Editing Dirch Passer

{{Short description|Danish actor and comedian (1926–1980)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name                      = Dirch Passer
| image                     = Dirch Passer.jpg
| caption                   = Dirch Passer (1974)
| birth_date                = {{birth date|1926|5|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place               = [[Østerbro]], [[Copenhagen]], Denmark
| height                    = 
| death_date                = {{death date and age|1980|9|3|1926|5|18|df=yes}}
| death_place               = [[Copenhagen]], Denmark
| occupation                = Actor, [[comedian]]
| years_active              = 1947–1980
| partner                   = [[Judy Gringer]], [[Bente Askjær]]
| spouse                    = {{ill|Hanne Bjerre|da|Hanne Passer|no|Hanne Passer}}, [[Sigrid Horne-Rasmussen]]
| children                  = 2
| birth_name                = Dirch Hartvig Passer
| other_names               = 
| website                   = 
}}

'''Dirch Hartvig Passer''' (18 May 1926 – 3 September 1980) was a [[Denmark|Danish]] actor and comedian. He was renowned for his improvisational skills and, with a filmography comprising 90 films, one of Denmark's most prolific actors. His life is depicted in the Danish semi-biographical film ''[[A Funny Man]]'' (2011; Danish title: ''Dirch'') directed by [[Martin Zandvliet]] and starring [[Nikolaj Lie Kaas]] as Dirch Passer.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1706596/ imdb.com – A Funny Man]</ref>

== Life ==
When he was young, Passer was very shy, but had an ambition to become an actor. Instead, he conformed to his father's wishes by attending the [[J. Lauritzen A/S|J. Lauritzen]] sea training school near [[Svendborg]] in 1944. But since he had persistent problems with [[seasickness]], he later attended the drama school ''De frederiksbergske teatres Elevskole''.

During the 1950s he formed a duo with his friend and fellow actor [[Kjeld Petersen]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Jesper Gaarskjær |title=Kjeld & Dirch: Historien om Danmarks største komikerpar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E2t2FACtlIcC |date=March 2011 |publisher=ArtPeople |isbn=978-87-7108-387-3}}</ref> Their revue sketches, based upon the contrast between Petersen's mixture of joviality and desperate anger and Passer's deadpan responses, are still considered classics by the public. The sudden death of Kjeld Petersen in 1962 led Passer to avoid revues for five years, but he built up an individual reputation and in 1967 he returned to the revue gaining new victories. Many thin jokes in the scripts were greatly improved by his performance. In particular, his many amiable eccentrics and "nature experts" together with his sketch roles as a baby and as a nonsense "Russian"-speaking clown made him famous. From his later years must be mentioned an almost silent sketch in which he portrays a man's vain attempt to stop smoking (also shown in [[West German]] TV). It was told that he could speak any language, however he wouldn't understand any of it, which was one of his good qualities.

In his life, Dirch Passer wanted to play more serious roles instead of remaining in comedy. However, his image as a comedian was so solid that his attempt to break into serious acting proved to be unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite book |author=Tommy Gustafsson |title=Nordic Genre Film |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uBIlDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA25|year=2015 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=978-0-7486-9319-1 |pages=2–}}</ref>

== Career ==
He was often referred to as a loud actor in spite of the fact that under-acting was responsible for much of his force. A Danish critic, Jens Kistrup, once said that one of the secrets behind the comedy of Passer was its combination of elements that are normally regarded as incompatible. He possessed noisiness and discretion, loudness and quietness, boundlessness and complete control, craziness and softness – all this combined with a special intimacy with the audience. {{citation needed|date=July 2021}} Among the inspirations he mentioned [[Joe E. Brown (comedian)|Joe E. Brown]] but he was also known for his admiration of the British comedian [[Tommy Cooper]]. In his films, which were of very mixed quality, he often played kind and somewhat crazy "Everymen" or [[antihero]]es. Among his best movie roles were stage roles transferred to film; here must be mentioned the hero in ''[[Charley's Aunt]]'' (1959), Celestin-Floridor in ''[[Frøken Nitouche]]'' (1963) and Leopold in ''[[Summer in Tyrol]]'' (1964, based on ''[[The White Horse Inn (operetta)|The White Horse Inn]]'').
[[File:AageStentoftwithDirch.jpg|thumb|Dirch Passer (right) with composer [[Aage Stentoft]]]]

Numerous Danish actors see him as a role model. In day-to-day life he was quite shy in behaviour, somewhat the opposite of his theatrical appearances.

