Urs Althaus(I)
- Actor
- Producer
Actor, writer Urs Althaus wrote his biography "Ich der Neger" in 2009 and it became a Bestseller in Switzerland. Urs wanted to become a professional soccer player and played professionaly with F.C.Z until an accident and eventually, the cruel verdict: Urs Althaus, forget a career as a professional athlete. Rebuild your life.
But what happened in reality was some thing that nobody in Altdorf, where he was raised by his single mother, would ever have expected. After finishing his business studies, this illegitimate child of his Swiss mother, and a Nigerian medical student, whom he never met, stormed the fashion runways of this world. He walked for designers like Calvin Klein, Valentino, Armani, Kenzo, Yves Saint Laurent.In 1977 he was the first black model ever to appear on the cover of the American fashion Magazine "GQ". In 1978, in New York, he was the Co-founder of the company "Xtazy Ltd.", the first Model Ensemble in the World. In 1981 Lina Wertmüller https://pro-labs.imdb.com/name/nm0921631/?ref_=sch_int invited Urs to Rom to become an Actor. In 1984 he received his first Leading Parts in L'allenatore nel pallone (1984) and Arrapaho (1984). Both films are cult in Italy. He got international recognition with The Name of the Rose (1986). Off screen Urs founded with the Fashion Designger Gary Gatyas 1986 the lable Gary Gatyasin New York.
And as an agent between 1990 - 2001 he represented Supermodels like Giselle Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Claudia Schiffer. He had a private audience with His Highness the Dalai Lama and breakfasted with Richard Gere. Since 2001 Urs worked as an Actor again in many Film Productions in Italy and Germany. Off screen Urs Althaus was 2016 for the Olympic Games - the proud Ambassador for Amnesty's International "5 Rings for Rio One Flame for Human Rights". At present he is the Iniator and founder of Grand Opera Wilhelm Tell by Giacomo Rossini which will have Premiere July 25th 2019 on the Rütli Meadow/Switzerland.