Josef Thomas Peterhans (1882–1960) was a German actor.

Biography

He began his film acting career at the age of twenty four years with the film Der Todessprung in 1916. Before acting in films he played at theaters in the province and in Berlin. He served in the military from 1914 to 1917. He continued his career by playing supporting roles in films like Und wenn ich lieb', nimm Dich in acht (1917), Um Krone und Peitsche (1918), Das Lied des Narren (1919). In Um Krone und Peitsche he had starred alongside the famous actress Fern Andra. In 1920 he starred in 9 films including Salome, Auri sacra fames - Der verfluchte Hunger nach Gold, Christian Wahnschaffe: Weltbrand and The Women House of Brescia. The last one was rejected by the British Board of Film Classification on grounds of prostitution depicted in the film.

Peterhans played a supporting character in the 1925 Arthur von Gerlach-directed Zur Chronik von Grieshuus. From 1926 to 1931 he appeared in only two films — Rätsel einer Nacht (1927) and Panik (1928). After the advent of talkies he again became active in the film industry and starred in several films including Der Stolz der 3. Kompanie (1931) and Der tolle Bomberg (1932). He played a pastor in Wilhelm Tell (1933), a marshal in Hundert Tage (1934), a forester in Viktoria (1935), a deputy in Pour le mérite (1938), a policeman in Frau Luna (1941)and a general in Fridericus (1936) and Der große König (1941). He also played the role of an Indian in Indische Rache and in the double roles in The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb (both 1938). His last film was Die Entlassung (1942). He spent his life in Berlin-Steglitz. He ended his career with the second World War.