Andreas Wisniewski

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Andreas Wisniewski
Andreas Wisniewski.jpg
Wisniewski with his son at a Zen Buddhist ceremony, 5 January 2005
Born (1959-07-03) 3 July 1959 (age 66)
Years active1986–present
Children3

Andreas Wisniewski (born 3 July 1959) is a German actor and former dancer. He is best known for his portrayals of Necros in the 1987 Bond film The Living Daylights , Max's companion in the 1996 film Mission: Impossible , and as one of Hans Gruber's henchmen, Tony, in 1988's Die Hard .

Contents

Life and career

Wisniewski was born in West Berlin, West Germany, [1] to a Polish father and a German mother, and spent the early part of his life dancing before turning to acting. Wisniewski made his big-screen debut in Gothic (1986), a film about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, in which Wisniewski plays the role of Fletcher.

In the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights , the 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) Wisniewski portrays the assassin Necros. His next mainstream role was as one of Hans Gruber's henchmen, Tony Vreski, in the 1988 film Die Hard .

Wisniewski then had roles in the TV shows Superboy , Mann & Machine and Northern Exposure . He later appeared in the 1995 science fiction film Death Machine playing Weyland, and again in 1996 in a non-speaking role as Max's companion in another box office smash, Mission: Impossible .

Wisniewski then moved into German films, after which he reappeared to UK audiences in an episode of the TV series Lock, Stock...The Series based on the gangster film by Guy Ritchie. Two years later he was in an episode of the ITV hit series Ultimate Force alongside popular soap opera star Ross Kemp playing Serbian terrorist Savo Glasnovic. Wisniewski hit the screens (although his face is never seen) in the UK again in 2008 after a six-year break when he co-starred in Mark Tonderai's cat-and-mouse thriller Hush .

Wisniewski has also appeared in two music videos. He was in the video "Venus", sung by the girl group Bananarama, and also appeared as a soldier in the background of Elton John's video "Nikita", where he can be seen as Elton John's Bentley Continental pulls up to the security gate.

In 2001, Wisniewski turned his hand to directing, making the short film Inspiration, starring English actors Danny Webb and Christine Adams. Another Andreas Wisniewski, credited in the biopic Surviving Picasso alongside Anthony Hopkins, is a different actor. Wisniewski has kept a low profile since this time to spend time with his family and children and to concentrate on Buddhism.

He made an appearance in ITV's police drama The Bill . He appeared on 10 July 2008 in the episode Gun Runner: Pay and Spray, in which he played a short one-minute role as a Russian criminal 'Dimitri' purchasing guns and ammunition.

Fifteen years after his first appearance in a Mission: Impossible film, he had another non-speaking part in 2011's Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , playing the same character from the first film of the series.

Personal life

Wisniewski has three children and lives in Berlin. He is a practising Zen Buddhist. [2]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986 Gothic Fletcher
1987 Aria Segment "Nessun dorma"
1987 The Living Daylights Necros
1988 Die Hard Tony Vreski
1993The Hit ListLance
1994 Death Machine Weyland
1996 Mission: Impossible Max's Companion
1996 Surviving Picasso German Soldier
1998 The Tribe Lieutenant
1998 Urban Ghost Story Quinn
1998Helden und andere Feiglinge (Heroes and Other Cowards)Ernesto
2008 Hush The Tarman
2008 The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior Pollux
2010 Centurion Commander Gratus
2011 Urban Explorer Neo-Nazi
2011 Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol The Fog's Contact
2013Bela Kiss: ProloguePrivate Charles Nagy (voice)
2017Instrument of WarKarl Herrmann

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1989 Superboy AndroidEpisode: "Superboy... Rest in Peace"
1992 Northern Exposure ArthurEpisode: "Wake Up Call"
1992 Mann & Machine John StepkaEpisode: "Billion Dollar Baby"
1994 Between the Lines MausEpisodes: "The End User: Part I" and "The End User: Part II"
1996 Ein starkes Team RohlerEpisode: "Eins zu Eins"
1997 Supply & Demand John HowardEpisode: "Pilot"
1997 Gegen den Wind GlenEpisode: "Die Herausforderung"
1997 Der Fahnder Episode: "Beckers letzter Fall"
1998 Die Wache Bruno MögelsdorfEpisode: "Tod eines Indianers"
1998Kidnapping Mom & DadHolgerTelevision film
1998 Balko Jürgen FrommEpisode: "Blutige Beute"
1998 Alarm for Cobra 11 – The Highway Police HarryEpisode: "Die Anhalterin"
1999The Waiting TimeErnst RaubTelevision film
1999 Coast Guard WaschnikowEpisode: "Das trojanische Pferd"
2000In the Name of the LawKlaus JacobiEpisode: "Tod auf Raten"
2000 Lock, Stock... HeinrichEpisode: "...and Spaghetti Sauce"
2000Die Motorrad-Cops – Hart am LimitKillianEpisode: "Volles Risiko"
2002 Our Charly Lutz RabenauEpisode: "Mausefallen"
2002 Coast Guard KesslerEpisode: "Unter Feuer"
2002 Ultimate Force GlasnovicEpisode: "Something to Do with Justice"
2003 SOKO München Dr. Fritz HaasEpisode: "Bube, Dame, Mord"
2008 The Bill DimitriEpisodes: "Gun Runner: Spray and Pray" and "Gun Runner: Fire Fight"
2020GOSH interviewsHimselfTalk show

Music videos

YearTitleRoleArtist
1985"Nikita"Officer Elton John
1986"Venus"Dancer Bananarama

References

  1. "Andreas Wisniewski | Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes .
  2. "Ashiyana YOGA RETREATS INDIA". Archived from the original on 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2008-11-09.