Uwe Kockisch, the actor known for his role as ‘Commissario Brunetti’ in the crime series ‘Donna Leon,’ died on Monday at the age of 81 in Madrid, his agency confirmed citing his wife to the German Press Agency.

Born on January 31, 1944, in Cottbus, Kockisch began his acting career after attending the Berlin Acting School and was a member of the Maxim Gorki Theater ensemble in East Berlin for over 20 years.

Following German reunification, he sought new challenges in unified German film and television, regularly appearing in crime series such as ‘Tatort,’ ‘Rosa Roth,’ and ‘Polizeiruf 110,’ often playing tailor-made detective roles.

Kockisch gained his largest audience through the adaptations of the Commissario Brunetti novels by American author Donna Leon, taking over the role in 2003 and playing it until the series ended in 2019, set against the backdrop of Venice.

In his personal life, Kockisch attempted to flee East Germany as a youth and was imprisoned for a time. He described the experience as making him mature quickly, though it was not traumatic for him.

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