Michael Mittermeier: OLDBOY… sind wir bald da?

Since 1996, Michael Mittermeier has been making the German show stages unsafe with his unmistakable sense of humour. However, the Bavarian comedian also tours South Africa, Russia, England and the USA in English. Mittermeier owes his success as an artist to Bono, the frontman of the Irish band U2.

Michael Fritz Mittermeier was born on April 3, 1966 in Dorfen in Upper Bavaria. He made his first appearance on TV when he was a teenager: together with his brother, who later also worked as a cabaret artist, he appeared on the ZDF program "Scooter" in 1981.

Mittermeier's key moment at a U2 concert

1987 will be a drastic year for the comedian. Michael Mittermeier is in the front row at the U2 show. After frontman Bono twice fumbles on the guitar, he asks the audience if anyone is present who can play the guitar. Mittermeier answers and is pulled onto the stage. That's when the future comedian realizes that he belongs permanently on a stage.

After graduating from high school, Michael Mittermeier will first concentrate on studying political science and American studies. But even here, the dream of a career as a comedian doesn't let go of him: he wrote his master's thesis in 1994 on American stand-up comedy. After graduating, he works on his first stage show, with which he can start straight away.

Michael Mittermeier becomes a successful German and international comedian

In 1996 he goes Michael Mittermeier on tour: In his solo program entitled "Zapped", the comedian, who calls himself "Michl", skillfully parodies the television landscape of the time - with resounding success. With the program, he significantly coined the use of the term "ass antlers" and his parodies on the commercial for Yogurette and the television series MacGyver are now true comedy classics. The tickets for Michael Mittermeier's shows sell like hot cakes and the artist can establish himself as a comedian great.

His performances take Mittermeier through Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He also presents his programs in English and played in comedy clubs in New York City in 2004 and 2005. In 2010 he was the first comedian from Germany to appear at the international comedy festival in Cape Town, South Africa.

In 2011, a set at the Canadian festival "Just For Laughs" followed. Further English language performances take place in London and Russia. In 2015 Michael Mittermeier played a small tour through the USA.

Mittermeier already has the following programs in his repertoire:

• 1996: "Zapped"
• 2002: Back To Life
• 2004: Paranoid
• 2007: Safari
• 2010: Attention Baby
• 2013: "Blackout"
• 2015: "Wild"
• 2018: "Lucky Punch"

Michael Mittermeier – also successful outside of comedy

In addition to his comedy programs, Michael Mittermeier can also be seen time and again in television shows, as a moderator or in various documentaries. The comedian is particularly successful with his music-comedy-crossover project “Mittermeier And Friends”. Among other things, he appears there with his wife Gudrun Allwang. The comedian and the singer have been married since 1998 and have a daughter together.

The project also resulted in the single "Kumba Yo!", which Michael Mittermeier released in 2001 together with the Band Guano Apes records. The song can be placed in the top 10 in Germany and Austria. In addition, Michael Mittermeier also works as a voice actor, among other things: In the film series "Hexe Lilli" he takes on the role of the animated dragon Hector.

Off the stage, the artist advocates for various aid projects and is also politically involved. Among other things, he stands up for human rights and in 2010 shot the documentary “This Prison Where I Live” about the comedian Zarganar, who was imprisoned in Burma. Through Mittermeier's efforts, Zarganar is released from prison a year after the film's start.