Farewell to Klaus Otto Nagorsnik - The 'Asked and Pursued' star and TV
Klaus Otto Nagorsnik (1955-2024) loved quizzing. This passion led him to the popular quiz show "Gefragt - Gejagt" as a hunter with the nickname "The Librarian" ten years ago. The show is now saying goodbye to the public favorite three months after his death with a special celebrity episode in his honor. The First broadcasts a "Gefragt - Gejagt" special in memory of Nagorsnik, whose leap into Television was more of a fluke...
"I'm no TV person"
"I'm no TV person, but rather an accidental arrival," he said in a 2018 interview with the "Westphalian News". His lack of a TV was also a recurring theme on "Gefragt - Gejagt". From this, it can be inferred that Nagorsnik might have had a hard time with topics related to television shows or modern music. His quiz colleague Sarbeth Goldemann revealed after Nagorsnik's death to the WDR that "What has to do with TV series or modern music - he could be stopped by that." Besides his activity as a "Gefragt - Gejagt" hunter, Nagorsnik continued to participate in pub quizzes. He also wrote questions for his own quizzes, where he then served as the quizmaster.
His television career was not only due to his passion for quizzing but also his curiosity. "The Librarian" showed himself open to new things and wanted to know more during the 2012 World Cup in Duisburg. He spontaneously went there on a Saturday afternoon and finished in second place. That's when television probably took notice of him. A year later, he made his first television appearance on "Die Deutschen Meister" on the First. In 2014, he started his career as a "hunter" on "Gefragt - Gejagt".
Fans came for Nagorsnik to Münster
This engagement changed his life, as it made him famous. That also affected the city library Münster, where the trained bookseller had worked until retirement. "People really came specifically to the house to make a Stadtreise to Münster and wanted to speak to Klaus Otto Nagorsnik in person," Simone Ebert from the Münster city library told the WDR.
Nagorsnik was recognized more and more often on the street and asked for autographs and photos. He also remembered one such encounter in a short video on the official Instagram account of "Gefragt - Gejagt". A passerby on a BMX bike claimed to have known him from the RTL series "GZSZ". "It was a little off. But only a little," Nagorsnik commented on his story with a smile.
Guest role in popular series
The "Librarian" actually made an excursion into acting. In December 2023, he had a guest appearance in the ARD series "Großstadtrevier". He approached the invitation in a similar way as for his first television quiz: "Don't you know, but you're curious. Just take a look at it," he said in a video at the scene of the shoot, which was published on the official Facebook page of the ARD series. In the episode 495 "Marshmallow Girls", Nagorsnik played the role of a hobby photographer in a scene.
Even at "Gefragt - Gejagt", Nagorsnik couldn't resist the occasional fun off-camera as a hunter. In a 2017 promo special, he presented alongside his hunter colleagues Sebastian Klussmann (35), Sebastian Jacoby (46), and Holger Waldenberger (57) a musical show insert, where the professional quizzers made fun of moderator Alexander Bommes (48) through singing.
At this Saturday evening (July 20, 20:15 P.M., Das Erste), there is a special episode of "Gefragt - Gejagt" for celebrities. The whole thing is dedicated to the "Librarian." The hunters and huntresses pay tribute to the public favorite. "The entire team of 'Gefragt - Gejagt' bids farewell to a respected colleague in this show, who will forever remain a member of the 'Gefragt - Gejagt' family," the broadcaster said.
Klaus Otto Nagorsnik passed away suddenly on April 22, at the age of 68, during the filming of the latest season of "Gefragt - Gejagt."
- Klaus Otto Nagorsnik, during his tenure on "Gefragt - Gejagt", often expressed his disinterest in modern music, reflecting his statement in a 2018 interview with the Westphalian News that he was "no TV person".
- The city of Münster, where Nagorsnik worked as a librarian, saw an increase in visitors seeking to meet the quiz show celebrity, a testament to his newfound fame from his "hunter" role on "Gefragt - Gejagt".
- In the ARD series "Großstadtrevier", Nagorsnik accepted a guest role as a hobby photographer, displaying an openness to new experiences that was characteristic of "The Librarian" during his television career.
- On a Saturday afternoon during the 2012 World Cup in Duisburg, Nagorsnik abruptly decided to participate in a pub quiz and finished in second place, potentially capturing the attention of television producers.
- As a "hunter" on "Gefragt - Gejagt", Nagorsnik participated in a musical show insert with his colleagues, poking fun at moderator Alexander Bommes through singing, displaying a playful and entertaining side off-camera.
- In the special "Gefragt - Gejagt" episode dedicated to Nagorsnik, his colleagues in the quiz show will pay their respects to the late quizmaster, celebrating his legacy within the "Gefragt - Gejagt" family and his impact on the world of television.
