Dirk Bach

{{Short description|German actor, comedian and presenter (1961–2012)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Dirk Bach

| image = Life Ball 2009 (opening) Dirk Bach.jpg

| caption = Bach in 2009

| birthname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1961|4|23}}

| birth_place = Cologne, West Germany

| death_date = {{nowrap|{{Death date and age|df=y|2012|10|1|1961|4|23}}}}

| death_place = Berlin, Germany

| restingplace =

| othername =

| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|comedian|television presenter}}

| yearsactive = 1980–2012

| spouse =

| partner =

| children =

| parents =

| website =

}}

Dirk Bach (23 April 1961 – 1 October 2012) was a German actor, comedian and television presenter, best known as the co-host of Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!, the German version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,16277227,00.html|title=German entertainer Dirk Bach dies at 51|date=1 October 2012|work=Deutsche Welle|access-date=2 October 2012}}

Career

Bach was born in Cologne.{{cite news|url=https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/prominente/article109579718/Begnadeter-Pummel-im-Fummel-Dirk-Bach-ist-tot.html|title=Nachruf: Begnadeter Pummel im Fummel – Dirk Bach ist tot|last=Kreitling|first=Holger|date=1 October 2012|work=Die Welt|access-date=2 October 2012|language=de}} After school, he worked in theatres in Amsterdam, Brussels, London, New York, Utrecht, and Vienna.{{cite web|url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/weltspiegel/nachruf-dirk-bach-genie-am-richtigen-falschen-ort/7205122.html|title=Nachruf: Dirk Bach: Genie am richtigen, falschen Ort|last=Ehrenberg|first=Markus|date=1 October 2012|work=Tagesspiegel|access-date=2 October 2012|language=de}} In 1992, Bach was a member of the theatre group in Cologne at the Schauspielhaus and appeared on the German television channel RTL on the Dirk Bach Show. He performed in Lukas (1996–2001) on the German TV channel ZDF, for which he received the Telestar award (1996), the German Comedy Award (1999), and the Goldene Kamera (2001).

In 2002, Bach starred in Der kleine Mönch on ZDF. He worked in Sesamstraße, the German version of Sesame Street, as the character Pepe. He often performed with Hella von Sinnen on different television productions. Starting 2004, Bach and Sonja Zietlow presented the German edition of the show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!. In 2005, he played the character Urmel in Urmel aus dem Eis (Impy's Island), In 2006, Bach was host of the German game show Frei Schnauze on RTL. In 2010, he appeared as Pastor Hinze on the soap opera Verbotene Liebe, in which he performed the first church wedding between two men ever dramatized on German television with characters Oliver Sabel and Christian Mann.{{Cite web |url=https://www.presseportal.de/pm/6694/1641581 |title=Verbotene Liebe: Christian and Olli Say Yes |website=Presseportal.de |type=Press release |date=2 July 2010 |access-date=18 March 2023 |language=de}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=12414 |title=Verbotene Liebe: Christian and Olli Say Yes |website=Queer.de |first=Carsten |last=Weidemann |date=5 July 2010 |access-date=18 March 2023 |language=de}}

= Other work =

Bach was an LGBT activist{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} and member of the LSVD organisation (Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany). He was part of the campaign to bring the 2010 Gay Games to Cologne.[http://www.games-cologne.com/index.php?pcid=5&pdid=8 Gay Games VIII in Cologne] . {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809214938/http://www.games-cologne.com/index.php?pcid=5&pdid=8|date=9 August 2007}} He also helped Amnesty International and the organization PETA.

Personal life and death

Bach lived together with his partner Thomas in Cologne.[http://www.bild.t-online.de/BTO/leute/aktuell/2006/07/04/dirk-bach-gewicht-verlobter/dirk-bach-gewicht-verlobter.html Bild] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124193641/http://www.bild.t-online.de/BTO/leute/aktuell/2006/07/04/dirk-bach-gewicht-verlobter/dirk-bach-gewicht-verlobter.html |date=24 January 2008 }}

Bach died on 1 October 2012 in Berlin at the age of 51 from presumed heart failure.{{Cite web|title=Dirk Bach tot - Herzversagen als Todesursache wahrscheinlich|url=https://www.berlin.de/aktuelles/berlin/2737699-958092-dirk-bach-tot-herzversagen-als-todesursa.html|access-date=2021-08-25|website=berlin.de|language=de}}{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/dirk-bach-ist-tot-a-859044.html|title=Dirk Bach ist tot|date=1 October 2012|work=Spiegel Online|access-date=1 October 2012|language=de}}

Television

File:Dirk bach 20051201.jpg

File:Dirk bach hella von sinnen 20061130.jpg in 2006]]

1983: {{ill|Kiez (film)|de|3=Kiez – Aufstieg und Fall eines Luden|lt=Kiez}}
1984: Im Himmel ist die Hölle los / Hullygully in Käseburg
1986: Kir Royal (TV series)
1988: Krieg der Töne (TV experimental film)
1989: Year of the Turtle
1993: {{ill|Kein Pardon|de}}
1994: Die Weltings vom Hauptbahnhof – Scheidung auf Kölsch (TV series)
1994: Drei zum Verlieben (TV series)
1995: {{Interlanguage link multi|Nich' mit Leo|de}}
1995: Marys verrücktes Krankenhaus (TV series)
1996: Lukas (TV series)
1997: Rendezvous des Todes (TV)
1998: {{ill|Mrs. Rettich, Czerni and I|de|Frau Rettich, die Czerni und ich (Film)}}
1998: Varell & Decker (TV series)
1999: Zum Sterben schön (TV)
2001: Das Rätsel des blutroten Rubins (TV)
2001: Der Mann, den sie nicht lieben durfte (TV)
2002: Der kleine Mönch (TV series)
2003: Karlchens Parade
2003: Crazy Race 2 – Warum die Mauer wirklich fiel (TV)
2003: {{Ill|In Search of an Impotent Man|de|Suche impotenten Mann fürs Leben}}
2005: {{ill|Make Love, Not Fat|de|Popp Dich schlank!}} (TV)
2005: Urmel aus dem Eis (TV)
2006: {{Ill|Crocodile Alert|de|Zwei zum Fressen gern}} (TV)
2006: Crazy Race 3 – Sie knacken jedes Schloss (TV)
2007: Die ProSieben Märchenstunde – Des Kaisers neue Kleider
2009: Einfach Bach
2010: Teufel Gott und Kaiser – Nibelungenfestspiele Worms