Hermann Lause (1939-2005) was a German actor, best remembered for his intense collaboration with director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. His lean physique and often tormented gaze made him an emblematic figure of German cinema of that era.

Lause specialized in roles portraying characters on the fringes, vulnerable, often pathetic or morally ambiguous, who navigated oppressive social contexts. His restrained yet incisive acting effectively conveyed the fragility and complexity of the human spirit.

Among his most significant films with Fassbinder are *Ali: Fear Eats the Soul* (1974), where he played Emmi's problematic brother-in-law, *Faustrecht der Freiheit* (Fox and His Friends, 1975), and *Die Ehe der Maria Braun* (The Marriage of Maria Braun, 1979). Although he also worked with other directors, his artistic imprint is inextricably linked to the Fassbinderian universe.