== Death ==
On 3 September 1980, Passer collapsed from cardiac arrest<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-09 |title=Dirch Passer - Skuespiller og komiker - Karriere - lex.dk |url=https://denstoredanske.lex.dk/Dirch_Passer |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=Den Store Danske |language=da}}</ref> behind the stage curtain, in his clown costume, just before the opening number of the annual Tivoli Revue at the [[Glass Hall (Tivoli Gardens)| Glass Hall in Tivoli Gardens]].<ref name=CARSON/> An hour or two later, the doctors at the hospital declared him dead.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-05-18 |title=Dirch Passers sidste timer: Afviste noget var galt - faldt om et øjeblik efter - TV 2 |url=https://underholdning.tv2.dk/kendte/2016-05-18-dirch-passers-sidste-timer-afviste-noget-var-galt-faldt-om-et-oejeblik-efter |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=underholdning.tv2.dk |language=da-DK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dirchografi - 1980 |url=http://www.dirchland.dk/bio1980.html |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=www.dirchland.dk}}</ref> Passer is buried in the church cemetery in [[Dragør, Denmark]].<ref name=CARSON>{{cite news | url=https://nyheder.tv2.dk/2019-12-27-en-detalje-i-dirch-passers-testamente-var-saerlig-vidste-han-at-han-ikke-blev-gammel | title=The Second Dirch | newspaper=TV2 | first=Camilla | last=Carson | date=27 December 2019 | access-date=6 September 2024 | language=Danish}}</ref>

