Cast & creator
Thorsten Merten
Best known for Scene of the Crime, Scene of the Crime, Scene of the Crime
Thorsten Merten (born December 4, 1963, in Ruhla) is a German actor. Thorsten Merten originally intended to become a journalist and initially worked as a trainee at the newspaper *Das Volk*. After completing his military service, he underwent acting training from 1986 to 1990 at the "Ernst Busch" Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin, where he attended the newly established cabaret department and graduated with a diploma in cabaret performance. This was followed by engagements at various theaters both at home and abroad, including the Théâtre Vidy in Lausanne, the Staatstheater Schwerin, the Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, the Volksbühne Berlin, and the Deutsches Theater Berlin. For his stage work, he was awarded the Conrad Ekhof Prize in 1999. His notable stage roles include McMurphy in *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*, the Ghost in *Hamlet*, as well as roles in *Ivanov*, *Prometheus*, and *Sonnenallee*. In 2024, he played the role of operations manager Kuckuck in the operetta *Messeschlager Gisela* at the Komische Oper Berlin. Merten gained his first experience in front of the camera in 1992 in Andreas Dresen's film *Stilles Land*. He achieved his breakthrough in 2001 with the tragicomedy *Halbe Treppe* (Grill Point), also directed by Dresen. Since then, he has appeared regularly in both feature films and television productions. Merten also gained recognition through roles in *Wilsberg*, *Afrika, mon amour*, *Bella Block*, *Helen Dorn*, *Donna Leon*, and numerous episodes of *Tatort*. From 2013 to 2021, he played the role of precinct chief Stich in the Weimar-based *Tatort* series. Since 2009, he has portrayed Chief Inspector—later Police Commissioner—Martin Fichte in the ZDF series *Spreewaldkrimi*. He has also played lead roles in other productions, including *Silvi* and *Fremdkörper*. In 2021, he received the German Film Award for his supporting role in *Curveball – Wir machen die Wahrheit*. Furthermore, Merten came up with the idea for the Netflix series *Das letzte Wort*, in which he appeared alongside Anke Engelke.
96
film credits
59
television credits
155
1970–2026 · acting roles
6.0
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (155)
Showing 155 of 155 credits
Scene of the Crime
Kriminalhauptkommissar Kurt Stich
1970Scene of the Crime
Kurt Stich
1970Scene of the Crime
Robert Roetgen
1970Scene of the Crime
Christof Rüter
1970Scene of the Crime
Walter Lemke
1970Scene of the Crime
Kommissariatsleiter Kurt Stich
1970Scene of the Crime
Christian Wilmots
1970Scene of the Crime
Thomas Peters
1970Scene of the Crime
Peter Lessing
1970
Polizeiruf 110
Hannes Iwanowski
1971Polizeiruf 110
Jan Jürgens
1971
SOKO Köln
Lars Beck
2003
Leipzig Homicide
Volker Hoss
2001
Riverboat
Self
1992
Murder in the Mountains
Stefan Schiener
2001
Küstenwache
Hartmut Schild
1997
Hamburg Dockland
Bernd Wöhler
2007
Vienna Crime Squad
Falk Link
2005Im Namen des Gesetzes
Bodo Seitz
1994
Babylon Berlin
Henning
2017
Wolffs Revier
Jörg Bauer
1992
Wilsberg
Rainer Wiedemann
1995
Letzte Spur Berlin
Jürgen Beck
2012
Der Staatsanwalt
Robert Stein
2005
Ein starkes Team
Maik Lehmann
1994
Die Kanzlei
Otto Suhlke
2015
Der Kriminalist
Lutz Ebeling
2006Der Kriminalist
Jochen Pohl
2006
Stubbe – Von Fall zu Fall
Uwe Diepenbrock
1995
Die Chefin
Harald Steiner
2012
Bella Block
Peter Liersch
1993
Spreewaldkrimi
Fichte
2006Spreewaldkrimi
Martin Fichte
2006Bloch
Frank
2002
KDD - Kriminaldauerdienst
Van Gogh
2007
Donna Leon
Palazzi
2000Donna Leon
Piero Sartor
2000
Kommissar Stolberg
Manuel Lichtenberg
2006
Helen Dorn
Wachmann Strauch
2014
The Gryphon
Dr. Peters
2023
Unter anderen Umständen
Achim Kaminski
2006
Flemming
Arndt Buchwald
2009
Other People's Money
Rolf Lebert
2025
German Genius
Olli Hansen
2023
Sam: A Saxon
Major Schreier
2023
Pumpen
Rainer Müller
2024
Kommissar Marthaler
Dr. Meisner
2012
Divided We Stand
Hajo Gärster
2022
Befriending the Grouch
Nowak
2021
Berlin Hero
Harald Wischnewsky
2025
The Audition
2019
From Hilde, with Love
Dr. Minergerode
2024
The Institute - Oasis of Failure
2018
The Last Word
Andreas Borowski
2020
Berlin Bad Trip
Jens Lamprecht
2023
Solo für Schwarz
Raik Schleusser
2003
The Next Level
Matt
2025
Deutscher
Frank Pielcke
2020
Open the Wall
Manfred
2014K3 – Kripo Hamburg
Kurt Schmidt
2003
The Elementary Particles
Hubert
2006
Sedwitz
Ralf "Ralle" Pietzsch
2015
Der Rücktritt
Martin Heidemanns
2014
Bibi Blocksberg - Die total verhexte Zeitreise
Krause
2026
Alfons Zitterbacke
Mr. Flickendorf
2019
Atlas
Alfred Hoppe
2018
Stopped on Track
2011
We Are Young. We Are Strong.
