ACTOR · BORN 1955 · DIED 2019
Jan Fedder
- Born
- 14 January 1955, Hamburg, Germany
- Died
- 30 December 2019
- Known for
- Das Boot (1981), Superstau (1991)
13 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Jan Fedder (14 January 1955 – 30 December 2019) was an actor best known for Das Boot and Superstau.
13 Interesting Facts About Jan Fedder
Interesting Facts (1)
- #001
Fedder was diagnosed with oral cancer in 2012.
Behind the Scenes (1)
- #002
While filming a scene in the movie Das Boot in which the U-96 is caught in a storm, Fedder lost his footing and was nearly swept off the conning tower set. Bernd Tauber (who played Navigator Kriechbaum) noticed Fedder was suddenly missing and cried out "Mann-über-Bord!" (man overboard). With the cameras still rolling, Tauber helped him to the conning tower hatch. Petersen did not realize at first that it was an accident and said "Good idea, Jan. We'll do that one more time!" before it came upon him. Fedder was hospitalized and his role was partially rewritten so that he was bed-ridden for a short portion of the film. The footage was developed and the scene in which Pilgrim is nearly swept off the submarine is one of the most memorable moments in the film.
Deeper Meaning (1)
- #003
Fedder was a guy with edges and a whistle on conventions, a rough leg with charm. Above all, someone who couldn't be bent and said what he thought. Fedder has been named honorary commissioner by the police several times. He is standing on the Reeperbahn as a wax figure in the "Panoptikum".
Career & Awards (3)
- #004
Although he regularly got into trouble with the law from his early teens on, he is regarded as Germany's most popular policeman, due to his longstanding and highly successful role in Großstadtrevier (1986).
- #005
He was involved in more than 400 productions and made North German characters his trademark with his unmistakable voice and accent. The NDR series "News from Büttenwarder" with Fedder as farmer Brakelmann and Peter Heinrich Brix as his buddy "Adsche" became a cult, especially in the north.
- #006
Jan Fedder was one of the longest-serving television police officers in Germany.
Life & Family (7)
- #007
In a TV interview in 2018, actor Jan Fedder spoke to Reinhold Beckmann about dark thoughts during his long radiation therapy for oral carcinoma. A third of his tongue also had to be removed. "It was the worst time of my life because I had no strength at all. I couldn't even pick up the phone, "Fedder said on the show.
- #008
Collects - among other things - old cars, motorcycles and ancient condom dispensers. Among his most priced possessions is the original machine once located in the gents room of the famous Star Club in Hamburg, where The Beatles made their debut.
- #009
His parents owned a pub in Hamburg's red light district St. Pauli. For many years, they closed at 6 pm every evening, so that their two young sons (Jan and brother Oliver) would not witness too many drunken sailors and prostitutes.
- #010
Took ballet lessons from ages 11 to 14, when he decided, he would rather pursue acting.
- #011
He even had suicidal thoughts: "If everything is shit, you wonder why all this and if you should end your life." However, the love for his wife Marion and the responsibility towards the audience made him go through this difficult time.
- #012
Is the lead singer for rock band Big Balls.
- #013
Contains a major spoiler — show
His wife was on vacation in Spain when her husband died in Hamburg. As the picture has learned, the two often spent the holidays separately - she in the warm south, he at home on the neighbourhood in St. Pauli. When she tried to reach her husband by Phone and that didn't work, she was worried. She called a friend who has an apartment key. He drove there immediately and found Fedder lifeless in bed. He alarmed them Paramedic - but all help came too late.
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Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work