Ralf Moeller
Encyclopedia
Ralf Rudolf Möller is a German and American actor and former competitive bodybuilder
. He is best known for his roles of Brick Bardo in Cyborg
, Kjartan in The Viking Sagas
, the title character in the television show Conan the Adventurer
, Hagen in Gladiator
, Thorak in The Scorpion King
and Ulfar in Pathfinder.
, Germany
in 1959. He was born to a German
mother, and an American
father, who was also of German descent.
He used to work as a lifeguard in a public swimming pool in his hometown.
alongside Lee Haney
, Shawn Ray
and other notable champions. He is one of the tallest bodybuilding champions to date standing at , weighing 288 pounds in 1988.
. In 1992, he appeared in Universal Soldier
with Dolph Lundgren
and Jean-Claude Van Damme
. In 1993 he played the villain Brakus opposite Phillip Rhee
and Eric Roberts
in Best of the Best 2
.
His two biggest mainstream film roles to date are Ridley Scott
's Gladiator
, appearing alongside his friend Russell Crowe
, and in 2002's The Scorpion King
. Besides these two movies, he has played the leading character in The Viking Sagas
, and also played Conan the Barbarian
in the TV-series Conan
. The show aired in 1997–1998, and the premise was that Conan, accompanied by his three sidekicks, was chosen by the god Crom to fight and vanquish the evil Hissah Zul and to become king.
Also in both The Bad Pack
(1997) and Gladiator
(2000), Möller appeared alongside fellow bodybuilder Sven-Ole Thorsen
. He went on to appear in El padrino (2004), sequel to The Bad Pack, once again playing Special Agent Kurt Mayers.
/techno
-band E Nomine
on a number of their albums.
and is often photographed with him.
in New York City
. This is the largest German-American event in the country, and tens of thousands of fans celebrated Möller as one of only a few German actors with success in Hollywood.
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
. He is best known for his roles of Brick Bardo in Cyborg
Cyborg (film)
Cyborg is a 1989 American martial-arts science fiction film directed by Albert Pyun. Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Gibson Rickenbacker, a mercenary who battles a group of murderous marauders led by Fender Tremolo along the East coast of the United States in a post-apocalyptic future.-Plot:A...
, Kjartan in The Viking Sagas
The Viking Sagas
The Viking Sagas is an American film from 1995, directed by Michael Chapman, starring Ralf Möller and Sven-Ole Thorsen.-Plot synopsis:The story takes place in Iceland around the height of the Viking Age, where a young man, Kjartan , must defeat a horde of evil Vikings, intent on taking over his...
, the title character in the television show Conan the Adventurer
Conan the Adventurer (TV series)
Conan: The Adventurer is a low-budget American television series produced from 1997 to 1998 and loosely based on the fantasy hero Conan the barbarian. The TV show premiered on September 22, 1997, and ran for 22 episodes. This live-action series starred Ralf Möller as Conan of Cimmeria and Danny...
, Hagen in Gladiator
Gladiator (2000 film)
Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
, Thorak in The Scorpion King
The Scorpion King
The Scorpion King is a 2002 American action film directed by Chuck Russell, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov, and Michael Clarke Duncan...
and Ulfar in Pathfinder.
Early Life
Möller was born in RecklinghausenRecklinghausen
Recklinghausen is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. It borders the rural Münsterland and is characterized by large fields and farms in the north and industry in the south...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1959. He was born to 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....
mother, and an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
father, who was also of German descent.
He used to work as a lifeguard in a public swimming pool in his hometown.
Bodybuilding (1976–1991)
He began bodybuilding at age 17 and was the German Champion by 1984. He competed in the 1988 Mr. OlympiaMr. Olympia
Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness . Joe Weider created the contest to enable the...
alongside Lee Haney
Lee Haney
Lee Haney , is a former American IFBB professional bodybuilder most famous for being the current joint record holder, along with Ronnie Coleman, for winning the most Mr...
, Shawn Ray
Shawn Ray
Shawn Ray is a former professional bodybuilder and author.-Bodybuilding career:In over 30 major bodybuilding competitions, Ray only failed to place in the top five once...
and other notable champions. He is one of the tallest bodybuilding champions to date standing at , weighing 288 pounds in 1988.
