Biography
His father was a butcher. After graduating from high school and doing community service, Jonas realized his first cabaret project with Sigi Zimmerschied in 1975, "Die Verhohnepeopler" in his hometown, which, however, soon fell victim to the combined censorship efforts of Catholicism and the Bavarian public prosecutor's office. Jonas therefore turned to the sciences and studied philosophy, political science, German and theater studies at the University of Munich until 1982.
Jonas began his career in 1976 in the Bavarian capital at the cabaret "Rationaltheater", in which he took part as an actor and author. In 1979, Jonas founded the cabaret "Gesellschaft mit Limited Liability", for which he designed his first solo performances. In 1981, Jonas joined the "Laughing and Shooting Society" in Munich, co-founded by Dieter Hildebrandt, where he was a member as an author and actor until 1984.
Jonas then created his own program part in the "Extra-Tour" series on ARD. From 1989 to 1992 he was also seen in the program "Jonas" with independent appearances. The actor also took part in television series and films. Since 1985 he has also appeared regularly in Hildebrandt's "Windshield Wiper". In 1991, Jonas' first feature film was made under the title "We Grandchildren", for which he directed, wrote the script and played the leading role.
Outside of television, Jonas developed solo programs for cabaret theaters, such as "Hin und Rück" and "Ich alter Ego" in 1995. In 2000, Jonas became Hildebrandt's permanent partner in his "Windshield Wiper" series. After Hildebrandt's farewell to "Windshield Wiper", Jonas, together with Mathias Richling and Georg Schramm, appeared in the new episode of the successful cabaret series, which was first broadcast on January 8, 2004.
On March 11, 2004, Bruno Jonas slipped into the role of "Brother Barnabas" for the first time and gave the Lenten sermon he had written himself at the Munich Nockherberg while tapping strong beer in front of the assembled CSU state government and other invited guests - not only from Bavaria. This is the first time that this role has been given to an author who is far from the conservative spectrum. In the fall of 2005, Jonas presented his new book under the title "Hard to believe and yet not true."
For his artistic work, Jonas was awarded the "Luwig Thoma Medal" in 1988 and the "Fred Jay Prize" in 1996. On January 19, 2007, Bruno Jonas announced his departure from the role of Brother Barnabas.
Bruno Jonas is the father of two children.
