Biography
Helmut Qualtinger (also credited as Helmut Gustav Friedrich Qualtinger or Helmuth Qualtinger) was an Austrian actor, cabaret performer, writer and reciter. Born in Vienna in 1928, he briefly studied medicine and literature before working as a newspaper reporter and film critic. He began writing for cabaret and appeared in performances from 1947, later attending the Max Reinhardt Seminar as a guest student.
Qualtinger collaborated with the Namenlosen Ensemble on cabaret programmes until 1960. In 1961, the one-man play Der Herr Karl, written with Carl Merz, brought him widespread recognition across German-speaking countries. His final screen role was as Remigio da Varagine in the 1986 film The Name of the Rose. He died in Vienna in 1986.
