John Gottowt
Known for
John Gottowt is one of those actors whose face registers well before the name, the kind of casting that steadies a production rather than sells it. Horror has taken up more of the workload than anything else. Casting has kept him in work for 113 years. 'Nosferatu' and the role of Professor Bulwer account for most of the recognition. The first screen credit dates from 1913.
John Gottowt
11 Movies
John Gottowt is one of those actors whose face registers well before the name, the kind of casting that steadies a production rather than sells it. Horror has taken up more of the workload than anything else. Casting has kept him in work for 113 years. 'Nosferatu' and the role of Professor Bulwer account for most of the recognition. The first screen credit dates from 1913.
Movies
Plays Professor Bulwer
Nosferatu
1922
Plays Scapinelli - An Old Adventurer
The Student of Prague
1913
Plays Owner of the Waxworks
Waxworks
1924
Plays Algol
Algol: Tragedy of Power
1920
Plays Beamter des Mechanischen Museums
The Living Dead
1932
Plays James Wilton
The Hunchback and the Dancer
1920
Plays The billionaire Vandergold
Die Prinzessin von Neutralien
1917
Plays Guyard
Genuine: The Tragedy of a Vampire
1920
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Waxworks
Full Filmography
The Living Dead
Beamter des Mechanischen Museums
1932
Film
The Flight in the Night
Bediensteter
1926
Film
Waxworks
Owner of the Waxworks
1924
Film
Nosferatu
Professor Bulwer
1922
Film
Parisian Women
Aristide
1921
Film
Algol: Tragedy of Power
Algol
1920
Film
Genuine: The Tragedy of a Vampire
Guyard
1920
Film
The Hunchback and the Dancer
James Wilton
1920
Film
Die Prinzessin von Neutralien
The billionaire Vandergold
1917
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is John Gottowt still alive?
John Gottowt passed away on August 29, 1942 at age 61.
What are the most famous roles of John Gottowt?
John Gottowt is best known for roles in Nosferatu, The Student of Prague, Waxworks.
How many movies has John Gottowt been in?
Over a 29-year career (since 1913), John Gottowt has appeared in 11 movies and 0 TV shows.
What was John Gottowt's first movie?
The career of John Gottowt began with The Student of Prague (1913).
What is John Gottowt's most recent movie or series?
John Gottowt's most recent release is The Living Dead, which premiered on September 6, 1932.
John Gottowt
1881-06-15 · Lemberg, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Lviv, Ukraine]
John Gottowt (born Isidor Gesang; 15 June 1881 – 29 August 1942) was an Austrian actor, stage director and film director for theatres and silent movies.
Gottowt was born in Lemberg, Austria-Hungary (present-day Lviv, Ukraine) into a Jewish family. After his education in Vienna, he joined the Deutsches Theater in Berlin in 1905, working for Max Reinhardt as an actor and director. Gottowt was mainly active in different theatres in Berlin as a character actor and director.
His first silent film appearance was in Paul Wegener’s Der Student von Prag ("The Student of Prague") (1913). In 1920 he appeared in Robert Wiene's Genuine and took the main role in the early science fiction film Algol. In 1921 he played Professor Bulwer (Abraham van Helsing) in the classic silent film Nosferatu directed by F.W. Murnau.
Gottowt made also several films with his brother-in-law Henrik Galeen but, as a Jew, was banned in 1933 from working as a professional actor. After a few years in Denmark he moved to Kraków in Poland. He was murdered in 1942 by an SS officer while in hiding in Wieliczka, disguised as a Roman Catholic priest.