30 years of “Unter uns”: career start with the RTL series

On November 28th, “Unter uns” turns 30 years old. RTL is celebrating the Schillerallee anniversary with a special week from November 25th to 29th (already seven days each). One or two former actors will certainly look back on their time on the “Unter uns” set. Many TV stars were able to gain their first professional experience in the series – including Wayne Carpendale (47) and these colleagues of his:

Hamburger Stephen Dürr is the star of “Unter uns” from the very beginning. He played the role of Till Weigel from the start of the series in 1994 to 1996 and became the crush of many viewers. He even received a “Bravo” otto. He was then seen in other series such as “In aller Friendship” and “Everything that counts”. In 2012 he caused a stir with his participation in “TV Total Turmsprung”. He injured himself during the preparations and had to be treated in intensive care, which is why he sued the production company for compensation and damages. However, the lawsuit was dismissed by the Cologne labor court.

In recent years he has made a name for himself primarily through reality TV formats. In 2016 he took part in the fourth season of “Celebrity Big Brother” and came eleventh. In 2022 he attended the “Summer House of the Stars” with his wife Katharina (41).

Berlin native Oliver Bootz also appeared in the very first episode. He had taken on the role of Chris Weigel and was therefore Stephen Dürr’s series brother. After his departure in 1997, Bootz appeared in many other productions. He starred in popular films and series such as “Tatort”, “Kreuzfahrt ins Glück”, “Rosamunde Pilcher” and “SOKO Leipzig”.

Actor Marco Girnth, who worked as an extra in television productions as a student, played Sven Rusinek from 1995 to 1998 – his first major engagement. He then established himself as a well-booked TV actor, appearing in many well-known series from “Against the Wind” to “The Beach Clique” to “Berlin, Berlin”. Since 2001, Girnth, who has been married to colleague Katja Woywood (53) since 1998, has been playing the chief detective Jan Maybach in the ZDF crime series “SOKO Leipzig”; in the ZDF series “Spring” he has been playing Dr. See Mark Weber.

From 1998 to 2000, Wolfram Grandezka was Dr. Roman Klingenberg worked on “Unter uns” and thus laid the foundation for his TV career, which made him one of the most famous series faces in Germany. From 2004 to 2015 he shaped the ARD series “Verbotene Liebe” and from 2020 to 2021 also the new edition “Verbotene Liebe – Next Generation”. In between, Grandezka, who has a son with his ex-wife Nadja Auermann (53), was part of the “Red Roses” ensemble from 2018 to 2021. He was also seen in other productions such as “Lindenstraße” and “Der Flensburg-Krimi”. Since 2023 he has been playing alongside Christine Urwurf (54) in the ARD series “Einstimm, Schatz!”.

Wayne Carpendale, the son of pop star Howard Carpendale (78), emancipated himself from his famous father with his own career as an actor and presenter. He started with “Unter uns”, where he played Maximilian “Max” Pfitzer from 2000 to 2001. This was followed by engagements as Old Surehand at the Karl May Games in Bad Segeberg (2003), in the ARD series “Sturm der Liebe” (2005-2008) and the ZDF series “Our Charly” (2005-2007). From 2009 to 2013 he played the main role in the series “The Country Doctor” – his final breakthrough. Carpendale has established himself as a fixture in the TV world, playing many other roles, hosting programs and appearing in shows such as “Let’s Dance” (2006).