- "Cult site": Jan Josef Liefers turns 60 years old
His plan worked out. At least at the beginning, as actor Jan Josef Liefers revealed in 2022 on the MDR talk show "Riverboat". For his role as the snobbish forensic pathologist Professor Karl-Friedrich Boerne in the popular "Tatort" from Münster, he came up with a beard, glasses, and suit as his private dress code to have some peace. And indeed, initially, "Tatort" fans in Berlin's grocery stores didn't recognize him.
That might have changed by now. Liefers is one of the most famous actors in Germany. On Thursday, August 8, the native Dresdner, who often shows off with distinctive glasses, will turn 60.
Speaker at demo just before the fall of the Berlin Wall
Liefers enjoys cult status as a popular nuisance in the "Tatort". He also plays prominent roles in many cinema and television films and is active as a musician with his band "Radio Doria". Apart from that, the actor, who grew up in the GDR and lives in Berlin, also positions himself on societal and political issues.
At just 25, he appeared as a speaker at the legendary Alexanderplatz demonstration on November 4, 1989 - just before the fall of the Berlin Wall - where hundreds of thousands protested against violence and oppression in the Stasi system.
During the pandemic, Liefers has repeatedly spoken out about corona policy and had to face some heavy criticism at times. In April 2021, he participated in the controversial video action #allesdichtmachen. At that time, people from the film and television scene criticized the handling of the coronavirus with satirical videos on the internet, which sparked controversial reactions. Liefers later visited an intensive care unit in a hospital and worked there.
Breakthrough in 1997
Liefers came into contact with acting at an early age: His parents worked at the theater in Dresden, and his grandfather was also an actor. In the 1980s, he attended the renowned Schauspielschule Ernst Busch in Berlin.
Liefers then achieved his breakthrough in 1997 with two box office hits: Helmut Dietl's society satire "Rossini or the murderous question of who slept with whom" and with the road movie "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". Among the highlights is also the leading role as surgeon Richard Hoffmann in the bestseller film adaptation of Uwe Tellkamp's Wende novel "Der Turm" (2012).
Cycling and homemade pesto
Liefers has been married to actress Anna Loos for around 20 years. In March, they emphasized in the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" that they no longer want to talk about their private relationship. "We've decided not to speak about private matters anymore."
Nevertheless, there are some insights into Liefers' private life on his Instagram profile. There, for example, he can be seen cycling in a helmet and short cycling shorts or posting homemade garlic pesto. In another post, he thanks for the ratings of the 45th episode of the Münster "Tatort", which was watched by an average of 12.73 million people in March.
When asked how long he wanted to continue playing his role as Professor Boerne, Liefers said in the "Cologne Talk Show" in spring: "You always think: You have to stop and pull the plug when it's at its best. But when is it at its best?" That's hard to say. His colleague Axel Prahl and he have been appearing in the Münster "Tatort" since 2002 - and that can continue for as long as it's still enjoyable, as he said. "As long as it's still beautiful, it can always get a little bit more beautiful."
The place of the legendary Alexanderplatz demonstration where Liefers spoke as a 25-year-old, just before the fall of the Berlin Wall, is Berlin. In a controversial video action during the pandemic, Liefers faced criticism for his views on corona policy, which took place at an unknown location.
