Conrad Veidt Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 6 ft 2½ in |
Weight | 69 kg |
Date of Birth | January 22, 1893 |
Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
Eye Color | Blue |
Conrad Veidt was a German-born British actor who rose to fame with his appearance in the films Different from the Others (1919), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), and The Man Who Laughs (1928). However, one of his most prominent roles was as the character of Major Strasser in Casablanca (1942).
Born Name
Hans Walter Conrad Veidt
Nick Name
Connie/Conny, King of the Gooseflesh
Age
Conrad Veidt was born on January 22, 1893.
Died
Conrad Veidt died on April 3, 1943, at the age of 50, in Los Angeles, California, United States, due to a heart attack.
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Born Place
Berlin, German Empire
Nationality
Education
Conrad failed to attain a diploma from Sophiengymnasium (secondary school) in the Schoeneberg district of Berlin as he had ranked 13th out of 13 pupils upon graduation in 1912.
Occupation
Actor
Family
- Father – Philipp Heinrich Veidt (Former military man turned civil servant)
- Mother – Amalie Marie (née Gohtz)
- Siblings – Karl Veidt (Older Brother) (d. in the 1900’s)
Build
Slim
Height
6 ft 2½ in or 189 cm
Weight
69 kg or 152 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Conrad has dated –
- Gussy Holl (1918-1922) – Conrad tied the knot with actress and singer Gussy Holl on June 10, 1918, whom he met in March 1918. However, their marriage was short-lived as they decided to part ways in 1919. Despite, trying to reconcile multiple times after that, they divorced in 1922. He had described his wife as just “as perfect as any wife could be”. But I had not learned how to be a proper husband”. However, Holl had a different side to the story, stating that she was once performing at a cabaret while Conrad had invited some of his friends over for a dine-in. Further, she went on to state “It just so happened I had received a new dress from Paris. That evening, after work, I arrived home and what do I see? All these gentlemen dressed as women. And Conrad had put on my Paris dress. At this point, I divorced!”.
- Anna Maria “Felizitas” Radke (1922-1932) – Conrad met his second wife Anna Maria “Felizitas” Radke who was of Austrian descent at a party in December 1922 or at a Charleston dance competition in 1923. Radke who had previously been married divorced her then-husband to be with Conrad, and they married Veidt on April 18, 1923. The couple had a daughter, Vera Viola Maria, nicknamed “Kiki” and also known as “Viola,” (b. August 10, 1925). At the time of her birth, it was reported that he was so hysterical from joy the doctors had to sedate him and keep him in the hospital overnight. The family resided in a Spanish-style house in Beverly Hills from September 1926 to 1929, before returning to Germany in 1929, and temporarily relocating to various other places including Vienna, Austria. The constant shifting and time restraints due to Veidt’s busy schedule put a restraint on their marriage and the two of them ended up getting a divorce in 1932. His daughter died on February 2, 2004, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Flora Ilona Barta Greger (1933-1943) – He got married for the last time to Hungarian Jew Flora Ilona Barta Greger also known as “Lilli” or “Lily,” on March 24, 1933, in Berlin with whom he remained until his death in 1943. They had met at a club in Berlin.
Race / Ethnicity
White
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
He used to sport a well-groomed appearance.
Religion
Christianity
He was devoted to Lutheranism.
Conrad Veidt Facts
- He was born in his home in Tieckstraße 39 in Berlin.
- Conrad described his childhood as being raised in a household with an “affectionately autocratic, strict, idealistic” father and a “sensitive and nurturing” mother.
- Veidt was baptized on March 26, 1893, and was confirmed on March 5, 1908, at a Protestant Evangelical Church in Alt-Schöneberg, Berlin ceremony.
- Growing up, he wanted to become a surgeon, modeling his future self to the doctor who saved his father and charged a fee that his family could pay easily for when he had fallen ill and required heart surgery.
- Upon having attained low grades, Veidt’s passion for becoming a surgeon was crushed but he had already discovered his passion for acting in 1911, at a Christmas play in school.
- Conrad’s brother Karl was just 9 when he sadly passed away due to scarlet fever.
- He and his family would often spend their summers in Potsdam.
- His mother died due to a heart condition in January 1922.
- Conrad was a self-proclaimed powerful medium.
- In his free time, Conrad took great pleasure in sports, gardening, swimming, golfing, classical music, and reading fiction and nonfiction books. On the other hand, he had a strong dislike for heights, flying, the number 17, wearing ties, pudding, and interviews.
- He opposed the Nazi regime and even went as far as to contribute large amounts of funds for the relief of Britons during the German Blitz bombings.
- Conrad relocated from London to Los Angeles, on June 13, 1940, where he resided at 617 North Camden Drive in Beverly Hills.
- He had been diagnosed with the same heart condition as his mother in the 1930s which eventually took his life on the spot on April 3, 1943, while playing golf (8th hole) at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles with singer Arthur Fields and his personal physician.
Featured Image By MGM-photo by Clarence Bull / Wikimedia / Public Domain