Fritz Rasp

Biography

Fritz Heinrich Rasp, born on May 13, 1891, in Bayreuth, was a prominent German actor whose career spanned six decades, featuring in 104 films from 1916 until 1976. He is best remembered for his memorable portrayals, including J.J. Peachum in the 1931 adaptation of The Threepenny Opera, Meinert in Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), and the character "Der Schmale" in Fritz Lang's iconic Metropolis (1927). Notably, many of Rasp's scenes in Metropolis were thought to be lost until their rediscovery in 2008. Recognized as a quintessential villain, his obituary in Der Spiegel referred to him as "the German film villain in service" for over sixty years. Rasp's legacy includes a significant impact on the portrayal of antagonistic roles during the Golden Age of German cinema in the 1920s, solidifying his status as one of the most successful film villains in German history.