AK
Alice Kessler
Actor
Born August 20, 1936Died November 17, 2025 (89 years)
Alice and Ellen Kessler (born 20 August 1936 in Nerchau, Saxony, Germany) are twin entertainers known in Europe, especially Germany and Italy, from the 1950s and 1960s for their singing, dancing, and acting. They are usually credited as the Kessler Twins (Die Kessler-Zwillinge in Germany and Le Gemelle Kessler in Italy), where they remain popular.
The Kessler sisters enjoyed a significant degree of popularity in the US, appearing on national television programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show. The Kesslers made their American television debut on the CBS variety show, The Red Skelton Hour. They also appeared in the 1963 film Sodom and Gomorrah as dancers and were featured on the cover of Life Magazine that same year.
Their parents, Paul and Elsa, sent them to ballet classes at the age of six, and they joined the Leipzig Opera's child ballet program at age 11. When they were 18, their parents used a visitor's visa to escape to West Germany, where they performed at the Palladium in Düsseldorf. They performed at The Lido in Paris between 1955 and 1960, where they met Elvis Presley, on leave from the Army on June 17, 1959, and represented West Germany in the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in 8th place with Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n (Tonight we want to go dancing).
They moved to Italy in 1960 and gradually moved to more serious roles. They became very popular thanks to the RAI television variety show Studio Uno (1961–1966). At the age of 40, they agreed to pose on the cover of the Italian edition of Playboy. That issue became the fastest-selling Italian Playboy to that date.
They moved back to Germany in 1986 and live in Grünwald. They have received two awards from both the German and Italian governments for promoting German-Italian cooperation through their work in show business.
Source: Article "Kessler Twins" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
The Kessler sisters enjoyed a significant degree of popularity in the US, appearing on national television programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show. The Kesslers made their American television debut on the CBS variety show, The Red Skelton Hour. They also appeared in the 1963 film Sodom and Gomorrah as dancers and were featured on the cover of Life Magazine that same year.
Their parents, Paul and Elsa, sent them to ballet classes at the age of six, and they joined the Leipzig Opera's child ballet program at age 11. When they were 18, their parents used a visitor's visa to escape to West Germany, where they performed at the Palladium in Düsseldorf. They performed at The Lido in Paris between 1955 and 1960, where they met Elvis Presley, on leave from the Army on June 17, 1959, and represented West Germany in the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in 8th place with Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n (Tonight we want to go dancing).
They moved to Italy in 1960 and gradually moved to more serious roles. They became very popular thanks to the RAI television variety show Studio Uno (1961–1966). At the age of 40, they agreed to pose on the cover of the Italian edition of Playboy. That issue became the fastest-selling Italian Playboy to that date.
They moved back to Germany in 1986 and live in Grünwald. They have received two awards from both the German and Italian governments for promoting German-Italian cooperation through their work in show business.
Source: Article "Kessler Twins" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Alice Kessler Filmography
| 1995 | Balko (TV Series) · as Natascha Adomeit |
| 1993 | Auf eigene Gefahr (TV Series) · as Leonore Dreikantl |
| 1990 | Lakeside Hotel (TV Series) · as Anita Strassberg |
| 1977 | Kolossal - i magnifici Macisti · as Rama |
| 1971 | K2 + 1 (TV Series) · as Judy |
| 1970 | Tatort (TV Series) · as Mutter Bemering |
| 1964 | Dead Woman from Beverly Hills · as Tiddy Sister Nr. 2 |
| 1963 | Maskenball bei Scotland Yard - Die Geschichte einer unglaublichen Erfindung · as Kessler-Zwillinge |
| 1962 | Sodom and Gomorrah · as Dancer |
| 1962 | Der Vogelhändler · as Tänzerin |
| 1962 | Hochzeitsnacht im Paradies · as Tilli |
| 1961 | Erik the Conqueror · as Rama |
| 1960 | Love and the Frenchwoman · as La Jumelle, Un Mannequin De Publicité (segment "l'adultère") |
| 1960 | Double Deception · as Greta |
| 1959 | La Paloma · as Tänzerin |
| 1958 | Mein Schatz ist aus Tirol · as Li |
| 1958 | Gräfin Mariza · as Ilonka |
| 1958 | Le bellissime gambe di Sabrina · as Tänzerin |
| 1958 | Mein Mädchen ist ein Postillion · as Lilli |
| 1957 | Der Graf von Luxemburg · as Fritzi |
| 1957 | Die Zwillinge vom Zillertal · as Tänzerin |
| 1957 | Mit Rosen fängt die Liebe an · as Liese |
| 1957 | Vier Mädel aus der Wachau · as Franzi |
| 1957 | La garçonne · as The Dolly Sisters #1 |
| 1957 | Seven Years Hard Luck · as Margit |
| 1956 | The Beggar Student · as Mira |
| 1955 | Beautiful Girls · as Ailce |
| 1951 | The Red Skelton Show (TV Series) · as Native Girl |
| 2025 | Rosenthal · as Self |
| 2023 | |
| 2022 | Souvenir d'Italie · as Self |
| 2016 | Ringlstetter (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2015 | Wer weiß denn sowas? (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2012 | Domenica Live (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2008 | Markus Lanz (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2007 | Dahoam is Dahoam (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2007 | Inas Nacht (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2006 | Lafer! Lichter! Lecker! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2003 | Menschen bei Maischberger (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1998 | Die Johannes B. Kerner Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1998 | alpha-Forum (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1996 | Zimmer frei! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1996 | Lukas (TV Series) · as Alice Kessler |
| 1995 | Harald Schmidt Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1994 | alfredissimo! Kochen mit Bio (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1992 | Riverboat (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1991 | Boulevard Bio (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1991 | Disney Club (Germany) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1991 | DAS! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1990 | Mini Playback Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | All Nothing Or?! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1987 | Nachtcafé (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1979 | NDR Talk Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1977 | On Your Marks, Get Set, Go (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1976 | Domenica In (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1976 | Kölner Treff (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Number One (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1974 | Am laufenden Band (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1973 | Klimbim (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1972 | Top to ... (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1971 | Dalli Dalli (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1969 | Sez Les (TV Series) · as Self - Special Guest |
| 1969 | Peter Alexander presents specialties (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1966 | Die Caterina-Valente-Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1965 | I complessi · as Self (segment "guglielmo Il Dentone") |
| 1965 | Mostra internazionale di musica leggera · as Self |
| 1964 | Vergißmeinnicht (TV Series) · as Self - Dancer |
| 1964 | The Thursday · as Self |
| 1964 | The Hollywood Palace (TV Series) · as Self - Singer |
| 1963 | The Danny Kaye Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1959 | Stars in der Manege (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1957 | Zum Blauen Bock (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1956 | Eurovision Song Contest (TV Series) · as Self - Contestant |
| 1948 | The Perry Como Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1948 | The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) · as Self |