Ellen Kessler
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Aug 20, 1936
- Died
- Nov 17, 2025 (aged 89)
- Place of birth
- Nerchau, Germany
- Credits
- 105
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.
Known for
Scene of the Crime
1970TV
Mutter Bemering
Complexes
1965Movie
Self (segment "Guglielmo il Dentone")
Erik the Conqueror
1961Movie
Daya
Sodom and Gomorrah
1962Movie
Dancer
Eurovision Song Contest
1956TV
Self - Contestant
Just a Gigolo
1978Movie
Dancer (uncredited)
Filmography
Ringlstetter
2016TV
self
Wer weiß denn sowas?
2015TV
Self
Heimat - Deine Filme
2008TV
Self
Markus Lanz
2008TV
Self
Inas Nacht
2007TV
Self
Ein Leben wie im Flug
2007Movie
Self
Lafer! Lichter! Lecker!
2006TV
Self
Filmlegenden. Deutsch
2006TV
Self
Herzlichen Glückwunsch - Die Michael Schanze Jubiläumsgala
2005TV
Self
Johannes Heesters: Eine Legende wird 100
2003Movie
Self
Menschen bei Maischberger
2003TV
Self
Ein roter Teppich für....
2002TV
Self
Aeschbacher
2001TV
Self
Menschen der Woche
2000TV
Self
Alles Liebe V.I.P.
2000TV
Self
Alpha Forum
1998TV
Self
Zimmer frei!
1996TV
Self
Lukas
1996TV
Ellen Kessler
Die Harald Schmidt Show
1995TV
Self
Lebens-Künstler
1995TV
Self
Versteckte Kamera
1995TV
Self
Balko
1995TV
Ira Adomeit
alfredissimo! Kochen mit Bio
1994TV
Self
Die Feste mit Florian Silbereisen
1994TV
Self
Auf eigene Gefahr
1993TV
Lucie Grindel
Riverboat
1992TV
Self
Boulevard Bio
1991TV
Self
DAS!
1991TV
Self
Mini Playback Show
1990TV
Self
Ein Schloß am Wörthersee
1990TV
Erika Strassberg
Pssst ...
1990TV
Self
Alles Nichts Oder?!
1988TV
Self
Nachtcafé
1987TV
Self
Showgeschichten
1986TV
Self
Die verflixte 7
1984TV
Self
Menschen
1982TV
Self
Wortwechsel
1982TV
Self
Heut' abend
1980TV
Self
Die Pyramide
1979TV
Self
NDR Talk Show
1979TV
Self
Just a Gigolo
1978Movie
Dancer (uncredited)
Bio’s Bahnhof
1978TV
Self
Auf los geht's los
1977TV
Self
Music & Guests
1976TV
Self
Domenica In
1976TV
Self
Kölner Treff
1976TV
Self
Treffpunkt Herz
1975Movie
Gast
Numéro un
1975TV
Self
Am laufenden Band
1974TV
Self - Guest
Die Montagsmaler
1974TV
Self
Klimbim
1973TV
Self
8 x 1 in Noten
1973TV
Self
Hätten Sie heut’ Zeit für mich?
1972TV
Self
Anneliese Rothenberger gibt sich die Ehre
1971TV
Self
Dalli Dalli
1971TV
Self - Contestant, Self
Alice und Ellen
1971Movie
Self
Die diebischen Zwillinge
1971TV
Kathy
Scene of the Crime
1970TV
Mutter Bemering
Wünsch dir was
1969TV
Self
Festival der Stars
1969Movie
Self
Peter Alexander präsentiert Spezialitäten
1969TV
Self
Night-Club
1968TV
Self
Paris nach Noten
1968Movie
Self
Starparade
1968TV
Self
Andere Zeiten - andere Sitten
1967Movie
Self
Die Caterina-Valente-Show
1966TV
Self
Playgirl
1966Movie
Self
Continental Showcase
1966TV
Self
Complexes
1965Movie
Self (segment "Guglielmo il Dentone")
Show - Charme - Chansons
1965Movie
Self
Songs, Bullies and Chicks
1964Movie
Self
Dead Woman from Beverly Hills
1964Movie
Tiddy Sister Nr. 1
The Thursday
1964Movie
Self
The Danny Kaye Show
1963TV
Self
Maskenball bei Scotland Yard
1963Movie
Kessler-Zwillinge
Perpetuum Musicale - Eine Revue ohne Aufenthalt
1963Movie
Self
Lieben Sie Show ?
1962TV
Self - Host
Sodom and Gomorrah
1962Movie
Dancer
Der Vogelhändler
1962Movie
Tänzerin
Hochzeitsnacht im Paradies
1962Movie
Milli
Wieder zurück: Siegfried Arno - Eine Musik-Show aus Studio 3
1962TV
Self
Erik the Conqueror
1961Movie
Daya
Die lachende Dritte
1961Movie
Ellen
Rocco e le sorelle
1961Movie
Hotel Victoria
1961TV
Self
Love and the Frenchwoman
1960Movie
L'autre jumelle, un mannequin de publicité (segment "L'Adultère")
The Magician
1960Movie
Hildegarde
Stars in der Manege
1959TV
Self
Discorama
1959TV
Self
Mein Schatz ist aus Tirol
1958Movie
Lo
Countess Mariza
1958Movie
Rosika
The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina
1958Movie
Tänzerin
Das Posthaus im Schwarzwald
1958Movie
Cilli
Tabarin
1958Movie
Self
Der Bettelstudent
1958Movie
Katja
The Count of Luxemburg
1957Movie
Franzi
Mit Rosen fängt die Liebe an
1957Movie
Lotte
Die Zwillinge vom Zillertal
1957Movie
Tänzerin
Zum blauen Bock
1957TV
Self
Vier Mädels aus der Wachau
1957Movie
Hanni
Scherben bringen Glück
1957Movie
Flora Fleuron
Eurovision Song Contest
1956TV
Self - Contestant
Solang es hübsche Mädchen gibt
1955Movie
Ellen
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948TV
Self
Bambi
1948TV
Self - Laudation