Thorsten Merten
Known for: Acting
Thorsten Merten (born December 4, 1963, in Ruhla) is a German actor. Thorsten Merten originally intended to become a journalist and initially worked as a trainee at the newspaper *Das Volk*. After completing his military service, he underwent acting training from 1986 to 1990 at the "Ernst Busch" Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin, where he attended the newly established cabaret department and graduated with a diploma in cabaret performance. This was followed by engagements at various theaters both at home and abroad, including the Théâtre Vidy in Lausanne, the Staatstheater Schwerin, the Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, the Volksbühne Berlin, and the Deutsches Theater Berlin. For his stage work, he was awarded the Conrad Ekhof Prize in 1999. His notable stage roles include McMurphy in *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*, the Ghost in *Hamlet*, as well as roles in *Ivanov*, *Prometheus*, and *Sonnenallee*. In 2024, he played the role of operations manager Kuckuck in the operetta *Messeschlager Gisela* at the Komische Oper Berlin. Merten gained his first experience in front of the camera in 1992 in Andreas Dresen's film *Stilles Land*. He achieved his breakthrough in 2001 with the tragicomedy *Halbe Treppe* (Grill Point), also directed by Dresen. Since then, he has appeared regularly in both feature films and television productions. Merten also gained recognition through roles in *Wilsberg*, *Afrika, mon amour*, *Bella Block*, *Helen Dorn*, *Donna Leon*, and numerous episodes of *Tatort*. From 2013 to 2021, he played the role of precinct chief Stich in the Weimar-based *Tatort* series. Since 2009, he has portrayed Chief Inspector—later Police Commissioner—Martin Fichte in the ZDF series *Spreewaldkrimi*. He has also played lead roles in other productions, including *Silvi* and *Fremdkörper*. In 2021, he received the German Film Award for his supporting role in *Curveball – Wir machen die Wahrheit*. Furthermore, Merten came up with the idea for the Netflix series *Das letzte Wort*, in which he appeared alongside Anke Engelke.
Filmography
Series
Scene of the Crime
Kriminalhauptkommissar Kurt Stich
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Kurt Stich
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Robert Roetgen
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Christof Rüter
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Walter Lemke
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Kommissariatsleiter Kurt Stich
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Christian Wilmots
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Thomas Peters
1970
Series
Scene of the Crime
Peter Lessing
1970
Series
SOKO Köln
Lars Beck
2003
Series
Leipzig Homicide
Volker Hoss
2001
Series
Polizeiruf 110
Hannes Iwanowski
1971
Series
Polizeiruf 110
Jan Jürgens
1971
Series
Riverboat
Self
1992
Series
Murder in the Mountains
Stefan Schiener
2001
Series
Küstenwache
Hartmut Schild
1997
Im Namen des Gesetzes
Bodo Seitz
1994
Series
Hamburg Dockland
Bernd Wöhler
2007
Series
Vienna Crime Squad
Falk Link
2005
Series
Babylon Berlin
Henning
2017
Series
Wolffs Revier
Jörg Bauer
1992
Series
Letzte Spur Berlin
Jürgen Beck
2012
Series
Wilsberg
Rainer Wiedemann
1995
Series
Ein starkes Team
Maik Lehmann
1994
Series
Der Staatsanwalt
Robert Stein
2005
Series
Die Kanzlei
Otto Suhlke
2015
Series
Der Kriminalist
Lutz Ebeling
2006
Series
Der Kriminalist
Jochen Pohl
2006
Series
Die Chefin
Harald Steiner
2012
Series
Stubbe – Von Fall zu Fall
Uwe Diepenbrock
1995
Series
KDD - Kriminaldauerdienst
Van Gogh
2007
Series
Spreewaldkrimi
Fichte
2006
Series
Spreewaldkrimi
Martin Fichte
2006
Series
Donna Leon
Palazzi
2000
Series
Donna Leon
Piero Sartor
2000
Series
Bella Block
Peter Liersch
1993
Series
Kommissar Stolberg
Manuel Lichtenberg
2006
Bloch
Frank
2002
Series
Helen Dorn
Wachmann Strauch
2014
Series
The Gryphon
Dr. Peters
2023
Series
Unter anderen Umständen
Achim Kaminski
2006
Series
Flemming
Arndt Buchwald
2009
Series
Other People's Money
Rolf Lebert
2025
Series
Sam: A Saxon
Major Schreier
2023
Series
German Genius
Olli Hansen
2023
Series
Pumpen
Rainer Müller
2024
Series
Kommissar Marthaler
Dr. Meisner
2012
Series
Divided We Stand
Hajo Gärster
2022
Series
Befriending the Grouch
Nowak
2021
Series
Berlin Bad Trip
Jens Lamprecht
2023
Film
From Hilde, with Love
Dr. Minergerode
2024
Series
The Institute - Oasis of Failure
2018
Film
The Audition
2019
Series
Sedwitz
Ralf "Ralle" Pietzsch
2015
Series
Deutscher
Frank Pielcke
2020
Film
Berlin Hero
Harald Wischnewsky
2025
Series
The Next Level
Matt
2025
Film
Open the Wall
Manfred
2014
K3 – Kripo Hamburg
Kurt Schmidt
2003
Series
Solo für Schwarz
Raik Schleusser
2003
Series
The Last Word
Andreas Borowski
2020
Film
Naked Among Wolves
Hans Bochow
2015
Film
We Are Young. We Are Strong.