Acting (1987–Present)
Möller began a film career in 1987 with the film CyborgCyborg (film)
Cyborg is a 1989 American martial-arts science fiction film directed by Albert Pyun. Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Gibson Rickenbacker, a mercenary who battles a group of murderous marauders led by Fender Tremolo along the East coast of the United States in a post-apocalyptic future.-Plot:A...
. In 1992, he appeared in Universal Soldier
Universal Soldier (1992 film)
Universal Soldier is a 1992 American science fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers who kill each other in Vietnam but are reanimated in a secret Army project along with a large group of other previously dead...
with Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...
and Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
. In 1993 he played the villain Brakus opposite Phillip Rhee
Phillip Rhee
Phillip Rhee is a Korean-American actor and director, most famous for his role in the Best of the Best movie series....
and Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
in Best of the Best 2
Best of the Best 2
Best of the Best 2 is a 1993 martial arts film directed by Robert Radler, and starring Eric Roberts and Phillip Rhee. It is the first sequel to the 1989 film Best of the Best. The plot follows three of the characters from the original film, and was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.-Plot:After...
.
His two biggest mainstream film roles to date are Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
's Gladiator
Gladiator (2000 film)
Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
, appearing alongside his friend Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
, and in 2002's The Scorpion King
The Scorpion King
The Scorpion King is a 2002 American action film directed by Chuck Russell, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov, and Michael Clarke Duncan...
. Besides these two movies, he has played the leading character in The Viking Sagas
The Viking Sagas
The Viking Sagas is an American film from 1995, directed by Michael Chapman, starring Ralf Möller and Sven-Ole Thorsen.-Plot synopsis:The story takes place in Iceland around the height of the Viking Age, where a young man, Kjartan , must defeat a horde of evil Vikings, intent on taking over his...
, and also played Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
in the TV-series Conan
Conan the Adventurer (TV series)
Conan: The Adventurer is a low-budget American television series produced from 1997 to 1998 and loosely based on the fantasy hero Conan the barbarian. The TV show premiered on September 22, 1997, and ran for 22 episodes. This live-action series starred Ralf Möller as Conan of Cimmeria and Danny...
. The show aired in 1997–1998, and the premise was that Conan, accompanied by his three sidekicks, was chosen by the god Crom to fight and vanquish the evil Hissah Zul and to become king.
Also in both The Bad Pack
The Bad Pack
The Bad Pack is a 1997 independent action film directed and written by Brent Huff, and starring, Robert Davi, Ralf Möller, and Roddy Piper. The film also features Larry B. Scott, Shawn Huff, Patrick Dollaghan, Brent Huff himself, Marshall R...
(1997) and Gladiator
Gladiator (2000 film)
Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
(2000), Möller appeared alongside fellow bodybuilder Sven-Ole Thorsen
Sven-Ole Thorsen
Sven-Ole Thorsen is a Danish actor, stuntman, bodybuilder and strongman competitor. Sven won Denmark's Strongest Man in 1983....
. He went on to appear in El padrino (2004), sequel to The Bad Pack, once again playing Special Agent Kurt Mayers.
Music (1999–07)
He has also collaborated with the German tranceTrance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
/techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
-band E Nomine
E Nomine
E Nomine is a German musical project, formed in 1999, by producers Christian Weller and Friedrich "Fritz" Graner. Their music, which they call monumental dance, is an unusual combination of trance, techno, and vocals which closely resemble Gregorian singing and chanting...
on a number of their albums.
Personal Life
Ralf lives in Los Angeles with his wife Annette and two daughters. He leads an active, healthy lifestyle and is a strong proponent of fitness and good nutrition. When he's not on location, he enjoys motorcycle riding, scuba diving, tennis and horseback riding. He is a friend of Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and is often photographed with him.
