The German film industry is mourning the passing of actor Horst Buchholz at the age of 68.

After appearing at Berlin's Schiller Theatre, Buchholz was discovered by director Julien Duvivier who gave him his first film role in Marianne De Ma Jeunesse in 1955.

In the same year, he appeared in Helmut Kaeutner's Sky Without Stars, winning the Best Actor award when the film screened at the Cannes Film Festival. His breakthrough to stardom came after he played the title role in the adaptation of Thomas Mann's The Confessions Of Felix Krull, leading him to make his way to Hollywood. There he made his American debut in The Magnificent Seven (1960).

One of his most memorable roles was as the Communist Otto in Billy Wilder's East-West, Berlin-set comedy One, Two, Three, opposite Liselotte Pulver and James Cagney.

In later years, he moved between cinema and the theatre and appeared in Wim Wenders' Faraway, So Close as well as playing the concentration camp doctor in Roberto Benigni's Oscar-winning Life Is Beautiful.