Mario Adorf (born September 8, 1930) is an Italian-German film and stage actor, best known for his lead role in the 1978 film, The Tin Drum.
Adorf was born in Zürich, Switzerland, the son of an Italian surgeon and a German nurse. His first appearance on-screen was in the 1954 film 08/15, in which he took on the role of a German soldier. He rose to fame in Europe, and particularly Germany, and also made appearances in international films, including Major Dundee, Ten Little Indians and Smilla's Sense of Snow. He also played a small role in the famed BBC Adaptation of John Le Carre's Smiley's People as a German club owner. In Italy he was the main protagonist of the Zu Gino TV series (1985), as well as numerous movies.
In 1963, he married Lis Verhoeven. The pair had a child, Stella prior to their divorce. He starred with Barbara Bouchet in Milano Calibro 9 in 1972. In 1985, he married Monique Faye. Adorf remains very active in German films, television, and theatre.
Adorf still regrets that he leben/2005-02/index.shtml" target="_blank">refused parts in _Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and Billy Wilder's One, Two, Three. He also turned down the role of General Mapache in Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch (1969), because he felt the character was too violent.
Lived together with Monique since 1968, before marrying her in 1985.
Father of Stella Adorf (born 1963).
Was raised in Mayen/Eifel, Germany.
His father was an Italian surgeon, his mother a German nurse.
Former brother-in-law of director Michael Verhoeven.
Wrote several bestselling books like "Der Mäusetöter" (The mice killer, 1992) or "Der Dieb von Trastevere" (The thief of Trastevere, 1995). In 2005, he published "Mit einer Nadel bloß" (With just one needle), which focuses on his mother's life.
Started a singing career with his solo program "Al Dente" (1994).
Studied acting at the Otto-Falckenberg-Schule in Munich from 1953 to 1955.
Ranked #2 in a survey by "Unsere Besten" (2003) searching Germany's all-time favorite actors (24 November 2006).
Received Germany's Great Cross of Merit in 2001.
Member of the jury at the International Berlin Film Festival in 2007.