Awards and Honours
In 2008, Möller was honored as Grand Marshal of the German-American Steuben ParadeGerman-American Steuben Parade
The German-American Steuben Parade is an annual parade held in various cities across the United States. The New York City parade is held every third Saturday in September. It was founded in 1957 by German-American immigrants who, being part of the largest self -reported ancestral group in the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. This is the largest German-American event in the country, and tens of thousands of fans celebrated Möller as one of only a few German actors with success in Hollywood.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Tatort Tatort Tatort is a long-running German/Austrian/Swiss , crime television series set in various parts of these countries. The show is broadcast on the channels of ARD in Germany, ORF 2 in Austria and SF1 in Switzerland... |
TV | |
| 1989 | Cyborg Cyborg (film) Cyborg is a 1989 American martial-arts science fiction film directed by Albert Pyun. Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Gibson Rickenbacker, a mercenary who battles a group of murderous marauders led by Fender Tremolo along the East coast of the United States in a post-apocalyptic future.-Plot:A... |
Brick Bardo | As Rolf Muller |
| 1990 | Occhio alla perestrojka | Serghjei | As Ralf Rudolf Möller |
| 1992 | Universal Soldier Universal Soldier (1992 film) Universal Soldier is a 1992 American science fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers who kill each other in Vietnam but are reanimated in a secret Army project along with a large group of other previously dead... |
GR76 | |
| 1993 | Best of the Best 2 Best of the Best 2 Best of the Best 2 is a 1993 martial arts film directed by Robert Radler, and starring Eric Roberts and Phillip Rhee. It is the first sequel to the 1989 film Best of the Best. The plot follows three of the characters from the original film, and was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.-Plot:After... |
Brakus | |
| 1994 | Der unbekannte Deserteur | Soldier | Short |
| 1996 | The Viking Sagas The Viking Sagas The Viking Sagas is an American film from 1995, directed by Michael Chapman, starring Ralf Möller and Sven-Ole Thorsen.-Plot synopsis:The story takes place in Iceland around the height of the Viking Age, where a young man, Kjartan , must defeat a horde of evil Vikings, intent on taking over his... |
Kjartan | |
| 1997 | Batman & Robin | Arkham Asylum Guard | |
| 1997 | The Bad Pack The Bad Pack The Bad Pack is a 1997 independent action film directed and written by Brent Huff, and starring, Robert Davi, Ralf Möller, and Roddy Piper. The film also features Larry B. Scott, Shawn Huff, Patrick Dollaghan, Brent Huff himself, Marshall R... |
Kurt Mayer | |
| 1997 to 1998 | Conan the Adventurer Conan the Adventurer (TV series) Conan: The Adventurer is a low-budget American television series produced from 1997 to 1998 and loosely based on the fantasy hero Conan the barbarian. The TV show premiered on September 22, 1997, and ran for 22 episodes. This live-action series starred Ralf Möller as Conan of Cimmeria and Danny... |
Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media... |
TV |
| 1998 | Der Clown Der Clown Der Clown was a German television series that ran between 1998-04-21 and 2001-10-11. It ran for 46 episodes, and starred Sven Martinek, Diana Frank, Thomas Anzenhofer and Volkmar Kleinert.Der Clown was also a 2005 film.-Story:... |
Autobahnpolizist | TV |
| 2000 | Gladiator Gladiator (2000 film) Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed... |
Hagen | |
| 2000 | Der Superbulle und die Halbstarken | Mark Kerner | TV Movie |
| 2001 | Andromeda Andromeda (TV series) Andromeda is a Canadian-American science fiction television series, based on unused material by the late Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, developed by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and produced by Roddenberry's widow, Majel Barrett Roddenberry. It starred Kevin Sorbo as High Guard Captain Dylan Hunt... |
Jeger | TV |
| 2001 | Sommer und Bolten: Gute Ärzte, keine Engel | Martin Ranklebe | TV |