== Selected filmography ==
{{div col}}
* ''{{ill|Sikken en nat|da}}'' (1947) – Publikum (uncredited)
* ''[[Stjerneskud]]'' (1947) – Hendes hårdtslående ven
* ''[[Lucky Journey|Lykke på rejsen]]'' (1947) – Statist
* ''[[Den opvakte jomfru]]'' (1950) – Sømand i 1520
* ''[[Som sendt fra himlen]]'' (1951) – Soldat
* ''[[Dorte]]'' (1951) – Amerikaner
* ''[[Vi arme syndere]]'' (1952) – Værtshusgæst
* ''[[Vejrhanen]]'' (1952) – Ekspeditionssekretær i Kirkeministeriet
* ''[[Rekrut 67, Petersen]]'' (1952) – Lillebilchauffør Larsen
* ''[[Drömsemester]]'' (1952) – Mogens Jensen
* ''[[Sunstroke (1953 film)|Solstik]]'' (1953) – Politimanden
* ''[[Ved kongelunden...]]'' (1953) – Konduktør Svendsen
* ''[[Sju svarta be-hå]]'' (1954) – Jens Nielsen
* ''[[I kongens klæ'r (1954 film)|I kongens klæ'r]]'' (1954) – Søren Rask – rekrut 66
* ''[[Sju svarta be-hå]]'' (1954)
* ''{{ill|Sol, sommer og badevand|da}}'' (1954)
* ''[[Far och flyg]]'' (1955) – Peder
* ''[[Det var paa Rundetaarn]]'' (1955) – Hans Ramløse, musiker
* ''[[Hvad vil De ha'?]]'' (1956) – Jansen
* ''[[Den store gavtyv]]'' (1956) – K.M.M. Mathisen
* ''[[Færgekroen]]'' (1956) – Erik Hansen
* ''[[Tag til marked i Fjordby]]'' (1957) – 'Lange' Emil Andersen
* ''{{ill|Dirch & Kjeld hos C. & G.|da}}'' (1957, Short)
* ''[[Krudt og klunker]]'' (1958) – Fotograf
* ''[[Styrmand Karlsen]]'' (1958) – Valdemar Bøgelund
* ''[[Pigen og vandpytten]]'' (1958) – Fabrikant Munk
* ''[[Møde ved midnat]]'' (1958, TV Short) – Mr. Fox
* ''{{ill|Dirch & Kjeld blir nye mennesker|da}}'' (1958, Short)
* ''[[The Poet and the Little Mother|Poeten og Lillemor]]'' (1959) – Bageren
* ''[[Onkel Bill fra New York]]'' (1959) – Hans Høj
* ''[[Soldaterkammerater rykker ud]]'' (1959) – Vagtsoldat
* ''[[Charles' Aunt|Charles' tante]]'' (1959) – Grev Ditlev Lensby
* ''[[Vi er allesammen tossede]]'' (1959) – Sporvognskonduktør Knudsen
* ''[[TV te' vands]]'' (1959, TV Movie) – Chef
* ''[[Poeten og Lillemor og Lotte]]'' (1960) – The baker
* ''[[The Greeneyed Elephant|Elefanter på loftet]]'' (1960) – Dennis
* ''[[Baronessen fra benzintanken]]'' (1960) – Hans Høy
* ''[[Sømand i knibe]]'' (1960) – Freddy
* ''[[Summer and Sinners]]'' (1960) – Kansas Joe
* ''[[Skibet er ladet med]]'' (1960) – Guvernør Alfond d. 1 / Alfond d. 2
* ''[[Panic in Paradise (film)|Panik i paradis]]'' (1960) – Greven
* ''[[Forelsket i København]]'' (1960) – Kunstmaler Kobolski
* ''[[Reptilicus]]'' (1961) – Petersen
* ''[[Peters baby]]'' (1961) – William Thorsen
* ''[[Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør]]'' (1961) – Bageren
* ''[[Støv på hjernen (1961 film)|Støv på hjernen]]'' (1961) – Alf Thomsen
* ''[[Gøngehøvdingen (film)|Gøngehøvdingen]]'' (1961) – Ib
* ''[[Lykkens musikanter]]'' (1962) – Elevatorfører Gogol
* ''[[Han, Hun, Dirch og Dario]]'' (1962) – Eigil Hansen
* ''[[Crazy Paradise|Det tossede paradis]]'' (1962) – Angelus Bukke
* ''[[Sømænd og svigermødre]]'' (1962) – Kanusti Mogensen
* ''{{ill|Filmdesorientering|da}}'' (1962, Short)
* ''[[Det støver stadig]]'' (1962) – Alf Thomsen
* ''[[Oskar (film)|Oskar]]'' (1962) – Martin Kristiansen
* ''[[Svinedrengen og prinsessen på ærten]]'' (1962) – (voice)
* ''[[Venus fra Vestø]]'' (1962) – Ditlev Egede-Schack
* ''[[The Girl and the Press Photographer|Pigen og pressefotografen]]'' (1963) – Bastian
* ''[[Vi har det jo dejligt]]'' (1963) – Thorvald Madsen
* ''[[Hvis lille pige er du?]]'' (1963) – Hans
* ''[[Frøken Nitouche]]'' (1963) – Floridor / Celestin
* ''[[Bussen (film)|Bussen]]'' (1963) – Buschauffør Martin
* ''[[Three Girls in Paris|Tre piger i Paris]]'' (1963) – Kok Harald Mikkelsen
* ''[[Støv for alle pengene]]'' (1963) – Alf Thomsen
* ''[[Majorens oppasser]]'' (1964) – Thomas Edison Hansen
* ''[[Summer in Tyrol|Sommer i Tyrol]]'' (1964) – Leopold Ulrik Joackim Brantmeyer
