The film features cameo appearances by the singer Lou Reed, the American actor Peter Falk, reprising his role from the first film, and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, all of whom play themselves. Gorbachev had never acted in a film before. His appearance was rare, but not entirely unprecedented for a politician, as Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and New York Mayor John Lindsay had appeared in films. Heinz Rühmann was also cast, and his death in October 1994 made this his last role. Much of the first three weeks of photography went unused in the final edit, due to its influence from "Wings of Desire" and Wenders' aversion to sequels.