The Biography

Alfred Rasser (29 May 1907 – 18 August 1977) was a Swiss comedian, radio personality, and stage and film actor who starred predominantly in Swiss German-language cinema and television and stage productions, but he was also known for the role of Theophil Läppli, a parody on the Swiss militarism. Born and raised in Basel, Canton of Basel-Stadt in Switzerland as son of Berta née Stump and Emil, Rasser's father died when Alfred was at the age of 11. Berta Rasser had now, for Alfred and his three siblings, to earn the family's keep. After his apprenticeship as merchant at Jacky Maeder & Cie to 1922, he attended the drama school for the first time, and found his true passion. To have an income, Alfred Rasser tried among others as a chicken farmer in the Canton of Ticino in 1928. From 1928 to 1930 Rasser took acting lessons at Oskar Wälterlin and body workout at Rosalia Chladek at the Basel conservatory. Upon completion of the drama school, in 1930 he founded his own theater company, but graduated in 1934 at the Basel conservatory.