# Do you know any sympathetic German accented characters on TV or in ads? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 8, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303 "2009-09-08T16:30:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/1 "2009-09-08T16:30:07Z")
My grandparents came from Germany, before WWI, so I’m sympathetic to Germans and German accents. Recently VW has run a few ads where they have a humorous grandfatherly German narrator. And I’m not sure it’s going to work. He sounds like Hogan’s Heroes’ Sgt.Schultz. Or like a voice that used to appear in Disney cartoons. But there aren’t any current German voices around, are there? They’ve gotten a beating always being with the bad guys in war movies, so they seem to have dropped out all together. I think the ad campaign can’t work because of that. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/2 "2009-09-08T16:50:21Z")
The actor isn’t actually german, but he plays one on TV: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cv157ZIInUk/hqdefault.jpg "Volkswagen: Un-pimp Your Ride I") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv157ZIInUk) And he’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/3 "2009-09-08T16:52:11Z")
The Zeibart car care guy. I _guess_ he’s supposed to be sympathetic, although he always sort of scared me. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/4 "2009-09-08T16:57:05Z")
In pop culture, it seems like whenever you want a brainy scientist caricature, you give him a German accent and wild hair, a la Einstein. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/5 "2009-09-08T17:00:00Z")
There was Otto, the owner of the ranch Francis worked at on Malcolm in the Middle. He was your basic good-hearted bumbler. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/6 "2009-09-08T17:05:30Z")
[Ludwig von Drake!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u8ygqKf5Sg) ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/7 "2009-09-08T19:09:56Z")
I liked the late Werner Klemperer, AKA “Colonel Klink” of “Hogan’s Heroes”. Funny and harmless-never had anybody shot! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/8 "2009-09-08T19:15:59Z")
> [@MostlyClueless](#): > > The actor isn’t actually german, but he plays one on TV: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv157ZIInUk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv157ZIInUk) > > And he’s awesome. I was going to say the little black Bug is pretty cute. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/9 "2009-09-08T19:20:02Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > In pop culture, it seems like whenever you want a brainy scientist caricature, you give him a German accent and wild hair, a la Einstein. This may be, but I think the archetype for this kind of character is Jewish rather than German. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/10 "2009-09-08T19:37:59Z")
Not on TV or ads, but Kurt Wagner / The Nightcrawler in X-Men 2. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/11 "2009-09-08T20:18:12Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > This may be, but I think the archetype for this kind of character is Jewish rather than German. No, it’s defintiely German through-and-through. Sometimes they put a dash of Yiddish in there, but much like Einstein, most German Jews were very assimilated. (There were a large number of unassimilated Jews in pre-war Germany, but they were refugees from Eastern Europe). ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/12 "2009-09-08T20:25:09Z")
on a technicality: [Bambi](http://wpcontent.answers.com/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f5/Bambi.jpg/200px-Bambi.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/13 "2009-09-08T20:39:45Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I liked the late Werner Klemperer, AKA “Colonel Klink” of “Hogan’s Heroes”. Funny and harmless-never had anybody shot! Sergeant Schultz of the same series was also pretty sympathetic as a character. Of course, both were old-fashioned soldiers who didn’t like the Nazis much. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/14 "2009-09-08T20:42:51Z")
Dr. Scott from _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/15 "2009-09-09T01:15:01Z")
How about the talking Volkswagens And before those, that Dr. Z of Volkswagen And Captain Potsdorf in **Barry Lyndon** , played by Hardy Kruger Or Heinrich Dorfmann in the original **Flight of the Phoenix** , also played by Kruger . In fact, I believe that Kruger hates playing Nazi types, andconcentrates on sympathetic German portrayals. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/16 "2009-09-09T01:27:34Z")
Is that the same Captain Potsdorf who exposed our hero as a deserter from the British Army and so had him impressed into the Prussian army, (which Barry eventually figured a way to wriggle his way out of)? Well, for a German, I guess that’s a sympathetic character. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/17 "2009-09-09T01:45:10Z")
Not quite German, but there’s this Austrian guy who’s played the hero in a few movies. There’s also Death in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/18 "2009-09-09T01:59:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Is that the same Captain Potsdorf who exposed our hero as a deserter from the British Army and so had him impressed into the Prussian army, (which Barry eventually figured a way to wriggle his way out of)? > > Well, for a German, I guess that’s a sympathetic character. He captured a deserter and impressed him into his own company. From his point of view, he was acting damned honorably. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/19 "2009-09-09T02:00:23Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > And Captain Potsdorf in **Barry Lyndon** , played by Hardy Kruger (hijacking here) just about anything played by Hardy Kruger, or many of the other German (& Austrian) actors familiar to American viewers of old movies on TV: [Hans Christian Blech](http://www.filmdope.com/Gallery/ActorsB/39369.gif), [Gert Frobe](http://www.solarnavigator.net/films_movies_actors/film_images/James_Bond_Goldfinger_Gert_Frobe_007.jpg), [Oscar Werner](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/af/Image002Guy.jpg), on and on. Even when they were playing baddies, I like them for the naturalistic quality that comes through. Some humanistic, non-Shakesperean-laden acting traditon in their culture, I guess, that sets them above British or American actors playing German baddies. And I’m not alone: when the Hillside Stanglers, Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono, were prowling LA for victims back in the 1970’s, one night while posing as cops they were ready to abduct a young woman, but let her go when they discovered she was Peter Lorre’s daughter. ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303/20 "2009-09-09T02:12:57Z")
How about Kraus, the housekeeper on Benson? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-sympathetic-german-accented-characters-on-tv-or-in-ads/509303.md?page=2)