* ''[[Sailors (film)|Blåjackor]]'' (1964) – Sam
* ''[[Don Olsen kommer til byen]]'' (1964) – Thorsen
* ''[[Här kommer bärsärkarna]]'' (1965) – Garm
* ''[[Passer passer piger]]'' (1965) – Alf Thomsen
* ''[[It's Nifty in the Navy|Flådens friske fyre]]'' (1965) – Valdemar Jensen
* ''[[The Girl and the Millionaire|Pigen og millionæren]]'' (1965) – Jens Møller
* ''[[I, a Lover|Jag – en älskare]]'' (1966) – Mortensen
* ''[[Der var engang]]'' (1966) – Kasper Røghat
* ''[[Relax Freddie|Slap af, Frede!]]'' (1966) – Fettucino
* ''[[Pigen og greven]]'' (1966) – Andreas Lillelys
* ''[[Copenhagen Design]]'' (1967, TV Movie)
* ''[[Love Thy Neighbour (1967 film)|Elsk... din næste!]]'' (1967) – Olaf
* ''[[Cirkusrevyen 67]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Onkel Joakims hemmelighed]]'' (1967) – Fyrst Fingernem (uncredited)
* ''[[Me and My Kid Brother|Mig og min lillebror]]'' (1967) – Søren Severinsen
* ''[[Soldaterkammerater på bjørnetjeneste]]'' (1968) – Vagtkommandør 419 (uncredited)
* ''[[Mig og min lillebror og storsmuglerne]]'' (1968) – Søren Severinsen
* ''[[Magic in Town|Min søsters børn vælter byen]]'' (1968) – Dr. Mogensen
* ''[[The Veterinarian's Adopted Children|Dyrlægens plejebørn]]'' (1968) – Dyrlæge Linsager
* ''[[Musikken var af Kai Normann Andersen]]'' (1968, TV Movie)
* ''[[Fun in the Streets|Sjov i gaden]]'' (1969) – Peter Jensen
* ''[[The Egborg Girl|Pigen fra Egborg]]'' (1969) – John Søgaard
* ''[[Me and My Kid Brother and Doggie|Mig og min lillebror og Bølle]]'' (1969) – Søren Severinsen
* ''[[The Lustful Vicar|Kyrkoherden]]'' (1970) – Bartolomeus
* ''[[Amour (1970 film)|Amour]]'' (1970) – Blikkenslager
* ''[[The Key to Paradise|Nøglen til paradis]]'' (1970) – Gudmund (præst og rejsearrangør)
* ''[[Tough Guys of the Prairie|Præriens skrappe drenge]]'' (1970) – Biggy
* ''[[Hooray for the Blue Hussars|Hurra for de blå husarer]]'' (1970) – Spjellerup
* ''[[Den Gyldenblonde fortæller]]'' (1970, TV Movie)
* ''[[Where Is the Body, Moeller?|Hvor er liget, Møller?]]'' (1971) – Vilhelm Hårlung
* ''[[Gold for the Tough Guys of the Prairie|Guld til præriens skrappe drenge]]'' (1971) – Biggy
* ''[[My Sisters Children Go Astray|Min søsters børn, når de er værst]]'' (1971) – Viggo
* ''[[1001 Danish Delights|Takt og tone i himmelsengen]]'' (1972) – Grev Axel von Hasteen
* ''[[Lenin, You Rascal, You|Lenin, din gavtyv]]'' (1972) – General Ludendorff
* ''[[Sunstroke at the Beach Resort|Solstik på badehotellet]]'' (1973) – Doktor Grå
* ''[[Me and the Mafia|Mig og mafiaen]]'' (1973) – Victor 'Viffer' Hansen
* ''[[Me, Too, in the Mafia|Mafiaen – det er osse mig!]]'' (1974) – Victor 'Viffer' Hansen
* ''Dirch'' (1974, TV Movie) – Himself / Babyen 
* ''[[Girls at Arms|Piger i trøjen]]'' (1975) – Oversergent Vasby
* ''[[Spøgelsestoget]]'' (1976) – Theodor 'Teddy' T. Thönder
* ''[[Girls at Arms 2|Piger i trøjen 2]]'' (1976) – Vasby
* ''[[Going for Broke (1977 film)|Alt på et bræt]]'' (1977) – Alfred Emanuelsen
* ''[[Girls at Sea (1977 film)|Piger til søs]]'' (1977) – Seniorsergent Vasby
* ''[[Fængslende feriedage]]'' (1978) – Fængselsinspektør Frost
{{div col end}}

==See also==
[[Dannebrogordenens Hæderstegn]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0664850|name=Dirch Passer}}
* [http://www.eurochannel.com/en/Who-Was-Dirch-Passer.html Who was Dirch Passer?] article at [[Eurochannel]]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Passer, Dirch}}
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century Danish male actors]]
[[Category:Best Actor Bodil Award winners]]
[[Category:Bodil Honorary Award recipients]]
[[Category:Danish male comedians]]
[[Category:Danish male actors]]
[[Category:Danish male film actors]]
[[Category:Danish people of Dutch descent]]
[[Category:Deaths onstage]]
[[Category:Male actors from Copenhagen]]