Thomas Ohrner
Thomas Ohrner
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Thomas "Tommi" Ohrner (born 3 June 1965) is a German actor, singer and television host. Beginning a career as a child actor at the age of four, Ohrner rose to prominence as a teen idol during the early 1980s, starring in the television series Timm Thaler, Merlin and Manni, der Libero, as well as achieving crossover success as a singer with his English-language pop singles, "Rock 'n' Roll in Old Blue Jeans" and "5 O'Clock Rock". In the 1990s, Ohrner turned to work as a television and radio host before once again returning to acting, most notably as Matthias Brandner on the German soap opera, Verbotene Liebe.

Key Information

Early life

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Thomas Ohrner was born on 3 June 1965 in Munich, West Germany, the son of actress Evelin Bey-Ohrner and economic adviser Claus Peter Ohrner.[1][2][3][4] He has two older siblings, a half-sister, actress Carolin Ohrner, born in 1961, and a brother, Markus Ohrner, born in 1963.[2] At the age of eight months, Ohrner began as a child model, appearing in print advertorial campaigns for baby carriages, margarine and detergent, and by the age of four, he was appearing in television commercials.[4]

Career

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Early career

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In 1969, Ohrner made his television debut at the age of four, guest-starring in an episode of the television crime drama, Der Kommissar and in 1970, he made his feature film debut appearing as "Bübchen" in the romantic comedy Hurra, unsere Eltern sind nicht da [de].[1][2][4][5] He followed up with small roles in the comedy films Nachbarn sind zum Ärgern da [de] and Hilfe, die Verwandten kommen, and in 1973, he appeared alongside his sister Carolin in the dramatic television movie Nicht einmal das halbe Leben.

Ohrner continued to appear in film and on television until 1976, when he landed his first lead role as Victor Laroche alongside his sister Carolin as Cora Laroche in the children's mystery miniseries Das Haus der Krokodile.[1][6] Throughout the rest of the 1970s, Ohrner continued to make occasional television appearances as well as working as a voice actor, dubbing voices for the German broadcasts of the Japanese animated series, Heidi, Girl of the Alps and the American comedy series The Bad News Bears.

Teen idol

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In 1979, Ohrner landed the lead role in the 13-part television miniseries, Timm Thaler.[1][7][8] Based on the children's novel by James Krüss, Ohrner played the titular role of Timm Thaler, a boy who trades his enchanting laughter to a wealthy Baron in exchange for the ability to win any bet he makes.[1][7][8] Premiering on Christmas day 1979, the series became a hit with young audiences and launched 14-year-old Ohrner as a popular teen idol of the era.[1][7][9] In January 1980, he followed up with a starring role in the miniseries Merlin, playing the wizard as a boy.[1][2]

With the popularity of Timm Thaler, Ariola Records signed Ohrner as a recording artist, releasing his first pop album, For You in 1980.[2] The album, which featured Ohrner on vocals and electric guitar, included the popular singles, "Rock 'n' Roll in Old Blue Jeans" and "Looks Like a Heartache".[2] After the success of For You, Ariola released Ohrner's next English album, My Name is Tommi the following year.[2] The album included the singles "All the Girls Around the World" and "5 O'clock Rock" and cemented Ohrner's status as a teen idol with young fans.[2]

In 1982, Ohrner followed up with the lead role in another popular teen series, Manni, der Libero which followed a teenager's adolescent struggles to become a professional soccer player.[1][3][8] Following this success, he returned to the big screen, starring in the films, Ein dicker Hund, Die unglaublichen Abenteuer des Guru Jakob and Plem, Plem – Die Schule brennt.[3][5] During this time, he also continued with his music career, releasing the German-language pop singles, "Frag' nicht so dumm", "Im Dschungel ist der Teufel los" and "Nochmal Schwein gehabt".[2]

Adult career

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In 1985, Ohrner starred in the television miniseries, Jenseits der Morgenröte [de] (The Secret of the Black Dragon) and had a prominent role as Michael on the family drama series, Die glückliche Familie from 1987 to 1990.[3] During this time, he also began working as a radio host on Radio Luxemburg.[1][10] In the following years, he began working as a television host, serving as host of the family game show, Boing from 1990 to 1993, and as host of the teen game show Herzklopfen from 1993 to 1995, as well as becoming program director of the cable channel kabel eins in 1992.[1]

In 1996, Ohrner began as host of the reality series Lass dich überraschen, which surprised unsuspecting audience members by granting their wishes.[4][7][11] In 2001, Ohrner returned to kabel eins, hosting German adaptations of the American game shows Child's Play and Wheel of Fortune, as well as hosting the monthly variety show Fröhlicher Alltag from 2006 to 2008.[1][4][7] In 2008, he returned to acting full-time, co-starring as Matthias Brandner on the German soap opera, Verbotene Liebe.[8][9][12]

