50 really good German Actors
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- Actor
- Production Manager
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Matthias Brandt was born on 7 October 1961 in West Berlin, West Germany. He is an actor and production manager, known for Police Call 110 (1971), Die Frau am Ende der Straße (2006) and Die zweite Frau (2008).- Joachim Król was born on 17 June 1957 in Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is an actor, known for Maybe... Maybe Not (1994), Tatort (1970) and Run Lola Run (1998).
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Charly Hübner was born on 4 December 1972 in Neustrelitz, East Germany [now Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany]. He is an actor and writer, known for Police Call 110 (1971), Magical Mystery or: The Return of Karl Schmidt (2017) and The Good Neighbour (2011). He is married to Lina Beckmann. They have one child.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Christian Redl was born on 20 April 1948 in Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. He is an actor, known for Downfall (2004), Der Hammermörder (1990) and Tattoo (2002).- Michael Mendl was born on 20 April 1944 in Lünen, Germany. He is an actor, known for Downfall (2004), A Cure for Wellness (2016) and Im Schatten der Macht (2003).
- Dirk Borchardt was born on 24 February 1969 in Berlin, Germany. He is an actor, known for Berlin Calling (2008), Danni Lowinski (2010) and Die Jägerin - Nach eigenem Gesetz (2021). He is married to Katja. They have one child. He was previously married to Caroline Maria Frier.
- Martin Brambach was born on 28 October 1967 in Dresden, German Democratic Republic. He is an actor, known for The Lives of Others (2006), The Reader (2008) and Good Bye Lenin! (2003). He has been married to Christine Sommer since 2012. They have one child.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Film/TV role in Better Call Saul in 2018 as Werner Ziegler Better call Saul is the prequel to AMC's Breaking Bad. Bock was the engineer who designed and built Gus Fringe's underground Meth lab.
Winner (2018) ... Werner Ziegler- Wiedersehen (2018) ... Werner Ziegler
- Coushatta (2018) ... Werner Ziegler
- Something Stupid (2018) ... Werner Ziegler
- Piñata (2018) ... Werner Ziegler
- Quite a Ride (2018) ... Werner Ziegler
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Richy Müller was born on 26 September 1955 in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany. He is an actor, known for xXx (2002), Tatort (1970) and The Poll Diaries (2010).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Bernd Michael Lade was born on 24 December 1964 in East Berlin, East Germany. He is an actor and director, known for Der Zeuge (2023), Das Geständnis (2015) and Spur & Partner (2003). He is married to Maria Simon. They have three children.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jörg Schüttauf was born on 26 December 1961 in Karl-Marx-Stadt, German Democratic Republic [now Chemnitz, Federal Republic of Germany]. He is an actor, known for Tatort (1970), Forwards Ever! (2017) and Ete und Ali (1985). He is married to Martina. They have one child.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Peter Jordan was born on 26 April 1967 in Dortmund, Germany. He is an actor, known for The International (2009), Soul Kitchen (2009) and Police Call 110 (1971). He is married to Maren Eggert.- Oliver Mommsen was born on 19 January 1969 in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. He is an actor, known for Tatort (1970), What to Do in Case of Fire (2001) and Der Befehl (2007). He has been married to Nicola since 2008. They have two children.
- Mark Waschke was born on 10 March 1972 in Wattenscheid, Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is an actor, known for Habermann (2010), A Hidden Life (2019) and Buddenbrooks (2008). He is married to Filipa César. They have two children.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Armin Mueller-Stahl is a German actor with a relatively long film career. He was once nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as an abusive father in the biographical drama "Shine" (1996).
In 1930, Mueller-Stahl was born in Tilsit, East Prussia. The town developed around the castle of Schalauer Haus, which had been founded by the Teutonic Knights. Tilsit was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945, and renamed to Sovetsk. It is currently part of the Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave of Russia located in Central Europe. The town is located close to the Oblast's borders with Lithuania, and has long had an ethnic Lithuanian minority.
Mueller-Stahl's father was bank teller Alfred Müller (who later changed the family name to Mueller-Stahl) ,and his mother was university professor Editha Maaß. Editha was born to a Baltic German family from Estonia. During World War I, the Maaß lived in Petrograd (Saint Petersburg). They moved to Tilsit in 1918.
Mueller-Stahl was born in Germany's Weimar Republic period, and spend his childhood and early adolescence in Nazi Germany. In 1938, he moved with his family to the town of Prenzlau in Brandenburg. During World War II, Mueller-Stahl parted with his father. Alfred was drafted into military service, and later fought on the Eastern Front of World War II. In 1945, Alfred died in a military hospital in Schönberg , Mecklenburg.
In 1945, Editha briefly moved her family to Goorstorf, located near Rostock, the largest city of Mecklenburg. They returned to Prenzlau following the end of World War II. Armin continued his school education there. He graduated from school in 1948, at the age of 18.
Mueller-Stahl initially aspired to become a professional violinist. In 1948, he moved to Berlin. There he attended the city conservatory in West Berlin, where he studied violin playing and musicology. He graduated in 1949, and acquired qualifications to work as a music teacher. At this point, he decided to become an actor instead.
After a few years of studies, Mueller-Stahl made his professional debut at the "Theater am Schiffbauerdamm" of Berlin in 1952. In 1954, he started performing in the Volksbühne ("People's Theatre") , a prestigious theater in East Berlin. For the next 20 years, he was primarily a theatrical actor. During the 1960s, he started a side career as a character actor in East German films. By the 1970s, he repeatedly appeared in polls as East Germany's most popular actor.