2014
Film
Alfons Zitterbacke
Mr. Flickendorf
2019
Film
Der Rücktritt
Martin Heidemanns
2014
Film
Operation Valkyrie
Peter Graf Yorck v. Wartenburg
2004
Film
The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
Taxifahrer Klaus
2018
Film
Bibi Blocksberg - Die total verhexte Zeitreise
Krause
2026
Series
Die Pfeiler der Macht
Joseph Pilaster
2016
Film
The Elementary Particles
Hubert
2006
Film
In Times of Fading Light
2017
Film
Curveball
Schatz
2021
Series
Bruder - Schwarze Macht
Bahr
2017
Film
Atlas
Alfred Hoppe
2018
Film
Locked in Society
Manfred Prohaska
2022
Film
Stopped on Track
2011
Film
I've Never Been Happier
Schlickenrieder
2009
Film
Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos!
Herr Flickendorf
2022
Film
In Liebe eine Eins
Herr Steiner
2005
Film
Sooner or Later
2007
Film
Der Fall Marianne Voss
Fritz Malowski
2024
Film
Auf Doktor komm raus
Apotheker Walter
2010
Film
Donbass
German Journalist
2018
Film
What You Can See from Here
Herr Rödder
2022
Film
Kohlhaas or the Proportionality of Means
Herse
2013
Film
Miss Merkel - Ein Uckermark-Krimi
Joachim Sauer
2023
Film
Rough Road Ahead
2015
Film
Grill Point
Christian
2002
Film
Tiger Milk
Stefan
2017
Film
Miss Merkel - Ein Kreuzfahrt-Krimi
Joachim
2025
Film
There Are No Orange Trees in Berlin
Wärter Grunert
2020
Film
Die Frau am Ende der Straße
Klaus Garbers
2007
Film
November Child
Alexander
2008
Film
Lunik
Toni Harmann
2007
Film
The Golden Goose
Räubervater
2013
Film
Foreign Body
Wolfgang
2015
Film
Eine riskante Entscheidung
Bernhard Elster
2022
Film
Cicadas
Uwe
2025
Film
Miss Merkel - Mord auf dem Friedhof
Achim Sauer
2024
Film
Gun-shy
Krausser
2003
Film
Hit Mom – Mörderische Weihnachten
Professor
2017
Film
Hunting Season
Vermieter
2022
Einschnitt
der Bürochef
2015
Triptych
Film
Vom Atmen unter Wasser
Jo
2008
Film
Wahrheit oder Pflicht
Lehrer Behnke
2005
Film
Remarque - Sein Weg zum Ruhm
Chefredakteur der „Sport im Bild“
2008
Film
Gundermann
Puppenspieler
2018
Film
Rübezahls Schatz
Arzt
2017
Film
Haltet die Welt an
André Spanuth
2010
Film
Silvi - Maybe Love
Michael
2013
Film
Willkommen bei Habib
Bruno
2014
Film
The Policeman's Niece
Werner Barth
2025
Film
Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot
Hofrat
2012
Film
Bach - A Christmas Miracle
Adrian Stieglitz
2024
Film
Four Windows
Vater
2006
Film
The Last Pig
Meier
2016
Film
Alki Alki
Thomas
2015
Die Verteidigerin - Tötungsabsicht
Film
Sprachlos in Irland
Dirk
2021
Charlotte
Georg
2004
Film
A Stroll to Syracuse
2026
Film
Der zweite Kurzschluss
Oliver
2023
Film
Sushi in Suhl
Hans Leutner
2012
Film
Die Nachrichten
2005
Film
Gravity
Kollath
2010
Film
Night to be Gone
Dieter
2024
Film
Das Nebelhaus
Doros Chef
2017
Film
Heil
Verfassungsschützer F. – Sachsen
2015
Film
Underdogs
Forster
2008
Film
Der vierte Mann
Kurt Lehrmann
2019
Film
Meer is nich
Friedrich
2007
Film
Ruhm
Klaus Rubinstein
2012
Film
Inklusion - gemeinsam anders
Heribert Stein
2011
Film
Brothers
Rainer Welke
2017
Film
Good Girl Gone Bad
Helmut Mayer
2019
Film
Empathie
Rüdiger
2010
Film
Weisst du eigentlich dass ganz viele Blumen blühen im Park
2011
Film
Exit
Hönings
2020
Film
Arschkalt
Erhard
2011
Film
Up – Down
Peet
1994
Film
Roxy
Passfälscher
2024
Film
Silent Country
Kai Finke
1992
Gespensterwald
Jan Jürgens
Film
Der zweite Mann
Klaus Padberg
2013
Die Weihnachtswette
Reinhold
2006
Schwarzer Sommer
Jan Jürgens
Der große Zusammenbruch
2026
Film
Augen zu
Frank
2011
Film
Kleine Eheverbrechen
Dieter Beil
2023
Film
Sunny
2013
Film
Transport
2004
Film
Frösche petzen nicht
Jörg Hilbert
2010
Film
Knorx
Vogtländer
2019
Film
Nothing More Perfect
2020