Gerald Pichowetz dead

Actor Gerald Pichowetz (59) passes away

Gerarld Pichowetz 1964 -2024(Bild: Alexander Tuma)

The Viennese film and theater actor Gerald Pichowetz has died at the age of 59, according to the "Krone".

For many ORF viewers, Pichowetz was best known for his role as "Fünfer" in "Kaisermühlen Blues".

The 59-year-old was most recently the director of the private Gloria Theater in Vienna's 21st district, which he opened in 2001. The repertoire here mainly included comedies and boulevard plays, but also musical comedies, musicals and operettas.

Gerarld Pichowetz (1964 - 2024), as the audience loved him.(Bild: Alexander Tuma)

The "Kaisermühlen Blues" stars Walter Langer (Mr. Kudrnac) and Gerald Pichowetz (Franzi Mayerhofer)(Bild: ORF)

Gerald Pichowetz was the legendary "Fünfer" in "Kaisermühlen Blues" (episode Mother's Day)(Bild: ORF)

Pichowetz worked with actors such as Elfriede Ott, Waltraut Haas, Jazz Gitti, Hilde Rom, Edith Leyrer, Hilli Reschl, Guggi Löwinger, Helga Papouschek, Peter Lodynski and Fritz Muliar.

He has also appeared at the Vienna Volksoper as Cupido (Orpheus in the Underworld), General/Eunuch (Das Land des Lächelns) and Süffle (Der Vogelhändler). He has also worked as an actor and director at the Stadttheater Baden, the Metropol, the Wiener Kammeroper and the Operettensommer Kufstein.

In 2013, the actor danced with Roswitha Wieland on ORF's "Dancing Stars".

Health problems
In October 2016, Gerald Pichowetz was appointed as the new artistic director of the Mörbisch Lake Festival from 2018, but was surprisingly dismissed in May 2017. In recent years, he has struggled with serious health problems and had to undergo heart valve surgery in 2020, which led to complications. He was also a dialysis patient.

After a long period of rehabilitation, he celebrated his stage comeback in 2022 with the play "Sonny Boys". Now he has retired from the stage for good.