Anecdotes

Played the violin in cabaret at the age of 15 and had aspirations to become a concert master. Instaed, he studied acting under Albrecht Steinrueck in Berlin.

Intelligent and versatile character actor, particularly adept at playing arch villains. In the 1920's, he acted on stage at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin and made his first breakthrough playing 'Hamlet' in Stuttgart. On screen, he came to prominence as a criminal mastermind in Im Namen des Volkes (1939); and in the title role of a notorious wife murderer in Dr. Crippen an Bord (1942). Henceforth, he portrayed a variety of shady or tortured characters from priests and psychiatrists to heads of state.

After World War II he first worked at the theater, only in 1949 - with the movie "Mordprozess Dr. Jordan" (49) - he continued his film career.

From 1916 he appeared on different stages and became a busy theater actor in the 20's.

Rudolf Fernau appeared more often at the theater in the 70's and filled the audience with enthusiasm in plays by Shakespeare und Nestroy.