Biography
From the age of three, he was raised in Hamburg, where he also attended school. He earned his secondary school leaving certificate in 1975. As a teenager, Olli Dittrich showed a strong passion for music, taking piano, drum, and guitar lessons, as well as vocal training. At 16, he formed his first band and released a single titled "Ich bin 18" in 1977. After finishing school, he trained as a theater painter at the State Opera in Hamburg but never pursued this profession, instead opting to work at a record company. Music gradually became more significant for him, leading to the successful composition of songs like "Little Heart" for "Die Prinzen" and the instrumental "Alassio" for James Last. By 1989, he had created around 250 pieces. Dittrich released his debut album "Modern Guy" in 1989, though it did not bring him widespread success or popularity.
His talent for comedy provided him with a second income stream alongside music, performing as a stand-up comedian in various clubs. In 1992, during a performance at Hamburg’s "Quatsch Comedy Club," he met Wigald Boning, forming a lasting partnership marked by strong comedic chemistry. Their joint appearances followed, and they also collaborated on songwriting. Dittrich’s breakthrough came in November 1993 as part of the "RTL Saturday Night Show" ensemble, a very popular program that later gained cult status. Both Dittrich and Boning contributed as actors and writers, penning sketches such as "2 Chairs - 1 Opinion," "Kentucky screams fuck," and "Spocht." In 1994, "RTL Saturday Night" and its contributors received the "Bambi," the "Bavarian Film Prize," and a "Golden Lion."
Dittrich and Boning later focused more on music, founding the band "Die Doofen," which initially performed "Songs that the world doesn't need" on the "Saturday Night Show." Their songs became so popular they were released on CD. The single "Mief" held the number one spot on the German charts for weeks in summer 1995. This success earned Dittrich, as part of "Die Doofen," several awards including a "Bambi," an "Echo," and a "Golden Tuning Fork" in 1995. For their verbal exchanges in "2 Chairs - 1 Opinion," Dittrich and Boning received the "Adolf Grimme Prize." Dittrich also ventured into acting, making his feature film debut in "The Nephew" in 1997 and appearing in "Frau Rettich, die Czerni und ich" the following year. After several years of success, "RTL Saturday Night" aired its final episode in May 1998, but Dittrich remained active both on and off screen.
In 2000, he launched his own show on ZDF, "Olli, Animals, Sensations." During this period, he created the character "Dittsche" and the improvisational comedy "Blind Date" with Anke Engelke, which was later adapted into a feature film. "Blind Date 2" was produced in 2002, earning Dittrich and Engelke the "Adolf Grimme Prize" for their performances. The improvisational series consisted of six episodes. In 2004, Dittrich appeared in the successful film "The Wixxer," also starring Engelke. This parody of Edgar Wallace films became one of Germany’s top films that year. The "Dittsche" series, launched a few years earlier, began airing in 2004 as "Dittsche - The Real Life," a live broadcast that stood out in comedy. This production won the "German Television Prize," and Dittrich again received the "Adolf Grimme Prize."
Alongside his achievements as an actor and comedian, Olli Dittrich continued to pursue music. In 2005, he founded the band "Texas Lightning," a country group that reinterprets well-known hits alongside original songs. With this band, Dittrich won the preliminary selection for the "Eurovision Song Contest," beating competitors like Thomas Anders and Vicky Leandros, and went on to represent Germany on May 20, 2006, at the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens.
