winner and received a modeling contract and winning prize, paving the way for her modeling career.
Gottschalk has been awarded a number of prizes for his work; apart from those mentioned above. These include theTelestar in 1987, theGoldenes Schlitzohr (golden rascal) and theGoldenes Kabel (golden cable) in 1991, as well as theGoldene Feder ("golden feather") in 2001. He also received a total of threeBambi awards, which he returned in 1988 after a dispute with the publisherBurda. However, in 2001, he was awarded a "Bambi of honor" which he accepted. In 2012 Gottschalk co-hosted the showDas Supertalent.
Gottschalk also co-hosts the German TV showDie 2 – Gottschalk und Jauch gegen alle together withGünther Jauch.[7]
Gottschalk married his wife Thea in 1976. He has two sons, Roman and Tristan and one grandson (born 2010). In 2019, he announced that he and Thea would be getting divorced after 43 years of marriage.[8]
On 16 November 2004, Gottschalk bought Castle Marienfels inRemagen, Germany. He lived there from 2006 to 2013. It was announced at the end of January 2013 that he had sold the castle to Frank Asbeck.[9][10] He has had a second home inMalibu, California, since the beginning of the 1990s. The residence burned down in the2018 California wildfires.[11]
In 2005, Gottschalk received an entry in theGuinness World Records, having been featured in longest running ad featuring one person; between 1991 and 2015 he regularly appeared in ads for the sweets companyHaribo.[12]
On 20 November 2008, he won €1 million for charity in a celebrity version ofWer wird Millionär?, the German version ofWho Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Summer Night Fever | DJ | |
| 1981 | Piratensender Powerplay | Tommy Jürgensen | |
| 1983 | Die Supernasen | Tommy Jürgensen / Prince Faruk al Habib | Also co-writer |
| 1984 | Zwei Nasen tanken Super | Tommy Jürgensen | Also co-writer |
| 1984 | Mama Mia – Don't Panic [de] | Frank Müller | |
| 1985 | Big Mäc | Bernhard Maurer | |
| 1985 | Die Einsteiger | Tommy Jürgensen | Also co-writer |
| 1985 | Seitenstechen | Showmaster | |
| 1987 | Three Crazy Jerks [de] (a.k.a.Lovable Zanies) | Richy | Also writer |
| 1988 | Three Crazy Jerks II [de] (a.k.a.Lovable Zanies II) | Richy | Also writer, director and composer |
| 1990 | Harry and Harriet [de] | Harry | |
| 1990 | Think Big | Mr. Roberts | |
| 1991 | Keep on Running [de] | Latin teacher | Cameo appearance |
| 1991 | Trabbi goes to Hollywood | Gunther Schmidt | |
| 1992 | Ring of the Musketeers [de] | Peter Porthos | |
| 1993 | Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | Father Wolfgang | |
| 1999 | Late Show [de] | Hannes Engel | |
| 2004 | Garfield: The Movie | Garfield (voice) | German dub |
| 2007 | Meet the Robinsons | Cornelius Robinson (voice) | German dub |
| 2008 | 1½ Knights – In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde | King Gunther | |
| 2011 | Zookeeper | Jürgen Mavroc |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
