Gottfried John ( 29 August 1942 – 1 September 2014) was a German actor.

Life and work

During the 1970s and early 1980s, Gottfried John played various roles in films by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, notably that of Reinhold in the epic Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980).

He is internationally known for his portrayal of General Ourumov in theJames Bond film GoldenEye and Julius Caesar in Asterix and Obelix take on Caesar. He lives with his wife in Belgium.

It was announced by West German Broadcasting that John had passed away after fighting cancer,he was 72. 

Filmography

• Café Oriental (1962) – uncredited
• Das Mädchen und der Staatsanwalt (1962) (uncredited) – Train passenger
• Jaider, der einsame Jäger (1971) (TV) – Jaider
• Carlos (1971) – Carlos
• Acht Stunden sind kein Tag (1972/73) (TV) – Jochen
• Welt am Draht (1973) (TV) – Einstein
• Mutter Küsters' Fahrt zum Himmel (1975) – Niemeyer
• Derrick – Season 3, Episode 11: "Das Superding" (1976) (TV)
• Die Ratten (1977) (TV) .--Bruno Mechelke
• In a Year of 13 Moons (1978) – Anton Seitz
• Despair (1978) – Perebrodov
• The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979) – Willi Klenze
• Wo die Liebe hinfällt (1979) (TV)
• Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) – Reinhold
• Reiseabrechnung (1980) (TV)
• Lili Marleen (1981) – Aaron
• Ente oder Trente (1983)
• Super (1984) – Hilpert
• Chinese Boxes (1984) – Zwemmer
• Bartolome oder Die Rückkehr der weißen Götter (1985) (TV) – Bartolomé de las Casas
• Der Fall Franza (1986) (TV) – Capitain
• Of Pure Blood (1986) (TV) – Paul Bergmann
• Verworrene Bilanzen (1987) (TV) – Karl M. Kronen
• Death Has a Bad Reputation (1990) (TV) – Rodimstev
• Night of the Fox (1990) (TV) – Hofer
• Elfenbein (1991) (TV) – Nicholas Messier
• Die Verfehlung (1992) – Jacob Alain
• Colpo di coda (1993) (TV) .... Pierre
• Space Rangers (1993) (TV) .... Colonel Erich Weiss
• Polizeiruf 110 .... Hannes Hellwig (1994)
• GoldenEye (1995) .... General Arkady Ourumov
• Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life (1995) .... Herr Benjamenta
• The Ogre (1996) .... Chief Forrester
• Millennium (1997) (TV) .... Josef Heim
• ¿Bin ich schön? (1998) .... Herbert
• Astérix et Obélix contre César (1999) .... Jules César (Julius Caesar)
• Gli amici di Gesù - Maria Maddalena (2000) (TV) .... Erode Antipa
• Proof of Life (2000)....Eric Kessler
• The Gathering Storm (2002) (TV) .... Friedrich von Schroder
• Imperium: Augustus (2003) (TV) .... Cicero
• Die schöne Braut in Schwarz (2004) (TV) .... Aldo Caldini
• The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes (2005)....Dr. Emmanuel Drosz
• Stortebeker (2006) (TV)... Konrad von Wallenrod
• Das zweite Leben (2007) (TV)... Robert Kreutzer
• Das Papstattentat (2008) (TV)... Paolo Naldini
• Rumpelstilzchen (2009) (TV)... König

Awards

• 1982: Großer Hersfeld-Preis for his role as Jago in Othello
• 1999: Bavarian Film Awards, Best Actor
• 2000: Bavarian Film Awards for Asterix & Obelix Take on Caesar (Bester Nebendarsteller)
• 2004: Euregio Filmball – Best Euregio-Actor
• 2006: DIVA-Award – European Award (Hall of Fame)