Pinkas Braun, a lean and incisive Swiss actor with a basso voice and an unsettling Mephistophelean countenance, was the son of a Galician-Jewish merchant. He began his acting career at the age of eighteen as an extra with the Zürcher Schauspielhaus, drawn to the "order and discipline" of a theatrical career.
As a member of the company's ensemble from 1945 to 1956, Braun featured in numerous premieres of plays by renowned playwrights such as Bertolt Brecht, Albert Camus, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, and Max Frisch. His critically acclaimed performance as Shylock in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" was a personal favorite.
On screen, Braun's looks and voice naturally led him to play arch villains, often with a charming blend of rascality. He found his widest audience in the 1960s through several film adaptations of Edgar Wallace's crime thrillers, including "Secret of the Red Orchid" (1962),"The Door with Seven Locks" (1962),and "The Curse of the Yellow Snake" (1963).
Braun's scene-stealing performance as Percyval Glyde in the TV mini-series "Die Frau in Weiß" (1971),based on Wilkie Collins' classic novel, showcased his acting prowess. With his distinctive sonorous voice, he was a regular fixture radio in drama and voiceover work, including his iconic role as William of Baskerville in Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose".
Additionally, Braun established himself as a theatrical director of note and the leading translator into German of Edward Albee's complete works.
