Alfred Kleinheinz

Biography

Alfred Kleinheinz (born June 2, 1950, in Innsbruck; died July 20, 2018) was an Austrian actor. From 1993 onwards, he was a permanent ensemble member at the Residenztheater Munich. Alfred Kleinheinz initially worked as a plasterer. At the age of 24, he began performing in amateur theater alongside his professional work. In 1988, he accompanied a colleague to an audition in Vienna—an audition for which he himself was ultimately selected. In 1989, he made his professional debut at the Niedersächsisches Staatstheater Hannover under the direction of Thomas Reichert, playing the role of the teacher Medvedenko in Anton Chekhov’s drama *The Seagull*. In 1993, Kleinheinz moved to the Residenztheater Munich together with Artistic Director Eberhard Witt, remaining an ensemble member there until his death. There, he made his debut once again under the direction of Thomas Reichert, appearing as Dr. Relling in Henrik Ibsen’s *The Wild Duck*. His final role was that of Karl Valentin in *Playing :: Karlstadt*, directed by Bernhard Mikeska. Among his other roles at the Residenztheater were Gawrila and Piotr in *Ivanov*, Hans Günther in *Der Schweinestall*, Friar Tuck in *Robin Hood*, l’abbé Bournisien in *Madame Bovary*, and Ferapont in *Three Sisters*. During the summer months, Kleinheinz regularly appeared at the Tyrolean Folk Theater Festival (*Tiroler Volksschauspiele*); his final appearance there was in 2017, in the title role of *Der Brandner Kaspar und das ewig’ Leben*. Alfred Kleinheinz passed away in July 2018 at the age of 68.