Editing Thomas Gottschalk

{{Short description|German television host and entertainer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox person
|image=Maischberger - 2018-02-28-9492.jpg
|imagesize=
|caption=Gottschalk at the talk show ''[[maischberger. die woche]]'' in 2018
|birth_name=Thomas Johannes Gottschalk
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1950|5|18|df=y}}
|birth_place=[[Bamberg]], [[Bavaria]], West Germany
|death_date=
|death_place=
|years_active = 1971–present
|spouse={{marriage|Thea Hauer|1976|2024|end=divorced}}
{{marriage|Karina Mroß|2024|}}
|occupation=Radio and TV host, entertainer, actor
|children     = 2
}}

'''Thomas Johannes Gottschalk''' (born 18 May 1950 in Bamberg) is a German radio and television host and entertainer. He is best known for hosting ''[[Wetten, dass..?]]'', for many years Europe's biggest television show,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/wetten-dass-so-lief-die-letzte-ausgabe-von-wetten-dass-/11112270.html|title = So lief die letzte Ausgabe von "Wetten, dass...?"| newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel Online | date=4 December 2014 | last1=Ehrenberg | first1=Markus }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.presseportal.de/pm/7840/807173|title=Europas größte Show macht Gottschalk weiter Spaß25 Jahre "Wetten dass...?" - Jubiläums-Sendung am MittwochINTERVIEW Thomas Gottschalk}}</ref> which he steered to huge success in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and [[South Tyrol]] between 1987 and 2023. Until 2015, he was also the brand ambassador in television advertisements for [[Haribo]] confectionery.

==Early life==
Gottschalk was born in [[Bamberg]], [[Bavaria]], the son of a lawyer. After attending the ''[[Gymnasium (Germany)#Humanistisches Gymnasium .28humanities-oriented.29|Humanistisches Gymnasium]]'' ([[humanities]]-oriented high school) in [[Kulmbach]], he studied history and [[German studies|German philology]], eventually taking his exams as a teacher for primary and secondary schools; however, it was during this time that he discovered his true vocation: entertainment.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

==Career==
From 1971 on, Gottschalk worked as a [[freelancer]] for the youth program of the [[Bayerischer Rundfunk]] (Bavarian Broadcasting); in 1973, he became anchor for a news program. In 1976, after a brief detour to the newspaper ''Münchner Merkur'', he became a regular contributor at the Bayerischer Rundfunk, and subsequently gained popularity as the host of the show ''Pop nach acht''. He was awarded the ''[[Kurt-Magnus-Preis]]'' for his "outstanding talents" as a radio host in 1978.

Starting in 1977, Gottschalk hosted the TV show ''Telespiele''. Initially broadcast on the Bayerischer Rundfunk's television channel, it switched to the national public [[ARD (TV)|ARD]] channel in 1980. In the same year, Gottschalk founded GLS United, the first German hip hop group and performed the first German rap song, "Rapper's Deutsch".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/de/article/thomas-gottschalk-war-der-erste-deutsche-rapper/|title=Thomas Gottschalk war der erste deutsche Rapper—Auch wenn es weh tut|date=16 August 2016|work=Noisey|access-date=19 January 2018|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hitparade.ch/song/G.L.S.-United/Rapper's-Deutsch-292739|title=G.L.S.-United – Rapper's Deutsch – hitparade.ch|last=Hung|first=Steffen|website=hitparade.ch|access-date=19 January 2018}}</ref>

From 1982 to 1987, Gottschalk hosted the show ''Na sowas'' on [[ZDF]] and was awarded the [[Goldene Kamera]] (golden camera) for his performance on that show in 1985. During that period he also starred in several German comedies with actor [[Mike Krüger]]. Gottschalk occasionally works as an actor until today, taking roles in the Hollywood movies ''[[Trabbi goes to Hollywood]]'' (1991) and ''[[Zookeeper (film)|Zookeeper]]'' (2011). In 1993, Gottschalk starred in ''[[Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit]]'' (1993) as a consequence of leading actress [[Whoopi Goldberg]] losing a bet in Gottschalk's gameshow ''[[Wetten, dass..?]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.express.de/news/wetten--dass----thomas-gottschalk-bald-bei--sister-act--15249028|title = Wetten, dass..?: Thomas Gottschalk bald bei "Sister Act"}}</ref> He plays the sausage-obsessed German cook, Father Wolfgang.

