Matthias Freihof

Freihof was born in Plauen[1] on 25 November 1961.[2] After graduating from high school and completing his three-year military service in the NVA, Freihof then studied at Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin.[3][4] He made his stage debut at the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin between 1983/84 in The Pilot Of the Stars.[5] He then spent two years at the Kleist Theater in Frankfurt (Oder) between 1987-89. His first TV Movie role was a student in Die erste Reihe in 1987.

His first DEFA film was "Käthe Kollwitz" and he played the son of Jutta Wachowiak.[6] His second film role aged 27, was in one of the last DEFA productions called Coming Out,a film with homosexual content. He played Philip a teacher realising late in life he is gay.[7] Matthias Freihof also came out as gay man after the film.[8] He had a coming out when he was a teenager, but for he wanted to "come out" in public (interviews).[6]

In 1989, he performed in Cabaret Intim at the Berliner Palast der Republik and then Spass am sein in 1990. From 1992 to 1994, he went on an international tour with the musical program Leidenschaften.[2]

Freihof has also been active as a singer.[9] One of his released songs is titled Tastes Your Life after Chamomile Tea (1989).

Then between 1996/1997, he was seen as a teacher 'Boris Magnus' in the ARD in Marienhof. Then from 1998 to 2003, in 50 episodes, he played the role of 'Assistant Lorenz Wigand' of Chief Commissioner Siska in the eponymous ZDF channel crime series.[10] He had guest appearances in, among others , Mona M. - Mit den Waffen einer Frau in 1996, Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei in 1996 and Der Alte in 1997.

At times he taught as a lecturer at his former drama school, the Ernst Busch and the Berlin School of Drama.

In the movie Valkyrie about The Stauffenberg assassination (or Operation Valkyrie), which reconstructed the assassination of Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944 and in which Tom Cruise took over the part of Stauffenberg. Freihof embodied the Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel (or SS), Heinrich Himmler.[11] His two short scenes, however, were cut out so that it could not be seen in the final theatrical version.[3]

After leaving the TV show Siska, he has mainly worked on the stage. In 2008, he directed a play called "Ganz Kerle", which was performed in the Berlin theater 'Theater am Kurfürstendamm'.[8][10] He also brought Canadian comedy "Whole Guys" by Kerry Renards to the stage.[10] He has directed in Düsseldorf and had a starring role at Berlin's Schlosspark-Theater.[4]

• Matthias Freihof at IMDb
• Official website (in German)