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Actor and writer Urs Althaus published his biography "Ich der Neger" in 2009, which became a bestseller in Switzerland. Urs initially aspired to be a professional soccer player and played professionally with F.C.Z until an accident abruptly ended his athletic career. Told to abandon his dreams and rebuild his life, Urs defied expectations in Altdorf, where he was raised by his single mother. After completing his business studies, this son of a Swiss mother and a Nigerian medical student, whom he never met, took the fashion world by storm. He walked the runways for top designers such as Calvin Klein, Valentino, Armani, Kenzo, and Yves Saint Laurent. In 1977, he became the first black model to grace the cover of the American fashion magazine "GQ." In 1978, in New York, he co-founded "Xtazy Ltd.," the world’s first model ensemble.
In 1981, director Lina Wertmüller invited Urs to Rome to pursue acting. By 1984, he landed leading roles in the cult Italian films L'allenatore nel pallone and Arrapaho. He gained international recognition with his role in The Name of the Rose (1986). Off screen, Urs co-founded the fashion label Gary Gatyas in New York in 1986 with designer Gary Gatyas. Between 1990 and 2001, he worked as an agent representing supermodels such as Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, and Claudia Schiffer. He also had a private audience with His Highness the Dalai Lama and shared breakfast with Richard Gere.
Since 2001, Urs Althaus has returned to acting, appearing in numerous film productions in Italy and Germany. In 2016, he proudly served as the Ambassador for Amnesty International’s "5 Rings for Rio, One Flame for Human Rights" during the Olympic Games. Currently, he is the initiator and founder of the Grand Opera Wilhelm Tell by Giacomo Rossini, which is set to premiere on July 25, 2019, at the Rütli Meadow in Switzerland.