| 2001 | Queen of Swords | Roman Petrov | TV |
| 2001 | Relic Hunter Relic Hunter Relic Hunter is an anglophone Canadian television series, starring Tia Carrere and Christien Anholt. Actress Lindy Booth also starred for the first two seasons; Tanja Reichert replaced her for the third... |
Frank Kafka | TV |
| 2002 | Mutant X Mutant X (TV series) Mutant X is a science fiction television series that debuted on October 6, 2001. The show was created by Marvel Studios, and it centers around Mutant X, a team of "New Mutants" who possess extraordinary powers as a result of genetic engineering. The members of Mutant X were used as test subjects... |
Lieutenant Bo Longstreet | TV |
| 2002 | The Scorpion King The Scorpion King The Scorpion King is a 2002 American action film directed by Chuck Russell, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov, and Michael Clarke Duncan... |
Thorak | |
| 2003 | The Paradise Virus | Joseph | TV Movie |
| 2003 | Held der Gladiatoren | Ferox | TV Movie |
| 2004 | El padrino | Special Agent Kurt Meyers | |
| 2004 | Shark Alarm | Sven Hansen | TV Movie |
| 2004 | Curse of the Ring | King Thorkilt | TV Movie |
| 2005 | My Suicidal Sweetheart My Suicidal Sweetheart My Suicidal Sweetheart is an American independent dark comedy film written and produced by Michael Parness. The initial working title of the film was Saving Grace; this title was later changed to Max & Grace during production, and remained in place prior to its release on the film festival circuit... |
Bruno | |
| 2006 | Scooter: Excess All Areas | Disco Dancer - 'Maria' | Direct-to-Video Film |
| 2006 | Beerfest Beerfest Beerfest is a 2006 beer-themed comedy film by the comedy group Broken Lizard. Along with the regular members of Broken Lizard, other actors who appear in the movie include Will Forte, M. C. Gainey, Cloris Leachman, Kendra C... |
Hammacher | |
| 2006 | Ozzie | Tank Emerson | |
| 2007 | Pathfinder | Ulfar | |
| 2007 | Seed Seed (2007 film) Seed is a horror film written and directed by Uwe Boll. The film stars Will Sanderson, Mike Dopud, Andrew Jackson, Ralf Möller, Don S. Davis, and Michael Paré. Filming ran from July 17 to August 11, 2006 in British Columbia, Canada, on a $10 million budget.- Plot :Max Seed , a man responsible... |
Warden Arnold Calgrove | |
| 2007 | Postal Postal (film) Postal is a 2007 Canadian-American-German black comedy action film co-written and directed by Uwe Boll.Like the majority of Boll's previous films, Postal is a film adaptation of a video game, in this case, Postal, though this film draws more heavily from that video game's sequel, Postal 2.-Plot:The... |
Officer John | |
| 2008 | Alone in the Dark II Alone in the Dark II Alone in the Dark II also known as Alone in the Dark: Fate Of Existence is a 2008 horror film, starring Rick Yune, Rachel Specter and Lance Henriksen, directed by Peter Scheerer and Michael Roesch. It is a sequel to Uwe Boll's 2005 film Alone in the Dark.Alone in the Dark II was filmed in New York... |
Boyle | Direct-to-Video Film |
| 2008 | Far Cry Far Cry Far Cry is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek Studios from Germany and published by Ubisoft on March 23, 2004, for Microsoft Windows. Far Cry sold 730,000 units within four months of release. It received positive reviews upon release... |
Max Cardinal | |
| 2008 | Time of the Comet Time of the Comet Time of the Comet is a 2008 Albanian historical drama/black comedy film adapted from a novel by Ismail Kadare titled Black Year . The film was directed by Fatmir Koçi, while Blerim Destani and Masiela Lusha starred in the leading roles... |
Freiherr von Keittel | |
| 2009 | Dejection | Superstitious Boss | Short Film |
| 2010 | Tales of an Ancient Empire Tales of an Ancient Empire Tales of an Ancient Empire is a 2010 fantasy film, starring Kevin Sorbo, Whitney Able, Victoria Maurette, and Lee Horsley, directed by Albert Pyun... |
General Hafez | |
| 2010 | Küstenwache | William Forges | TV |
| 2010 | The Tourist The Tourist (2010 film) The Tourist is a 2010 romantic thriller film directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. It is a remake of the 2005 French action film Anthony Zimmer.... |
Jail Bird Lunt |