Max Gertsch-Meschini was born in Berne, Switzerland to parents Max Albert and Elvira Gertsch-Meschini, making him the youngest of three siblings. After completing his Baccalauréat, Max enrolled at his hometown university to study History and German, but soon discovered that he had seen enough classrooms for a while.
Max then enlisted in the Swiss armed forces for his mandatory six-month service, where he honed his acting skills and was commended by his superiors. His interpretation of suicidal tendencies led to a quick and total discharge from the military.
After two years of aimless wandering, Max accompanied his then-girlfriend to her rehearsal, where he met the director, Reto Nickler. Nickler introduced Max to the world of acting schools, and seven weeks later, Max auditioned and was accepted into the Berne Conservatory of Music and Theatre.
Three years later, in 1987, Max landed his first acting job, which took him to Berlin, Germany, where he became a member of the Freie Volksbühne. Over the years, Max witnessed the divided city become one again, joined the prestigious Schaubuhne on Lehniner Platz, and co-founded the musical comedy troupe Die Geschwister Pfister.
The group, known as the "Four singing siblings" and "Swiss Orphans from Las Vegas," quickly became a fixture in Berlin's Cabaret and Variety shows, toured relentlessly for three years, won awards, and then disbanded. After three years of being a local hero, Max landed a part in the series "Girl Friends" (1994),playing the role of Bendix Bast and achieving moderate TV fame in Germany.
Max continued to work in television, appearing in shows such as "Doppelter Einsatz" (RTL),"Flughafenklinik," and "Im Namen des Gesetzes" (1998). He also collaborated with Swiss director Christof Schertenleib, leading to three movies, including "Liebe Lügen" (1996),which earned Max a Best Actor Award at the Solothurn Film Festival.
In 2008, Max appeared in the German series "Dr. Psycho," which won a prestigious Grimme Preis. Throughout his career, Max has appeared on stages both nationally and internationally, including Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin, Vienna, and Zurich. He has also appeared in musicals such as "Kiss me, Kate" (2014),"West Side Story" (2017),and Operettas, often under the direction of director Stefan Huber.
Max has played a variety of roles, including Mack the knife in "The Threepenny Opera," Wilhelm in "The Black Rider," and Danny in Dennis Kelly's "Orphans" in 2013. One of his most notable appearances was in the TV Mini-series "Das Weiße Haus am Rhein" (2020),where he played Adolf Hitler. In 2023, Max reprised his role as Willi Pfister in his first solo show, "Homecoming," which took to the Berlin Club and Cabaret stages once more.
