Distinctive German star character actor, specialising in quaint or dyed-in-the-wool eccentrics, grumpy civil servants, pedantic school principals, doctors, head waiters and stuffy accountants. He studied under Louise Dumont and Gustav Lindemann and cut his acting teeth at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus. Henckels was co-founder, and, from 1921, co-director of the Berlin Schlossparktheater. He was also a member of the ensemble of the Berlin Staatstheater from 1936 to 1945. He was discovered for the screen by silent star 'Henny Porten' .
The actor Paul Henckels made his film debut at the beginning of the 10s as a theater actor, one of his greatest successes was his performance of "Schneider Wibbel" for the play "Die deutschen Kleinstdter" in 1913.
During the wartime he appeared normally in very popular entertainment movies where he impersonated historical figures.
From 1919 to 1920 he was besides Fritz Holl the director of the "Dsseldorfer theater.
Paul Henckels shone with his Rhinelander humor in the 30s and he convinced in roles of cranky or stubborn types.
After the war he continued playing in a numerous of movies, but his talent was only seldom demanded as in "Wozzeck".
When the sound film was near at the hand he was enthusiastic about the idea of a talking movie.
He worked at the "practice of the sound film actor", beside it he realised his only short movie as a director called "Paul Graets als Berliner Zeitungsjunge".
