Hans Meyer (21 July 1925 – 3 April 2020) was a South African-French actor and model. He was well-known for his role as Hauptmann Franz Ulmann on the British television series Colditz.
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Early life and education
Meyer was born to German parents in Paulpietersburg, Natal Province, South Africa in July 1925. Both of his parents were farmers, and Meyer initially followed in their footsteps, before deciding to move to Europe and pursue his own fortune.
He worked initially as a model where he posed for book covers until a friend in Germany working for an advertising agency lined up his first work as an actor, a television advert for Puschkin Vodka. The brand became Germany's best-selling vodka and Meyer became known as "Frank S. Thorn, the Puschkin Man". He also inspired the appearance of British comic strip hero Jeff Hawke.
Career
Meyer was hired by Anatole Litvak as an extra for his film The Night of the Generals (1967). He went on the play supporting roles in French films alongside French cinema stars such as Lino Ventura, Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo. In 1966, he was engaged for La grande vadrouille, where he embodied an angry SS representative. In 1968 he played in the action thriller The Devil's Garden by Yves Boisset. In 1969, he took on the role of Sheriff Blade in the thriller Les Étrangers, shot in Spain.
