Otto Waalkes
Acting · Creator · Crew
Born July 22, 1948, Emden, Germany
Otto Waalkes, born in Emden in 1948, ranks among the most successful German comedians of all time. He first gained widespread recognition in the mid-1970s through his comedy albums and his own television show. By the mid-1980s—culminating with the release of his first feature film, *Otto – Der Film*—he had risen to the status of an absolute superstar. With a box-office tally of over 14 million viewers, this comedy is considered the most successful German film of all time. The following years saw the release of further installments in the "Otto" film series, all of which went on to become major hits. After a period of relative quiet in the late 1990s, Otto Waalkes staged a major comeback in 2004 with the film *7 Zwerge – Männer allein im Wald* (7 Dwarfs – Men Alone in the Woods). This ensemble comedy drew more than seven million moviegoers to theaters and was followed in 2006 by an equally successful sequel. In the new millennium, Otto established himself as a voice actor for animated films such as *Ice Age*. Although Otto Waalkes is frequently criticized for his allegedly simplistic and silly brand of humor, his films consistently find an audience.
Filmography
- 2025Seiler und Speer: A schware Partie 25 — Otto Waalkes
- 2021Catweazle — Catweazle, Screenplay
- 2021Help, I Shrunk My Friends — Otto Leonhard
- 2021Otto Fröhliche - Advent, Advents mit Otto und Friends — Various
- 2018Geheimakte Otto Waalkes - Harry Hirsch auf Spurensuche — Harry Hirsch
- 2018Help, I Shrunk My Parents — Otto Leonhard
- 2016Udo Lindenberg: Stärker als die Zeit - Live
- 2015Help, I Shrunk My Teacher — Spirit of the school founder Otto Leonhard
- 2015Potato Salad: Don't Ask! — Notrufbeantworter, Original Music Composer
- 2015The Time Carousel — Wilhelm Tell
- 2014Otto's Traum — Otto
- 2014The 7th Dwarf — Bubi (voice), Producer
- 2012Best of Otto
- 2010Otto's Eleven — Otto, Screenplay
- 2007Lissi and the Wild Emperor — Thanks
- 20067 Dwarves: The Forest Is Not Enough — Bubi, Producer, Writer
- 2005Otto - Die ersten 15 Jahre und mehr! (Goldedition)
- 2005Siegfried — Grille (voice)
- 20047 Zwerge - Männer allein im Wald — Bubi, Producer, Screenplay
- 2004Crazy Race 2 - Warum die Mauer wirklich fiel — Scientist
- Genial daneben
- 2003Otto - Die DVD
- 2001Kommando Störtebeker — Bruno Bommel / Papagei, Characters
- 2001Otto - Mein Ostfriesland und mehr
- 2000Otto - The Disaster Movie — Otto, Baby-Otto, Otti, Großvater, Screenplay
- 1999St. Pauli Nacht
- Otto – The Series — Verschiedene, Writer, Director, Creator
- Ottifants — Baby Bruno Bommel, Writer, Creator
- RTL Samstag Nacht
- 1992Otto - The Romance Film — Karl/Otto/Amor, Director, Screenplay, Music
- 1989Otto – The Alien from East Frisia — Otto / Benno Gross, Director, Author
- 1987Otto – The New Movie — Otto, Screenplay, Original Music Composer, Director
- 1985Otto - The Movie — Otto / Otto's Father (voice) / Otto's Mother (voice) / Mr. Astrid (voice), Screenplay, Director
- Ronny’s Pop Show — Ronny (voice)
- The Otto-Show — Otto Waalkes, Creator
- Happy Otto! Wir haben Grund zum Feiern — Creator
- Offifanten — Creator
Appearances as themselves (61)
- 2025Hallervorden - Didi gegen den Rest der Welt — Self
- 2024Mein Name ist Otto — Self
- 2023Udo Lindenberg & Das Panikorchester - 50 Jahre Rock'n'Roll in der bunten Republik — Self
- 2022Ottos Märchenshow — Self
- LOL: Last One Laughing Germany — Self
- Late Night Berlin — Self
- 2018Otto - Die Doku — Self
- 2018Otto Waalkes rockt WERNER — Self
- 2016Otto live - Holdrio Again — Self
- 2015Otto - Geboren um zu blödeln — Self
- Der Meisterfälscher — Self
- 2014Pur & Friends: Live auf Schalke 2014 — Self
- 2013Die Helene Fischer Show 2013 — Self
- 2013Heino – Made in Germany — Self
- Pantoffelkino — Self - Interviewee
- Klein gegen Groß - Das unglaubliche Duell — Self
- Unsere Besten im Norden — Self
- Granaten wie wir — Self
- Bully sucht die starken Männer! — Self
- Ein Abend für.. — Self
- 2008Otto live! Das Original — Self
- 2008Udo Lindenberg - Stark wie zwei — Self
- Inas Nacht — Self
- 2006Die Traumschiff-Gala zum 80. Geburtstag von Peter Alexander — Self
- Die große Maus-Show — Self
- Germany's Next Topmodel — Self - Guest Judge
- Dittsche - Das wirklich wahre Leben — self
- 5 Millionen SKL Show — Self
- Our Best — Self
- Die 80er Jahre Show — Self
- NDR Kultur – Das Journal — Self
- Ein Star und seine Stadt — Self
- Abendschau — Self
- TV total — Self
- Die Johannes B. Kerner Show — Self - Guest
- Ein Herz für Kinder — Self
- German Comedy Award — Self
- Leute heute — Self
- Tigerenten Club — Self
- Die Harald Schmidt Show — Self
- Goldene Henne — Self
- ECHO-Verleihung — Self
- DAS! — Self
- Musik liegt in der Luft — Self
- Blauer Panther — Self
- Na siehste! — Self
- Seitenblicke — Self
- ZDF-Fernsehgarten — Self
- Die verflixte 7 — Self
- 1983Hilfe, Otto kommt! — Self
- 1981So ein Otto: Best-of: Die Otto Show — Self
- Wetten, dass..? — Self
- Verstehen Sie Spaß? — Self
- NDR Talk Show — Self
- 1, 2 oder 3 — Self
- Please Turn the Page — Self
- Der große Preis — Self
- Die Sendung mit der Maus — self
- Grimme Award — Self
- Was bin ich? — Self
- Bambi — Self