Klaus Dieter Laser (February 17, 1942 - February 29, 2020) was a German actor whose career spanned over five decades, marked by diverse roles in both German and English-language productions. While he garnered recognition throughout his career, he achieved international notoriety for his disturbing lead role as the maniacal Dr. Josef Heiter in the 2009 film The Human Centipede (First Sequence).
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Dieter Laser was born in Kiel, Germany, in 1942, the second child of Oskar and Lore Laser. His early life was shaped by the tumultuous events of World War II. The family experienced the constant air raids on Kiel, and Dieter was eventually evacuated with his mother and sister. He was rescued with his mother and sister by American soldiers from a burning air raid shelter. The three-year-old had been lying there next to a TB patient and also fell ill. Dieter Laser grew up in Hamburg.
Laser's path to acting was unconventional. He rejected his family's strict Christian upbringing and, at the age of 14, made a "contract with the devil." He left the Gymnasium shortly before his Abitur and went into hiding in Hamburg. In 1961, while secretly attending rehearsals at the Hamburger Schauspielhaus, he was discovered by Gustaf Gründgens, who recognized his talent and gave him his start in acting. Laser himself acknowledged Gründgens' kindness as pivotal to his career.
From 1967 to 1974, Laser dedicated himself to the theater, working with Peter Stein and becoming a member of the board of directors at the Berlin Schaubühne am Halleschen Ufer.
Transition to Film and Television
In the 1970s, Laser began to appear in front of the camera, working with director Rainer Erler on projects like the five-part science fiction series Das Blaue Palais and the film Operation Ganymed. His performance in Ulf Miehe's John Glückstadt, based on a novella by Theodor Storm, earned him the German Film Award for Best Actor in 1975.
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That same year, two roles brought him to the attention of a wider audience: Piet Kallweit, a petty criminal in the Tatort episode Kurzschluss, and Tötges, a shady newspaper reporter in The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum. He continued to appear in films and television series throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including the star-studded miniseries Väter und Söhne - Eine deutsche Tragödie and films like Kasper Hauser and Conversation with the Beast. In 1996, he played Professor Blättchen, a "race researcher," in The Ogre.
International Recognition: The Human Centipede
Laser's career reached a new level of international recognition with his role as Dr. Josef Heiter in Tom Six's 2009 Dutch horror film, The Human Centipede (First Sequence). His portrayal of the demented surgeon, who kidnaps and mutilates three tourists to create a human centipede, was widely praised for its chilling intensity.
Laser described his preparation for the role as a solitary process of script analysis and meditation, focusing on creating the character from within, guided by the script and the director's vision. He aimed to understand the underlying layers of the character, beyond the surface horror.
The film sparked considerable controversy, with some viewers repulsed by its graphic content, while others found artistic merit in its cinematography and exploration of deeper themes. Laser himself believed that the film's impact stemmed from its ability to provoke strong reactions, whether positive or negative, and to spark discussion.
The Human Centipede Sequel and Beyond
Despite initial creative differences and a brief departure from the project, Laser ultimately returned to star in the third and final installment of The Human Centipede trilogy.
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Following the success of The Human Centipede, Laser expressed a desire to work in more American films, admiring the country's tradition and talent in filmmaking.
Other notable roles
- 1993: Kaspar Hauser, as Ludwig I.
- 1996: The Ogre, as Prof.
- 1997: Shanghai 1937 (Hotel Shanghai), as Dr. Josef von Sternberg
- 2002: Big Girls Don't Cry, as Mr. Halmer
- 2009: The Human Centipede (First Sequence), as Dr. Josef Heiter
Filmography
Germany in Autumn (1978)
Fuhrer Ex (2002)
Tatort (1970-TV Series)
Lexx (1996-2002 TV Series)
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Germany in Autumn presents the mood of Germany during the late 1970s by mixing documentary footage with standard movie scenes. The film covers 2 months in 1977 when a businessman was kidnapped and murdered by the left-wing terrorists known as the RAF-Rote Armee Fraktion (Red Army Faction).
Fuhrer Ex examines the value and costs of both personal and political comradeship. Two friends dream of escaping the oppression of communist GDR in 1980s in Berlin. When they finally make an attempt, however, they are imprisoned. In jail, they allow themselves to be indoctrinated into the hate-fueled neo-Nazi movement to try and survive their incarceration.
Tatort is an anthology series that follows the work of homicide detectives in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Lexx is about a group of disparate fugitives from an interplanetary tyranny find themselves in control of a massively powerful starship.
Personal Life and Death
Dieter Laser was married to Inge and lived with her in Berlin. He passed away on February 29, 2020, at the age of 78.