William Cohn is dead
With his appearances in "Neo Magazin Royale" and "Circus HalliGalli" he became a TV cult: William Cohn.
Now the speaker and actor is dead. / William Cohn is dead
The well-known actor, singer and speaker William Cohn died on June 30, 2022 at the age of 65 in Basel. This is confirmed by the management of the artist t-online on request. Death came as a surprise to “everyone”. Nothing has been announced about the circumstances so far.
Manager Darlene Fischer explains t-online: “Believe me, we too are stunned.” William Cohn leaves “a big gap. With his family, his closest friends. In the local media landscape.”
He became a cult in this media landscape due to his often shrill appearance. Brightly colored pullovers, nerdy glasses and the aggressively displayed half-bald head made him an eye-catcher. His pointed lyrics, biting comments and whimsical statements counteracted his appearance, but made a large contribution to his popularity. Above all, as a sidekick for Jan Böhmermann in “Neo Magazin Royale” or as a speaker in the show “Roche & Böhmermann”, he built up a large fan base.
“I tend to say what I think”
According to the management’s statement to t-online, behind the seemingly odd celebrity with a pronounced devotion to Austrian charm and wit was “a highly empathetic, clever person. His motto in life was: ‘I tend to say what I think.'”
His breakthrough came through language, presented in television programs. But Cohn was also active as an author. In 2017 his first work “Der Gute Ton von Cohn” was published. Less well-known to the general public and yet, according to the management, his “showpiece”: his role as the scheming arms dealer Kaspar in the hit musical “Ludwig²”. He gave voice and volume to this character in more than 600 shows.
Born in Colombia, William Cohn grew up in a family of musicians. The family moved to Vienna from South America, where he also “socialized”, as he put it. There he decided to pursue a career as an actor and singer. He studied singing and acting in Munich, Vienna, Los Angeles and St. Petersburg. Now he has left the stage that meant so much to him forever.
