Rüdiger Hoffmann

Born March 30, 1964 · Paderborn, Germany

Rüdiger Hoffmann (born March 30, 1964, in Paderborn) is a German cabaret artist and musician. Rüdiger Hoffmann began performing in music and theater while still in school; among other activities, he was a member of the cabaret group "Die Pappnasen" alongside Ralf Kabelka. After dropping out of a degree program in music education, he initially performed on smaller stages before achieving nationwide fame in the early 1990s through appearances at the *Quatsch Comedy Club* and on the comedy series *RTL Samstag Nacht*. Hoffmann's trademarks include his calm, slow manner of speaking, his dry humor, and his famous opening line: "Ja, hallo erst mal!" (Well, hello there!). A chair is also frequently a fixture of his stage setup, and he occasionally accompanies himself on the piano. In 1995, he performed as the opening act for The Rolling Stones' *Voodoo Lounge Tour*. On the big screen, he appeared—among other roles—as the Magic Mirror in the comedies *7 Zwerge – Männer allein im Wald* and *7 Zwerge – Der Wald ist nicht genug*. Alongside his comedy career, Hoffmann released his own music album in 2007 titled *Sex oder Liebe*, which blends elements of pop and rock. In 2010, he presented the stage show *Das Beste aus 25 Jahren* (The Best of 25 Years) at Circus Roncalli; the performance was later released on DVD. Hoffmann lives in Bonn and is married with one son.