Peter Rühring, Actor in Oscar Best Picture Winner, Dead at 82

Peter Rühring, an actor who appeared in the nine-time Oscar-winning film The English Patient, has died.

The actor’s agency, Heppeler Agency, announced that Rühring passed away in Berlin on Wednesday, April 9 at the age of 82. A cause of death was not disclosed.

“Peter Rühring passed away on April 9, 2025 at the age of 82 in Berlin,” a statement posted to the agency’s website read. “Peter was a person who inspired us with his unmistakable humor and his relaxed, elegant manner. We were able to accompany Peter for over 25 years and enjoyed the exchange and cooperation with him very much.”

Born in Bremerhaven, Germany on July 10, 1942, per his IMDb profile, Rühring added 90 acting credits to his name throughout his decades-spanning career. After training at the Westphalian Drama School in Bochum from 1966 to 1969, and later pursuing a career as a theater actor with permanent engagements at the National Theater Mannheim, the State Theater Stuttgart, and the Residenz theater Munich, according to Blickpunkt Film, Rühring voiced Erzähler in the TV movie Hinzelmeier in 1876. He went on to land his first onscreen credit in Der Tag in 1984.

More than a decade later, Rühring landed his most memorable role when he appeared in The English Patient in 1996. The film, directed by Anthony Minghella and based on Michael Ondaatje’s 1992 novel, is set near the end of World War II and centers around a badly burned man who is tended to by a young nurse at an Italian monastery. His past, including his involvement in a fateful love affair, is shown in flashbacks. Rühring starred in the film as Bermann alongside Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, and Colin Firth.

In addition to being a box office hit, the epic romantic war drama received widespread critical acclaim and took home numerous accolades. The English Patient racked up a total of 12 nominations at the 69th Academy Awards, ultimately winning nine, including Best Picture, Best Director for Minghella, Best Supporting Actress for Binoche, and Best Editing Oscar for a digitally edited film. It also took home five BAFTA Awards and two Golden Globes.

Rühring followed The English Patient with roles in films including Bandits (1997), Nichts als die Wahrheit (1999), Invincible (2001), and Hilde’s Joruney (2004). On the small screen, he appeared in shows including Großstadtrevier, Notruf Hafenkante, and Polizeiruf 110. His final acting credit was in an episode of the TV series Erzgebirgskrimi in 2022.

Paying tribute to the late star, Sabrina Boeck, owner of the Heppeler Agency, said, “With Peter, we are losing an extraordinary person who always inspired us with his distinctive sense of humor and elegant way of life.”