A rigorous life: Vadim Glowna dead at 70

German actor Vadim Glowna, a regular in film and  television drama who was also a successful director and screenwriter, has died after a short illness. He was 70.

Glowna,well known for his soft, rough voice, was rarely the leading man but he shined in supporting roles, among them performances in Chris Kraus’ Four Minutes (2006) and Oskar Roheler’s No Where To Go (2000), both of which won German Film Awards for best film of the year. His one major international production was in Sam Peckinpah’s WWII drama Cross of Iron (1977) alongside James Coburn and Maximilian Schell.

A multi-talent, Glowna won the golden camera honor at the Cannes film festival for his directorial debut Desperado City in 1981.  His sophomore effort, Dies rigorose Leben, won an honorable mention at the Berlin film festival in 1983. He also helmed dozens of episodes of German TV drama. Glowna was married to the Russian actress Vera Tschechowa from 1967 until the late 1980s. Glowna’s last performance was as Jorge Da Costa in Tom Fontana’s bad pope series Borgia.

sources: The Hollywood Reporter

still from Desperado City via Abschied von Vadim Glowna: Herz für Außenseiter – SPIEGEL/ddp images