Péter Scherer has died

Jászai Mari Prize winning Hungarian actor Péter Scherer has died at the age of 64. He had been scheduled to perform in a play at the Zenthe Ferenc Theatre on Tuesday evening.

“Today this morning, our friend Péter Scherer fell asleep forever,” the Nézőművészeti Kft. announced on its Facebook page. The iconic actor was 64 years old. The company also announced that a vigil would be held tonight (Tuesday) at 9 p.m. at the B32 Gallery and Cultural Space on Bartók Béla Road 32 in Budapest.

Almost simultaneously, the Zenthe Ferenc Theatre announced that today’s performance of The Origin of Species had been canceled due to “unforeseen unexpected circumstances.” Scherer was set to appear in the production alongside Zoltán Mucsi and Szabolcs Thuróczy.

 Legendary Films, Legendary Performances

Péter Scherer was born on November 16, 1961, in Ajka, Hungary. He graduated from the Nagy Lajos Secondary School in Szombathely in 1980, and later earned a degree in civil engineering from the Budapest University of Technology in 1987. Meanwhile, between 1984 and 1994, he was a member of the Arvisura Theatre Company. In 1995, he received his acting certification from the Hungarian Actors’ Chamber. From 1995 to 1997 he worked as a freelance actor. In 1997, he became a founding member of the Bárka Theatre. From 2002 he performed with the Krétakör Theatre, and from 2009 he was a member of Nézőművészeti Kft.

His longtime film partner was Zoltán Mucsi, with whom he starred in several of the later films of renowned Hungarian director Miklós Jancsó.

One of their most iconic and frequently quoted scenes came from the film The Lord’s Lantern in Budapest, which remains a fan favorite to this day.