Ernst Ziegler born Ernst Aldoff, was a German

Germans

The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....

 actor.

Ziegler began his film career in 1932, appearing in the German film Die verkaufte Braut (The Bartered Bride). He went on to act in other German films and on German television. In 1970, he appeared in the American film Something for Everyone

Something for Everyone (1970 film)

Something for Everyone is a black comedy starring Angela Lansbury, Michael York, Anthony Higgins, and Jane Carr. The film was based on the novel The Cook by Harry Kressing, with the screenplay written by Hugh Wheeler...

, starring Angela Lansbury

Angela Lansbury

Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins...

. His final film role was as Grandpa George (Charlie Bucket's grandfather) in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...

. By this time, Ziegler's health was deteriorating, and he was legally blind. He died of emphysema

Emphysema

Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...

 in April 1974, five days before his 80th birthday.

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