Actor

After completing his Abitur, Gerhardt performed his compulsory military service as an anti-tank gunner in the 5th Company of the 123rd Anti-Tank Battalion. Subsequently, he studied German Studies and Philosophy, writing his thesis on The Philosophy of Language of Nicholas of Cusa. As a freelance contributor to the Cologne-based tabloid Express, he also wrote reports on the city's cultural scene. After embarking on a career as an entertainer, he ceased his work for Express in the 1990s. He rose to fame in 1988 with his program Dackel mit Sekt, having been discovered by Jürgen von der Lippe. He achieved great success with the films Voll normaaal and Ballermann 6. The most recent installment in the series followed in 2011 with Die Superbullen. Another successful project was the comedy series Hausmeister Krause – Ordnung muss sein. On January 5, 2011, he was named an honorary citizen of Cologne-Kalk. Gerhardt speaks Spanish and lived in Seville for one year.