Wilhelm von Homburg

Wilhelm von Homburg was a German actor, boxer, and professional wrestler who was born as Norbert Grupe on August 25, 1940 in Berlin, Germany. He was the son of Richard Grupe, a baker, boxer, and policeman who worked at the Buchenwald concentration camp during the Nazi regime. Norbert had a half-brother, Winfried, and a half-sister, Rona, from his father's second marriage. Norbert had a troubled relationship with his family, especially his father and his stepmother, whom he allegedly raped in 1959. Norbert began boxing at age 10 and won several amateur matches. He followed his father to the United States in the early 1960s and joined him as a wrestler. They wore Viking costumes and performed as a tag-team under the name of The Vikings or The Von Homburg Brothers. Norbert changed his name to Wilhelm von Homburg because he thought his original name sounded too much like "groupie". He also boxed professionally in the US and Germany, earning a record of 29 wins (23 by knockout), 11 losses, and 6 draws. He was known for his arrogant and volatile personality, which often got him into trouble with the media and the authorities. Wilhelm retired from boxing in 1970 and moved to St. Pauli, a red-light district of Hamburg, where he associated with pimps and Hells Angels. He was arrested for drug dealing and spent some time in prison. He also began acting in various German films, such as Stroszek by Werner Herzog, where he played a pimp. He later moved to Hollywood and appeared in several high-profile films of the 1980s and 1990s, such as Die Hard, where he played a henchman named James, and Ghostbusters II, where he played Vigo the Carpathian, the main villain. However, he was often unhappy with his roles and clashed with the directors and the cast. He also refused to do interviews or promote his films. Wilhelm died of prostate cancer on March 10, 2004 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He was 63 years old. He left a message for his sister Rona, who had taken care of him during his illness, which said "Touché". Rona understood this as a sign of his resentment and bitterness towards her and their father.