In 1987, Gottschalk replaced [[Frank Elstner]] as host of ''Wetten, dass..?'', which he continued until December 2011, with only a brief interruption from 1992 to 1994 when the show was taken over by [[Wolfgang Lippert (actor)|Wolfgang Lippert]]. Reportedly, his withdrawal from the show was related to an accident that happened live on ''Wetten, dass..?'' on 4 December 2010. A contestant in the show, a young gymnast named [[Samuel Koch]], was paralyzed from the shoulders down after being hit by a car during a stunt where he was to jump over it with [[Powerbocking|spring-loaded boots]]. Gottschalk was upset this happened and called off the show early for the first time ever when it became apparent that Koch was severely injured. Gottschalk announced his retirement from the show in the next episode.<ref>http://dailyherold.tv/2011/02/12/gottschalk-leaves-wetten-dass-after-accident-with-samuel-koch/ {{Dead link|date=March 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Thomas Gottschalk.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Gottschalk in 2005]]
From 1992 to 1995, Gottschalk also hosted a late night show on television, ''Gottschalk Late Night'', and while it was not very successful, it is considered a predecessor to such shows such as ''[[Die Harald Schmidt Show]]'', ''[[TV total]]'' and the ''[[Johannes B. Kerner Show]]''. ''Gottschalk Late Night'' also featured the ''Model '92'' Competition during 1992, in which [[Heidi Klum]] was the winner and received a modeling contract and winning prize, paving the way for her modeling career.

Gottschalk has been awarded a number of prizes for his work; apart from those mentioned above. These include the ''[[Telestar]]'' in 1987, the ''Goldenes Schlitzohr'' (golden rascal) and the ''Goldenes Kabel'' (golden cable) in 1991, as well as the ''Goldene Feder'' ("golden feather") in 2001. He also received a total of three [[Bambi (prize)|Bambi]] awards, which he returned in 1988 after a dispute with the publisher [[Hubert Burda Media|Burda]]. However, in 2001, he was awarded a "Bambi of honor" which he accepted. In 2012 Gottschalk co-hosted the show ''[[Das Supertalent]]''.

Gottschalk also co-hosts the German TV show ''Die 2 – Gottschalk und Jauch gegen alle'' together with [[Günther Jauch]].<ref>{{cite web|title=RTL: Die 2: Gottschalk und Jauch gegen alle.|url=http://www.rtl.de/cms/sendungen/show/die-2-gottschalk-jauch-gegen-alle.html}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Gottschalk married his wife Thea in 1976. He has two sons, Roman and Tristan and one grandson (born 2010). In 2019, he announced that he and Thea would be getting divorced after 43 years of marriage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.merkur.de/boulevard/thomas-gottschalk-aeussert-zweifel-nach-ehe-aus-schlechtes-gewissen-zr-11863346.html|title = Thomas Gottschalk äußert Zweifel nach Ehe-Aus: "Schlechtes Gewissen"|date = 23 October 2019}}</ref>

On 16 November 2004, Gottschalk bought Castle Marienfels in [[Remagen]], Germany. He lived there from 2006 to 2013. It was announced at the end of January 2013 that he had sold the castle to Frank Asbeck.<ref>''[http://www.ksta.de/panorama/frank-asbeck-solarworld-gruender-kauft-gottschalk-schloss,15189504,21561556.html Solarworld-Gründer kauft Gottschalk-Schloss]'', [[Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger]], 25. Januar 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/leute/luxus-immobilie-am-rhein-solarworld-chef-kauft-gottschalks-schloss-a-879828.html Luxus-Immobilie am Rhein: Solarworld-Chef kauft Gottschalks Schloss spiegel.de, 26. Januar 2013], retrieved, 26 January 2013</ref> He has had a second home in [[Malibu, California]], since the beginning of the 1990s. The residence burned down in the [[2018 California wildfires]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stern.de/lifestyle/leute/thomas-gottschalks-villa-in-malibu-ist-abgebrannt--8443828.html|title = Hier lebte er den Traum vieler Deutscher: Thomas Gottschalks Villa in Malibu ist abgebrannt| date=12 November 2018 }}</ref>

In 2005, Gottschalk received an entry in the [[Guinness World Records]], having been featured in longest running ad featuring one person; between 1991 and 2015 he regularly appeared in ads for the sweets company [[Haribo]].<ref>[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-appearances-in-television-commercials-for-the-same-brand Guinness World Records]</ref>

On 20 November 2008, he won €1 million for charity in a celebrity version of ''[[Wer wird Millionär? (German game show)|Wer wird Millionär?]]'', the German version of ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?]]''.

