This famous actor possessed simply vicious beauty, firmly securing the status of “blonde beast” and “evil flower”. His charm was both magnetic and frightened off. He seemed to be born in order to play handsome seducers in the movies. And fate provided him with this opportunity, which Helmut Berger did not miss. What was his path to acting fame and recognition? Let's consider this question in more detail.
Facts from the biography
Helmut Berger, whose biography is undoubtedly interesting and noteworthy, was born on May 29, 1944 in the small spa town of Bad Ischl, located in Austria. The actor’s childhood passed in the federal state of Salzburg: there he learned the basics of science at the college of Franciscan monks. The boy's father was engaged in hotel business and, according to the logic of things, Helmut Berger was supposed to continue the family business, but fate decreed otherwise.
From a young age, he dreamed of acting in films. And the mother supported the desire of the boy to become an actor.
On the road to fame
After graduating from Salzburg College, the young Helmut Berger decides to go to the Austrian capital to study acting skills from the teachers of the Drama School there. So he did, but in Vienna he had to master the English language in order to get rid of the Austrian accent. However, the young man did not consider this a serious obstacle in order to become a movie star. Then began a new round in the life of Helmut, and he sets off to travel around the "Old World", visiting the sights of France, England, Switzerland.
Arrival in Italy
Finally, the young man arrives "in search of a better life" in the Italian city of Perugia.
Here Helmut Berger submits to a local university for foreigners to study Italian. In parallel with this, the young man earns "a living" by acting in television commercials and posing for local periodicals. Also Helmut Berger, whose photo has now appeared on the pages of glossy magazines, is trying himself as an extras for filming. In 1964 he was invited to play a small role in the film "Carousel", directed by Roger Vadim.
Fateful meeting
Helmut Berger soon met the famous Luchino Visconti. The director was simply struck on the spot by the appearance of a young man. This meeting predetermined the fate of the aspiring actor. Visconti begins to get closer to the young man, inviting him to parties and giving him luxurious presents.
Movie roles
Naturally, the young actor after meeting with the famous director began to gain popularity.
Today, the filmography of Helmut Berger has more than fifty film roles, and his debut on the set took place in the film "The Witch Burned Alive." The Austrian lyceum demonstrated a good play in this short story and thereby earned the right to be called an “actor Visconti”. The director literally idolized his favorite. After that, the finest hour struck Helmut Berger. His popularity was becoming overwhelming. Helmut Berger, whose films began to appear regularly, came under the scrutiny of journalists who compared him to a seductive animal and blond beast. The viewer was especially impressed by the image of Martin von Essenbeck played by the actor in the film “Death of the Gods”. Helmut put on a mask of a molester, a villain and a nightmarish villain, for whom there is nothing sacred.
Another significant work of the favorite of Visconti is the image of King Ludwig the Second in the movie "Ludwig". Here he was to reincarnate as a man with a pure soul, who dreamed of creating a country where everything would be harmonious and beautiful.
However, it should be noted that Helmut Berger is an actor of more than one director. He also starred in such venerable cinema professionals as: Floristano Vancini, Vittorio De Sica. Helmut Berger kept the bar high in the art of acting, so he was recognized as one of the best actors in world-class cinema.
Moral tear
Favorite Visconti brilliantly and filigree performed his roles, primarily because he felt the support of his director, although he had a hard time: he was confined to a wheelchair. The death of a strong lover shocked Berger. In 1974, the last film was shot, in which Lukino and Helmut worked together - it was called "Family Portrait in the Interior." The departure of a loved one was a difficult test for the actor - he even tried to take his own life. The actor’s popularity gradually faded away: he lost the quality of selectivity in roles, he did not care who to play.
“I lived harmlessly and paid for it”
Don Juan of Aryan appearance, formerly starred in cult directors, began to work in films of the second grade.
He went all out: he began to drink a lot of alcohol, spent time in noisy parties, which mainly consisted of representatives of high society. His eccentricity sometimes went beyond the limits of what was permitted. Once, while walking on a cruise ship, he appeared before the guests almost completely naked, which caused the wrath of a wealthy tycoon who ordered to save society from such a troublemaker. He began to lead a hectic sex life, sharing a bed with celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Romy Schneider, Mick Jagger. The actor regretted that he had more connections with women than with men. He declared to everyone that the rules of morality ceased to exist for him.
This phrase belongs to Berger. In the mid-80s of the last century, the actor’s popularity increased slightly. This was facilitated by the series "Dynasty", released in the United States. In it, Helmut played the image of a European macho. In the early 90s he was entrusted with an episodic role in the famous "Godfather".
However, the viewer failed to regain its former success.