2014
Die Pfeiler der Macht
Joseph Pilaster
2016
Naked Among Wolves
Hans Bochow
2015
Locked in Society
Manfred Prohaska
2022
In Times of Fading Light
2017
Curveball
Schatz
2021
Operation Valkyrie
Peter Graf Yorck v. Wartenburg
2004
Sooner or Later
2007
I've Never Been Happier
Schlickenrieder
2009
Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos!
Herr Flickendorf
2022
The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
Taxifahrer Klaus
2018
Bruder - Schwarze Macht
Bahr
2017
What You Can See from Here
Herr Rödder
2022
Der Fall Marianne Voss
Fritz Malowski
2024
Auf Doktor komm raus
Apotheker Walter
2010
Hit Mom – Mörderische Weihnachten
Professor
2017
Miss Merkel - Ein Uckermark-Krimi
Joachim Sauer
2023
In Liebe eine Eins
Herr Steiner
2005
Hunting Season
Vermieter
2022
Donbass
German Journalist
2018
Miss Merkel - Ein Kreuzfahrt-Krimi
Joachim
2025
Gun-shy
Krausser
2003
Miss Merkel - Mord auf dem Friedhof
Achim Sauer
2024
There Are No Orange Trees in Berlin
Wärter Grunert
2020
Rough Road Ahead
2015
Grill Point
Christian
2002
Remarque - Sein Weg zum Ruhm
Chefredakteur der „Sport im Bild“
2008
Kohlhaas or the Proportionality of Means
Herse
2013
Rübezahls Schatz
Arzt
2017
Lunik
Toni Harmann
2007Triptych
Wahrheit oder Pflicht
Lehrer Behnke
2005
Foreign Body
Wolfgang
2015
November Child
Alexander
2008
The Golden Goose
Räubervater
2013
The Policeman's Niece
Werner Barth
2025
Tiger Milk
Stefan
2017Einschnitt
der Bürochef
2015
A Stroll to Syracuse
2026
Silvi - Maybe Love
Michael
2013
Eine riskante Entscheidung
Bernhard Elster
2022
Cicadas
Uwe
2025
Vom Atmen unter Wasser
Jo
2008
The Last Pig
Meier
2016
Haltet die Welt an
André Spanuth
2010
Willkommen bei Habib
Bruno
2014
Die Frau am Ende der Straße
Klaus Garbers
2007
Gundermann
Puppenspieler
2018
Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot
Hofrat
2012
Die Nachrichten
2005
Sushi in Suhl
Hans Leutner
2012
Alki Alki
Thomas
2015
Bach - A Christmas Miracle
Adrian Stieglitz
2024Die Verteidigerin - Tötungsabsicht
Heil
Verfassungsschützer F. – Sachsen
2015
Gravity
Kollath
2010Charlotte
Georg
2004
Ruhm
Klaus Rubinstein
2012
Night to be Gone
Dieter
2024
Four Windows
Vater
2006
Sprachlos in Irland
Dirk
2021
Brothers
Rainer Welke
2017
Underdogs
Forster
2008
Der vierte Mann
Kurt Lehrmann
2019
Empathie
Rüdiger
2010
Der zweite Kurzschluss
Oliver
2023
Exit
Hönings
2020
Kleine Eheverbrechen
Dieter Beil
2023
Inklusion - gemeinsam anders
Heribert Stein
2011
Das Nebelhaus
Doros Chef
2017
Weisst du eigentlich dass ganz viele Blumen blühen im Park
2011
Meer is nich
Friedrich
2007
Good Girl Gone Bad
Helmut Mayer
2019
Roxy
Passfälscher
2024
Silent Country
Kai Finke
1992
Up – Down
Peet
1994
Arschkalt
Erhard
2011
Der zweite Mann
Klaus Padberg
2013
Augen zu
Frank
2011Gespensterwald
Jan Jürgens
Schwarzer Sommer
Jan Jürgens
Die Weihnachtswette
Reinhold
2006Der große Zusammenbruch
2026
Sunny
2013
Knorx
Vogtländer
2019
Frösche petzen nicht
Jörg Hilbert
2010
Transport
2004