In October 2011 it was announced that Ohrner would be returning to the big screen, appearing in the feature film adaptation of Das Haus der Krokodile.[6][13][14] The film Victor and the Secret of Crocodile Mansion [de] was released on 21 March 2012 and, having played Victor in the original 1976 miniseries, Ohrner appeared in a cameo role, this time as Victor's father.[6][13][14][15]

Personal life

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Ohrner lives in Munich with his second wife Marion and has fathered six children.[1][11][12] He became the father of triplets with his first wife in 1990, two of whom died only a few days after birth; only one child, Luisa survived.[7][12][16] He has three children with his second wife; Patrick (born in 1996), Fabian (born in 2000) and Pauline (born in 2007).[1][16][17] In his free time, Ohrner enjoys running, swimming, wind surfing, mountain biking and skiing.[1][3]

Filmography

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Film

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Television

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Discography

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Albums

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  • 1: "Rock'n Roll In Old Blue Jeans"
  • 2: "Make Hay While The Sun Shines"
  • 3: "Bad Boy"
  • 4: "If You Go Away"
  • 5: "Ticket To The Sunshine"
  • 6: "I Like Every Part Of You"
  • 7: "Pinball Mania"
  • 8: "Looks Like A Heartache"
  • 9: "Angela"
  • 10: "Cindy With The Golden Hair"
  • 11: "Long Live Summertime"
  • 12: "For You"
  • 1: "My Name Is Tommi"
  • 2: "Sister Don´t Get Me Wrong"
  • 3: "Milky Way"
  • 4: "Baby It´s You"
  • 5: "Rollerskate Queen"
  • 6: "Try It Again"
  • 7: "5 O´Clock Rock"
  • 8: "Tonight"
  • 9: "All The Girls Around The World"
  • 10: "Mister"
  • 11: "Duty"
  • 12: "Run Run Run"

Singles

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  • 1980: "Looks Like A Heartache" / "Angela"
  • 1980: "Rock'n Roll In Old Blue Jeans" / "I Like Every Part of You"
  • 1981: "All The Girls Around The World" / "Baby It's You"
  • 1981: "5 O'Clock Rock" / "Mister"
  • 1982: "Frag' nicht so dumm" / "Wir war'n gute Freunde"
  • 1982: "Im Dschungel ist der Teufel los" / "Im Dschungel ist der Teufel los" (Instrumental)
  • 1983: "Nochmal Schwein gehabt" / "Dr. Rap"

References

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Bibliography

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Thomas Ohrner

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Thomas Ohrner is a German actor, singer, and television presenter known for his early fame as a child actor and teen idol in the late 1970s and early 1980s. [1] He began his career at a young age, starring in notable German television productions, and gained widespread popularity through leading roles in youth-oriented adventure and fantasy miniseries such as Timm Thaler (1979–1980) and Merlin (1980). [1] During the same period, under the stage name Tommi Ohrner, he pursued a parallel music career with English-language pop releases, including the albums For You (1980) and My Name Is Tommi (1981), as well as singles like "Rock 'n' Roll in Old Blue Jeans" and "5 O'Clock Rock." [2] In later decades, he continued acting in family-oriented series such as Die glückliche Familie (1987–1990) and the long-running soap opera Verbotene Liebe (2008–2013), while also taking on producing roles and appearing in various television formats. [1] Born on June 3, 1965, in Munich, Ohrner remains active in the German entertainment industry. [1]

Early life

Family background

Thomas Ohrner was born on 3 June 1965 in Munich, West Germany. [1] He is the son of actress Eveline Bey and Claus Peter Ohrner. Growing up in Munich, Ohrner was part of a family with ties to the entertainment industry through his mother's acting career. He had an older brother, Markus Ohrner (born 1963), who died in a road accident in 1995. [3] His half-sister is Carolin Ohrner (born 22 December 1961 in Munich), an actress. [4]

Entry into show business

Thomas Ohrner entered show business as an infant, making his first on-camera appearance at 8 months old in an advertising spot alongside his mother. As a toddler, he featured in various print and television advertisements for products including baby carriages, margarine, and detergent. He appeared in his first dedicated TV commercial at the age of 4. In 1969, Ohrner made his television acting debut with a guest role in the crime series Der Kommissar, specifically in the episode titled "Die Schrecklichen." His feature film debut followed in 1970, when he played the role of "Bübchen" in the comedy Hurra, unsere Eltern sind nicht da. Throughout the early 1970s, from 1970 to 1973, he took on small supporting roles in several productions, including the film Nachbarn sind zum Ärgern da, the comedy Hilfe, die Verwandten kommen, and the television movie Nicht einmal das halbe Leben, where he appeared alongside his half-sister Carolin. [4] Ohrner also began working in voice acting during this period, contributing to the German dub of Heidi, Girl of the Alps among other projects.

