Person Biography:
Hans Meyer was a South African actor born on July 21, 1925, to German parents. He is best known for his portrayal of Hauptmann Franz Ulmann in the British television series Colditz (1972-1974).
Meyer's early life and career were marked by his work as a model, posing for book covers until he was discovered by a friend in Germany who lined up his first acting job, a television advert for Puschkin Vodka. This led to him becoming known as "Frank S. Thorn" The Puschkin Man and working as an extra in the film The Night of the Generals.
In the 1960s, Meyer appeared in numerous French films alongside famous French actors, including Lino Ventura, Alain Delon, and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Some of his notable roles during this period include an angry SS representative in La grande vadrouille (1966),an action thriller in The Devil's Garden (1968),and a thriller in Les Étrangers (1969).
In the 1970s, Meyer continued to work in film, taking on roles in Westerns, including Cannon for Cordoba (1970),and in Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of Barry Lyndon (1975). He also worked in television, playing a continuous series role in Colditz and appearing in mini-series such as Holocaust (1978) and TV movies like The Girlfriend from Childhood (1981).
In later years, Meyer appeared in films like Brotherhood of the Wolf and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, as well as television series. He passed away on April 3, 2020, at the age of 94, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
