Volker Lechtenbrink (18 August 1944 – 22 November 2021) was a German television actor and singer.

Lechtenbrink grew up in Hamburg and Bremen and started his career at the age of 15 acting in the Oscar-nominated anti-war movie The Bridge (1959) by director Bernhard Wicki.

After leaving the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums a year after completing his mittlere Reife, he was educated at the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg (drama school), also acting and later working as a stage director at the Ernst Deutsch Theater, Hamburg. Between 2004 and 2006, he worked as the intendant of that stage.

Between 1995 and 1997, he was also intendant of Bad Hersfeld Festival. He acted in several German television productions during the last decades, including Der Kommissar, Derrick, Der Alte, Tatort, Ein Fall für zwei and some Rosamunde Pilcher films. In 2006, he played one of the central roles in the short-lived television series M.E.T.R.O. – Ein Team auf Leben und Tod.

He is the German dubbing-voice of Kris Kristofferson, Avery Brooks and Dennis Quaid.

Next to his work as an actor he also started a very successful career as a singer and songwriter during the 1970s and 1980s, with songs like Der Macher and Ich mag. He also wrote the lyrics to 18the song Rücksicht, performed by the duo Hoffmann & Hoffmann at the Eurovision Song Contest 1983, achieving 5th place in a field of 20.

The city of Hamburg honoured his life achievements in 2021 by granting the Gustaf Gründgens Award (prize money €15,000).

Lechtenbrink died on 22 November 2021, aged 77.

Songs

• 1976 Der Macher
• 1977 Volker Lechtenbrink Nr. 2
• 1977 Alltagsgeschichten
• 1978 Meine Tür steht immer offen
• 1978 Der Spieler
• 1980 Leben so wie ich es mag
• 1981 Schon möglich
• 1982 Wer spielt mit mir
• 1982 Ich mag
• 1983 Leben heute
• 1984 Zurückgelehnt
• 1987 Ich kann gewinnen
• 1989 Herzschlag

Selected filmography

• Die Brücke (1959)
• Corinne und der Seebär (1966, TV film)
• Bratkartoffeln inbegriffen (1967, TV film)
• Der Kommissar: Das Ungeheuer (1969, TV series episode)
• Der Kommissar: Lagankes Verwandte (1971, TV series episode)
• Sonderdezernat K1: Kassensturz um Mitternacht (1973, TV series episode)
• Sonderdezernat K1: Flucht (1975, TV series episode)
• Sonderdezernat K1: MP-9mm frei Haus (1977, TV series episode)
• Die Dämonen (1977, TV miniseries)
• Iron Gustav (1979, TV miniseries)
• Sonderdezernat K1: Die Rache eines V-Mannes (1981, TV series episode)
• Der Sommer des Samurai [de] (1986)
• Derrick: Schonzeit für Mörder (1986, TV series episode)
• Ein Fall für zwei: Irgendwann (1987, TV series episode)
• Derrick: Ein Weg in die Freiheit (1987, TV series episode)
• Der Fahnder: Nordend (1988, TV series episode)
• Die Männer vom K3: Spiel über zwei Banden (1988, TV series episode)
• Derrick: Wie kriegen wir Bodetzki? (1989, TV series episode)
• Ein Fall für zwei: Gewissensbisse (1989, TV series episode)
• Der Hausgeist (1991–1993, TV series, 19 episodes)
• By Way of the Stars (1992, TV miniseries)
• Ein Fall für zwei: Rache (1993, TV series episode)