Acting career

Child and teen roles

Thomas Ohrner rose to prominence as a child and teenage actor in German television during the late 1970s and early 1980s, becoming a big child and teenage star in Germany through several prominent roles.[1] His first notable lead came in the children's mystery TV series Das Haus der Krokodile (1976), where he played Victor Laroche across six episodes.[1] He achieved his major breakthrough in 1979 with the title role in the ZDF miniseries Timm Thaler (1979–1980), a 13-episode adaptation that earned him widespread recognition among young viewers.[1][5] In 1980, Ohrner portrayed the young Merlin in the three-episode miniseries Merlin.[1] During this period, he also contributed to voice acting, most notably dubbing Kelly Leak in seven episodes of the German dub for the TV series Die Bären sind los (The Bad News Bears), released between 1980 and 1981.[6] In the early 1980s, he appeared in cinema roles, including Tommi in Die unglaublichen Abenteuer des Guru Jakob (1983) and Jürgen Schmidt in Plem, Plem – Die Schule brennt (1983).[1]

Adult roles

Following his early fame as a child and teen actor, Thomas Ohrner continued his screen career with roles in television productions aimed at more mature audiences. In 1985, he starred in the miniseries Jenseits der Morgenröte (internationally released as The Secret of the Black Dragon) as Wolff von Roggenburg. [1] [7] From 1987 to 1990, Ohrner played Michael in the family series Die glückliche Familie, appearing in 14 episodes alongside established cast members. [8] After a hiatus from major acting commitments, he returned prominently to the screen in 2008, portraying Matthias Brandner in the long-running ARD soap opera Verbotene Liebe from 2008 to 2010 in a central role. [1] Later appearances included a 2012 cameo as Victor's father in the film Victor and the Secret of Crocodile Mansion, a remake that referenced his own childhood role in the original story. [1] In 2017, he took a small role as a concierge in The Legend of Timm Thaler or The Boy Who Sold His Laughter, another remake nodding to his early lead performance in the 1979 version. [1] [9] Ohrner has also made occasional guest appearances in later years, such as in Dahoam is Dahoam (2014) and Frau Pfarrer & Herr Priester (2016). [1] His acting engagements have become less frequent since the early 2010s as he shifted focus to other professional areas. [10]

Music career

Broadcasting career

Radio hosting and leadership

Ohrner began his radio career in June 1983 with initial on-air appearances and joined Radio Luxemburg (RTL) in a permanent capacity starting in October 1983. During his time there, he created and hosted several distinctive formats, including Tommis Radio-Show, Luxemburg 496061, and Musikduell. From 1988 to 1994, he worked at Antenne Bayern, where he later took on the role of Head of Entertainment. After a period focused on television, he returned to radio hosting at Bayern 1 from 2002 to 2016. Since November 2016, Ohrner has hosted the morning program on Klassik Radio, currently airing from 7 a.m. Monday to Saturday. [11] In September 2018, he was appointed Programme Director (Programmchef) of Klassik Radio. [12]

Television presenting

Thomas Ohrner shifted focus to television presenting in the early 1990s, following his earlier work in acting and radio. He hosted the family game show Boing on ARD from 1990 to 1993. [13] From 1993 to 1995, he presented the teen-oriented flirt show Herzklopfen. In 1996, he hosted the reality series Lass dich überraschen on ZDF. In 1998, Ohrner launched the daily talk show Mensch Ohrner on ZDF, which aimed to offer a more wholesome alternative to private broadcasters' sensationalist talk formats but was cancelled after 112 episodes due to lack of viewer interest. [14] [15] He also served as program director at kabel eins from 1992 to 1993. In 2001, Ohrner returned to game shows by hosting revivals of Dingsda and Glücksrad on kabel eins. From 2006 to 2008, he presented the monthly variety program Fröhlicher Alltag on SWR Fernsehen. Between 2013 and 2015, he hosted the morning show Servus am Morgen on ServusTV. He presented the dating show Herz sucht Liebe on Sat.1 Gold until the end of 2016. Since April 2017, Ohrner has hosted the infotainment magazine Wunderwelt Wissen on Sat.1 Gold, where he explores everyday questions in science, history, and nature. [16]

Personal life

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