Actor Helmut Wiesinger dies at 74

Actor Helmut Wiesinger died on Wednesday at the age of 74, ORF reported. He was part of the ensemble at the Lower Austria State Theatre, formerly the St. Pölten City Theatre, from 1998 to 2018 and performed more than 100 roles, the theatre said on Thursday.

After retiring in summer 2018, Wiesinger continued working with the theatre as an actor and author, producing his own projects and appearing in guest performances and readings.

“Wiesinger knew how to inspire, entertain and captivate audiences with his art, while also encouraging them to think,” the theatre said. It described him as a highly valued colleague and friend, praising his reliability, presence, precision and collegial manner.

Wiesinger was born in Linz in 1952 and studied acting at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz from 1972 to 1975. At the start of his career, he worked as a presenter, announcer and author for ORF.

From 1979, he was a member of the Vienna theatre group Die Komödianten, led artistically by Conny Hannes Meyer. He later worked for many years as a freelance actor and author in Germany and at the Linz State Theatre before joining the company in St. Pölten.

Wiesinger was married and lived in Vienna.