Foto: Ursula Richter (1886-1946)

1902 - 1990

Although he had not acting lessons he was convincing as an actor during a student performance that he was engaged by the theater in Würzburg. 
In the next years he became established as a stage actor and he appeared in Aachen, Gera and Dresden.
There he impersonated numerous classical roles, among them Hamlet, Mephisto in Faust and Jago in Othello.

After World War II he was engaged by the Staatstheater Stuttgart in 1946 where he also took over the art direction vom 1950.
In 1959 he went to the Viennese Burgtheater whose director he became from 1968 to 1971.

Paul Hoffmann was also able to gain a foothold in the film business from the middle of the 30s and he became a demanded support actor. Especially in later years he often was engaged for officers or noblemen. 

To his first movies belong "Und du mein Schatz fährst mit" (37), "Gleisdreieck" (37), "Fanny Elssler" (37), "Kleiner Mann - ganz gross!" (38), "Grossalarm" (38) and "Zentrale Rio" (39).

Till the end of war he took part in the productions "Bismarck" (40), "Blutsbrüderschaft" (41), "Die Entlassung" (42) and "Die grosse Nummer" (43).

Paul Hoffmann could continue his film career after the war and he appeared in numerous movies, among them "Der Ruf" (49), "Bildnis einer Unbekannten" (54), "Der 20. Juli" (55), "Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben" (59), "Arzt aus Leidenschaft" (59), "Der Nachfolger" (63), "Hedda Gabler" (63), "Der Fall Klaus Fuchs" (65), "Herrenhaus" (66), "Der schwarze Freitag" (66) and the serial "Affäre Dreyfuss" (68).

Television already took over an important position in his film career and this went on in the next years too. Paul Hoffmann was able to remain active as an actor till to his death.
He impersonated many roles in the 70s and 80s for movies like "Friede den Hütten! Krieg den Palästen!" (70), an episode of the serial "11 Uhr 20: Tod in der Kasbah" (70), "Man spielt nicht mit der Liebe" (74), "Don Juan in der Hölle" (75), "Der Raub der Sabinerinnen" (76), an episode of the serial "Tatort: Der King" (79), "Ein Winter auf Mallorca" (82), an episode of the serial "Derrick: Toter Goldfisch" (85) and "Wilhelm Tell" (90).

Besides his activity as an actor he was also very successful as a stage director. In the 60s he also shot two TV productions as a director - "Hedda Gabler" (63) and "Moral" (67).
 

Other movies with Paul Hoffmann:
Wenn Frauen schweigen (37) Meine Freundin Barbara (37) Ich bin gleich wieder da (39) Flucht ins Dunkel (39) Leichte Muse (41) Liebe '47 (49) Verspieltes Leben (49) Ein Polterabend (55) Immer wenn der Tag beginnt (57) Kabale und Liebe (59) Die ideale Frau (59) Kein Mann zum Heiraten (59) Geständnis einer Sechzehnjährigen (61) Becket oder Die Ehre Gottes (62) Das grosse Liebesspiel (63) Der Hund des Generals  (64) Wetterleuchten (64) Walther Rathenau – Untersuchung eines Attentats (65) Der arme Mann Luther (65) Die Häuser des Herrn Sartorius (65) Antigone (65) Oberst Wennerström (65) Wo wir fröhlich gewesen sind (66) Der Fall Rouger (66) Das heilige Experiment (66) Die Flucht (66) Mr. Arcularis (67) Der Panamaskandal (67) Der öffentliche Ankläger (67) Nathan der Weise (67) Serie "Rebellion der Verlorenen" (69) Der Polizeiminister 1759-1820 Joseph Fouché (70) Die Münchner Räterepublik (71) Serie "Der Kommissar: Als die Blumen Trauer trugen" (71) Serie "Der Kommissar: Herr und Frau Brandes" (71) Memento Mori (75) Serie "Der Alte: Verena und Annabella" (77) Serie "Der Alte: Der Auftraggeber" (79) Serie "Derrick: Ein unheimliches Haus" (79) Defekte (80) Der Rächer vom Schallerhof (82) Serie "Der Alte: Liebe hat ihren Preis" (83) Serie "Tatort: Mord in der U-Bahn" (83) Serie "Derrick: Entlassen Sie diesen Mann nicht!" (86) Serie "Derrick: Wie krigen wir Bodetzki?" (89)