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Talking Germany - Charles M. Huber, Politician, CDU

May 19, 2014

Charles M. Huber is best known for his role as police superintendent Henry Johnson in the television series "Der Alte,” in English, "The Old Fox.” Now 57, he's been a Christian Democrat member of the German parliament since 2013.

https://p.dw.com/p/1C2iy

On Talking Germany, he discusses his childhood in the countryside of Lower Bavaria, his idols Jimmy Hendrix and Muhammad Ali, and his work as a newcomer to the Bundestag in Berlin.

Charles M. Huber was born Karl-Heinz Huber, in 1956 in Munich, the illegitimate son of a Senegalese diplomat and German mother. He spent the first nine years of his life with his grandmother in Lower Bavaria, because his mother was working as a housekeeper and had no time to care for her son. Not until he was nine did she bring him to Munich. Huber left school early and completed vocational training as a dental technician. His career as an actor began more by accident, while he was moving in artistic circles in the Schwabing district. At that time he added the M for Muhammad to his name, in reference to his idol, Muhammad Ali. Through the long-running series "Der Alte,” he became the first black actor to have a leading role on German television. The series, called "The Old Fox” in English, was broadcast in 120 different countries and gave him international publicity. That was how he attracted the notice of his father, who was a fan of the series. When he was 28 he met his father for the first time, in Berlin. In addition to acting, Charles M. Huber works as a consultant, for instance for the Ethiopian tourism ministry, and he is also active politically. Since autumn 2013 he has been a CDU member of the Bundestag. Charles Huber is married and has four grown children.