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William Cohn during a TV recording (2017)
Photo: Christoph Hardt / Future Image / IMAGO
Millions of television viewers knew William Cohn as announcer and sidekick of entertainer Jan Böhmermann.
He was in almost every episode of the then ZDFneo show »Neo Magazin Royale«.
He introduced the guests in the “Roche & Böhmermann” talk format.
As Cohn's management confirmed on Saturday, the actor, singer, author and speaker died "suddenly and unexpectedly" in Basel on Thursday.
He was 65 years old.
Cohn's manager Gerd Fischer recalled Cohn's TV career: "His ugly sweater, his nerdy glasses and his pointed texts helped him to break through as Jan Böhmermann's sidekick." And further: "His showpiece remained the role throughout his artistic life of the scheming arms dealer Kaspar in the hit musical ›Ludwig²‹.
Since the world premiere in Füssen's Festspielhaus in 2005, he has given the role character, voice and volume in well over 600 shows.
Now he has left the stage that meant so much to him.«
nile/dpa