Actress Elke Sommer dies

Mourning for Golden Globe winner actress Elke Sommer dies As of: October 29, 2026 • 5:02 p.m

She made a name for herself in Hollywood in the 1960s and was awarded Golden Globes and Bambi. Now the German actress Elke Sommer has died at the age of 85.

The internationally known German actress Elke Sommer is dead. This is reported by several media outlets, including Bayerischer Rundfunk. Accordingly, she died on Wednesday at the age of 85 in her home in Bel Air in the USA.

Sommer was born in Berlin and grew up in Bavaria. She was discovered after a beauty contest. She played her first major leading role in “The Girl and the Prosecutor” in 1961. The award-winning film was also sold in the USA and brought her film roles in Hollywood. Sommer received the Golden Globe for Best Newcomer for “The Prize,” in which she starred alongside Paul Newman.

Sommer dances with Paul Newman in the film "The Price".

In 1964 she played a leading role in the film series "A Shot in the Dark", which was one of the Pink Panther films. Sommer filmed with film legends such as Alain Delon, Sharon Tate and Dean Martin. She won Bambi twice and was considered a sex symbol at the time.

Despite some successes in her 100 or so films, some recognition as a theater actress and many television appearances such as in the "Muppet Show", the big breakthrough never came. Sommer had largely withdrawn from the public eye for many years. In addition to Los Angeles, she also lived in Marloffstein, Franconia, where, according to the Bild newspaper, she will be buried in her family's grave. Her husband Wolf Walther died in July after a long illness.

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Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer praised Sommer as “an extraordinary actress and an ambassador for German film in Hollywood.” She touched and inspired generations of people “with her outstanding talent, her charm and her elegance”. Sommer was a “passionate artist” who also made a name for herself as a painter and singer. "Their path in life stands for artistic courage, versatility and the unifying power of culture."

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) praised Sommer - whom he awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit in 2019 - as a "true acting icon". Her path led to Los Angeles via Erlangen, Italy and Berlin - "but she always kept her childhood and youth in Franconia close to her heart."

This topic in the program: BR24 Radio | News | Oct 29, 2026 | 3:24 p.m