Waldemar Kobus

January 1, 1966

Szczytno, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Poland

Waldemar Kobus (born 1966 in Szczytno [Ortelsburg], Poland) is a German actor. Waldemar Kobus immigrated to Germany from Poland in 1970 as an ethnic German repatriate and grew up in Düren. Following his acting training at the Otto Falckenberg School in Munich, he secured engagements at renowned theaters in Frankfurt, Bochum, Stuttgart, Zurich, Vienna, and Cologne. Since the early 1990s, he has worked regularly in film and television, with his focus shifting increasingly toward on-camera work starting in 2001. Kobus gained widespread recognition primarily through his role as the police officer Viktor Schimanek in the RTL comedy series *Alles Atze*. He garnered international attention for his portrayal of the SS officer Günther Franken in *Black Book*. He played other notable roles in films such as *Lissi und der wilde Kaiser*, *Speed Racer*, and *Valkyrie*, as well as the role of the Viking chieftain Halvar in *Vicky the Viking* and its sequel. In addition to his acting work, Kobus also performs as a popular entertainer during the Cologne Carnival. He lives in Berlin with his wife, the actress Traute Hoess.