==Filmography==
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year !! Title !! Role !!  Notes
|-
| 1978
| ''Summer Night Fever''
| DJ
| 
|-
| 1981
| ''Piratensender Powerplay''
| Tommy Jürgensen
| 
|-
| 1983
| ''[[Die Supernasen]]''
| Tommy Jürgensen / Prince Faruk al Habib
| Also co-writer
|-
| 1984
| ''Zwei Nasen tanken Super'' 
| Tommy Jürgensen
| Also co-writer
|-
| 1984
| ''{{ill|Mama Mia – Don't Panic|de|Mama Mia – Nur keine Panik}}''
| Frank Müller
| 
|-
| 1985
| ''Big Mäc''
| Bernhard Maurer
| 
|-
| 1985
| ''Die Einsteiger''
| Tommy Jürgensen
| Also co-writer
|-
| 1985
| ''Seitenstechen''
| Showmaster
| 
|-
| 1987
| ''{{ill|Three Crazy Jerks|de|Zärtliche Chaoten}}'' ({{aka}} ''Lovable Zanies'')
| Richy
| Also writer 
|-
| 1988
| ''{{ill|Three Crazy Jerks II|de|Zärtliche Chaoten II}}'' ({{aka}} ''Lovable Zanies II'')
| Richy
| Also writer, director and composer
|-
| 1990
| ''{{ill|Harry and Harriet|de|Eine Frau namens Harry}}''
| Harry
| 
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Think Big (film)|Think Big]]''
| Mr. Roberts
| 
|-
| 1991
| ''{{Ill|Keep on Running (film)|de|3=Keep on Running|lt=Keep on Running}}''
| Latin teacher 
| Cameo appearance
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Trabbi goes to Hollywood]]''
| Gunther Schmidt
| 
|-
| 1992
| ''{{ill|Ring of the Musketeers|de|Der Ring der Musketiere}}''
| Peter Porthos
| 
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit]]''
| Father Wolfgang
| 
|-
| 1999
| ''{{ill|Late Show (1999 film)|de|3=Late Show|lt=Late Show}}''
| Hannes Engel
| 
|-
| 2004
| ''[[Garfield: The Movie]]''
| [[Garfield (character)|Garfield]] (voice)
|  German dub
|-
| 2007
| ''[[Meet the Robinsons]]''
| Cornelius Robinson (voice)
| German dub
|-
| 2008
| ''[[1½ Knights – In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde]]''
| King Gunther
| 
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Zookeeper (film)|Zookeeper]]''
| Jürgen Mavroc
|
|-
|}

== Audiobooks ==
* ''Herbstblond: Die Autobiographie'' ([[Audiobook]], [[Autobiography]], read by Thomas Gottschalk), [[Random House Audio]] 2015, {{ISBN|978-3837130768}}
* ''Herbstbunt: Wer nur alt wird, aber nicht klüger, ist schön blöd'' ([[Audiobook]], [[Autobiography]], read by Thomas Gottschalk), [[Random House Audio]] 2019, {{ISBN|978-3837145885}}

==Awards==
* [[Goldener Gong]] (1983)
* [[Telestar]] (1987)
* [[Deutscher Fernsehpreis]] ''Beste Show'' für ''Wetten, dass..?'' (gemeinsam mit Viktor Worms und Alexander Arnz) (1999)
* [[Bayerischer Fernsehpreis]] ''Ehrenpreis des Bayerischen Ministerpräsidenten'' (1999)
* [[Rose d'Or]] ''Goldene Rose für Game-Show-Moderation'' für ''Wetten, dass..?'' (2005)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{cc}}
*{{IMDb name|332052}}
*[http://www.synchronkartei.de/index.php5?action=show&type=talker&id=936 Thomas Gottschalk] at the German Dubbing Card Index

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gottschalk, Thomas}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:German game show hosts]]
[[Category:German radio presenters]]
[[Category:German television talk show hosts]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Bamberg]]
[[Category:German expatriate male actors in the United States]]
[[Category:ZDF people]]
[[Category:RTL Group people]]
[[Category:Bayerischer Rundfunk people]]
[[Category:Südwestrundfunk people]]
[[Category:Male actors from Bavaria]]