Marco Girnth is leaving Soko Leipzig after 25 years – farewell to a legend!

Marco Girnth is leaving Soko Leipzig after 25 years – farewell to a legend!

After 25 eventful years, Marco Girnth says “farewell” to his role as Chief Detective Jan Maybach in the ZDF series “Soko Leipzig”. The talented actor, who has been part of the format since the first episode in January 2001, is drawing a line at the end of this filming in July 2025 and has announced that his time on the series is now coming to an end. In over 500 episodes, Girnth has delivered his passionate performance and developed a deep connection to his character that is anchored in the hearts of many viewers. He ends his era in style, while the series is changing and has developed more cinematically and dynamically, as Stern reports.

“Soko Leipzig” is considered the first East German “Soko” branch and has appealed to a dynamic audience over the years. Girnth particularly emphasizes the innovative horizontal narrative style, which makes it possible to follow the detectives' personal fates over several episodes. “It was a great gift to be able to witness the development of my character over 23 years,” says Girnth. Despite his impending departure, he will still appear in several episodes in the upcoming 26th season, most notably in a special called “Straight to the Heart,” which will air on January 12, 2024 at 9:15 p.m., as Ruhr24 notes.

A look back at the career

Marco Girnth was born on February 10, 1970 in Düsseldorf and grew up in the Norf district of Neuss. After graduating from high school and doing community service, he decided to study law in Cologne, which he successfully completed with the first state examination. His acting journey began early when he appeared in extras and supporting roles during his school years. He achieved a breakthrough in 1995 with his role in the RTL series “Unter uns”, which he played until 1997. Among the numerous successes in his career, he received the Max Ophüls Prize in 2000 as the best young actor for the role of Max in "Holgi - The Baddest Boy in the World", as Wikipedia notes.

Girnth is not only in demand as an actor, but is also socially committed. Since 2010 he has been the patron of the “Hope Donations” association. V., which supports street children in Uganda. In 2015 he even personally traveled to Uganda to help on site.

A farewell full of emotions

When talking about his exit, Girnth emphasizes that turning 50 motivated him to question his previous life. A dramatic exit for his character is not out of the question and could represent a spectacular conclusion, but Girnth doesn't want to delve into the details for now. “I have a deep connection to Jan Maybach and will really miss my colleague Melanie Marschke, who plays my superior,” said Girnth. His willingness to take on new challenges underlines the actor's courage to explore new paths outside of his well-known role.

For the fans of “Soko Leipzig”, his farewell will close an emotional chapter, while the actor is well prepared and wants to devote himself to new adventures. Marco Girnth remains an influential figure in the German television landscape.