Simone Rethel

Simone Rethel is the daughter of painter and designer Alfred Rethel and the granddaughter of aircraft designer Walter Rethel. She is the descendant of historical painter Otto Rethel, the brother of Alfred Rethel. As a student in 1965, she played the main role in Axel von Ambesser's film Die fromme Helene alongside Theo Lingen and Friedrich von Thun. After she completed schooling, she took part to Hanna Burgwitz's acting lessons and made her stage debut during her formation by playing in Joseph von Eichendorff's Die Freier at the Bayerisches Staatsschauspiel in Munich in 1966 under the direction of Axel von Ambesser, who had discovered her and later granted her several stage and television roles. Rethel mainly appeared in boulevard theatre plays and had roles in numerous television series such as Der Kommissar, Derrick, The Old Fox, Schöne Ferien and Diese Drombuschs. Simone Rethel was married to Johannes Heesters from 1992 until his death in 2011. Heesters was 46 years older than her. Besides her acting career, Rethel was also a painter and a photographer. Since early 2005, she has been an ambassador of Altern in Würde and has raised awareness about Alzheimer's disease. In early 2010, she published her book Sag nie, du bist zu alt, in which she criticises negative view of society on ageing.