Last updated: 03.11.2023, 09:03 a.m.
By: Robin Dittrich
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The death of Elmar Wepper came as a surprise. But he often occupied himself with his death, and surprised with his statements.
Munich – The actor and voice actor Elmar Wepper has died at the age of 79. He was known throughout Germany as the brother of Fritz Wepper and as an actor from films and series. On Tuesday morning (31 October), Elmar Wepper died of heart failure. According to media reports, he suddenly fell over. "We are infinitely sad," his agent said. Celebrities also expressed their grief after Wepper's passing. "I'm stunned. I'm at a loss for words and I'm deeply sad and shocked," Uschi Glas told Bild.
Elmar Wepper has spoken openly about his death in the past
However, the actor himself was probably not afraid of his death. "Are you concerned about transience?" the Neue Woche asked the actor back in 2015. At the time, Wepper expressed few concerns: "The thought of death doesn't frighten me. I don't have a problem dealing with it."
The actor Elmar Wepper has died at the age of 79 – in the past he has spoken out about death. © Sven Simon/Imago
After the death of the actor: Elmar Wepper was not afraid of death
Elmar Wepper continued: "Death is part of life and decisively determines the quality of our existence." For the actor, "happiness, joy, fear, longing and love" were the things that make "the finiteness of our lives meaningful". He didn't want to complain about this natural consequence of life. Other things were much more important to him in life.
"The setting fits: I have a great wife, a wonderful son and an adorable grandson." But Elmar Wepper also added: "But when I think about the last ten years, they have flown by, and if I fold this time forward, then I will be 80 – then the last pollen will finally be gone." Through his older brother Fritz, he had come to television in 1974. Elmar Wepper then gained particular fame through the ZDF crime series "The Commissioner".
Wepper finally gained wide recognition with his leading role in the film "Cherry Blossoms - Hanami" in 2008, for which he received the German Film Award. For the film drama by Doris Dörrie, he played the pensioner Rudi, who catches up on his late wife's dream of a trip to Japan. The cultural handling of death in Asia gave Wepper pause for thought. "Maybe we people in the West tend to push the issue of dying too much," he said in a 2008 interview. Some people would "repress" death. "I'm different. I would like to know now where my gravestone will be and where I will be buried. Then death also loses its terror." (rd/dpa
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