Dieter Eppler (11 February 1927, in Stuttgart – 12 April 2008, in Stuttgart) was a German television actor and director of radio dramas. He was an actor, known for Jonas (1957), The Country Doctor (1987) and The Last Winter (1960). He was married to Magdalene Schnaitmann and they had five children. He was a prolific German character actor, seen in many TV crime series like Tatort, Derrick and The Old Fox. In the 1950s and 1960s, he had leading roles in several Edgar Wallace adaptations. Often portraying military types, he was noted for his starring role in U 47 – Kapitänleutnant Prien (1957). He also did horror as in the character of the evil vampire in the 1962 film Slaughter of the Vampires. He stayed in Germany and worked there and in European films until his death in 2008.