Trivia

Has been ensemble member at several important theaters in the German speaking regions such as the Vienna Burgtheater.

Has a son, Alexander.

Graduated from the noted Max-Reinhardt-Seminar in Vienna.

Son of counsellor of commerce and master hairdresser Rudolf Stankovski.

Character actor, chansonnier and cabaret performer. From 1946, ensemble member of the Theater in der Josefstadt. Subsequently active on stage in Germany ( Bayerisches Staatsschauspiel, Theater am Kurfürstendamm and Renaissance-Theater in Berlin, Thalia Theater Hamburg, Die Kleine Freiheit in Munich,etc.) and Austria (Theater an der Wien, Wiener Volkstheater, Burgtheater). In films from 1949.

After completing his training at the highly respected Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna, he played on the most well-known stages of the German-speaking theater world: from the Thalia Theater in Hamburg to the Schauspielhaus Zurich and the Berlin Volksbühne to the Vienna Burgtheater - the Olympus of actors.

He was an actor until he had a heart operation about 10 years ago.

He achieved great popularity with his versatile television work. Stankovski's first TV appearance in Arthur Schnitzler's "Liebelei" in 1959 was followed by a good 250 more.

In the 1950s and 60s he was engaged at important German-speaking theaters, including the Zurich Schauspielhaus, the Residenztheater and the Kammerspiele in Munich, the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus and the Theater am Kurfürstendamm.

Stankovski was a busy actor in film and television. Among the more than 250 productions were many television plays and operetta film adaptations, as well as appearances in series.

Stankovski kept returning to cabaret alongside his television career. In 1973 he presented his own solo program "How will you look when you're dead". This was followed by programs such as "Go to the Gauklern" (I and II), "The Viennese Mixture", "The Antiprophet" and "Apropos Actors..." and in 2006 "No Trace of Literature". Even at an age when others have long since retired, he has repeatedly appeared in guest roles in film and television productions.

After completing an apprenticeship as a hairdresser, Stankovski was trained at the renowned Max Reinhardt Seminar in his native city of Vienna.

Ernst Stankovski became famous in Germany on television with his ironic smile.

In 1945 he took regular singing lessons and also completed training in dance and acting.

His adaptation and setting of "The Great Testament of Francois Villon" was a great success from 1982, and he also made a name for himself with adaptations of Moliere's "The School of Women" and "Tartuffe".

He took part in many television plays, show programs and operetta adaptations, designed his own shows ("Fun with Ernst", "Tonight Ernst Stankovski") and the quiz show "Do you recognize the melody?" as well as solo evenings with their own texts and compositions.

As a cabaret artist, Stankovski was known for his fine sense of humor on Austrian and German stages.

He appeared in more than one hundred films since 1949.

In addition to his career as an actor, Stankovski worked as a director, designed incidental music and was also successful as a composer and lyricist - among other things with a new version of "Carnival of the Animals" for the Brucknerhaus in Linz.

The Austrian worked all his life as a cabaret artist, actor and last but not least quiz master. On German television, Stankovski's career picked up speed in 1969 when he started the ZDF guessing show "Recognize the melody?" to moderate.

Stankovski was born on June 16, 1928, the son of master hairdresser Rudolf Stankovski. After graduating from school, he followed his father's profession and received training at the renowned Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna.

Stankovski was also a welcome guest at the Salzburg Festival.

At the age of 79 he brought out his last programme, entitled "You can't even die in Vienna".

Entertainment films also became aware of Stankovski's talents early on. In 1951 he was in front of the camera for the first time in "Verklungenes Wien".

The Austrian became known in Germany with the quiz show "Do you recognize the melody?", which he moderated on ZDF (German Television) from 1969 to 1977. Looking back at his time as quiz master in a 2008 interview, the native of Vienna once remembered, "I didn't really like doing it." Although Stankovski always wanted to be in front of the camera, he preferred to leave his mark as an actor.