From 1973 to 1976, Mueller-Stahl played the Stasi agent Werner Bredebusch in the spy thriller television series "The Invisible Visor" (1973-1979). Bredebusch was initially the series' main character, a Stasi agent who impersonates deceased fighter pilot Achim Detjen and infiltrates West Germany. The series achieved high ratings, and Mueller-Stahll received acclaim. He left the series in 1976, and its ratings soon declined.
In 1976, Mueller-Stahl signed an open letter, protesting against East Germany's decision to exile singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann (1936-). Consequenly, Mueller-Stahl found himself blacklisted in East Germany. After a few years of being unable to find roles in his country, Mueller-Stahl migrated to West Germany.
In 1981, Mueller-Stahl played Von Bohm, the male lead in the romantic drama "Lola" (1981). The film depicted Von Bohm as a building commissioner who struggles against widespread corruption in the town of Coburg, while falling in love with brothel-employed singer Lola (played by Barbara Sukowa). Following the film's relative success, Mueller-Stahl found steady work in West German cinema throughout the 1980s.
Although he barely spoke English at this point of his life, Mueller-Stahl was cast as General Petya Samanov in the American television miniseries Amerika. The dystopian series depicted a version of the United States which was under Soviet military occupation, and in which Soviet general Samanov is the de facto ruler of the occupied country. "Amerika" was the second-highest rated miniseries of the 1986-87 U.S. television season.
Mueller-Stahl decided to to seek more acting roles in the United States, and made his American film debut in the crime drama "Music Box" (1989). He was cast in the role of Mike Laszlo, a Hungarian-American family man, who is exposed as a wanted war criminal who killed numerous civilians during the Siege of Budapest (1944-1945). The film won the "Golden Bear" at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.
Mueller-Stahl next received the primary role of Polish-Jewish immigrant Sam Krichinsky in the family drama "Avalon" (1990). The film concerned the gradual assimilation of Krichinsky's family into modern American culture. The film was critically praised, and its screenwriter won the "Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay".
In 1991, Mueller-Stahl played the role of Inspector Grubach in the mystery thriller "Kafka". The film depicted a conspiracy in 1910s Prague, and was loosely inspired by the works of Franz Kafka (1883-1924). The film under-performed at the box office, but gained a cult following.
During the same year, Mueller-Stahl played New York City-based taxi driver Helmut Grokenberger in the anthology film "Night on Earth". In the film, Helmut is an East German immigrant in the United States. He is a former professional clown, whose ineptness as a driver and ignorance of New York geography make him ill-suited for his new profession. The film was critically well-received.
In 1992, Mueller-Stahl played Meissen porcelain collector Baron Kaspar Joachim von Utz in the eponymous film "Utz". The film was an adaptation of a 1988 novel by Bruce Chatwin (1940-1989), concerning a passionate collector and his unwillingness to part with his collection, even at the offer of a better life abroad. For this role, Mueller-Stahl won the "Silver Bear for Best Actor" at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival.
In 1996, Mueller-Stahl played Peter, the abusive father of concert pianist David Helfgott (1947-). The film concerns the negative effects of long-term physical and mental abuse of David by his father. Mueller-Stahl's role was critically praised, and he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The award was instead won by rival actor Cuba Gooding Jr. (1968-).
In 1998, Mueller-Stahl played German scientist Conrad Strughold in the science fiction film "The X-Files", a spin-off of the then-popular television series "The X-Files" (1993-2002, 2016-2018). In the film, Strughold is a member of the Syndicate, a shadow government which collaborates with extraterrestrial would-be colonists. The film was a box-office hit, earning 189 million dollars at the worldwide box office.
In 2007, Mueller-Stahl played Semyon, a high-ranking member of the Russian mafia, in the gangster film "Eastern Promises". The film was critically praised, and appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007.Mueller-Stahl won the "Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role".
In 2009, Mueller-Stah played former Stasi colonel Wilhelm Wexler in the action thriller "The International". In the film, Wexler works with a merchant bank that has secret ties to drug cartels, powerful corporations, corrupt governments, and terrorist organizations,. The film earned about 60 million dollars at the worldwide box office, and was considered notable for drawing inspiration from real-world banking scandals of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
Also in 2009, Mueller-Stahl portrayed Cardinal Strauss, Dean of the College of Cardinals and the Papal Conclave, in the mystery thriller "Angels & Demons". The film was an adaptation of a 2000 novel by Dan Brown (1964-). It concerns the assassination of fictional Pope Pius XVI, and a conspiracy trying to influence the election of his successor. The film earned about 486 million dollars at the worldwide box office, the highest-grossing film in Mueller-Stah's career.
In 2011, Mueller-Stahl received the "Honorary Golden Bear" at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. His only film role in the 2010s was playing Fr. Zeitlinger in the experimental film "Knight of Cups ". The film uses images from tarot cards as a main theme, while elements of the plot were inspired by the "Hymn of the Pearl" (2nd century) and the "The Pilgrim's Progress" (1678) by John Bunyan.
By 2021, Mueller-Stahl was 90-years-old. He lives in semi-retirement in California, where he enjoys its pleasant climate. He has written a number of novels and short stories, and has taken painting as a hobby.- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
Götz George, born in Berlin in 1938, is the son of the famous actor Heinrich George and his wife, the actress Berta Drews. After first appearances on the stage of Berlin's Hebbel Theater during his childhood, Götz George was trained as an actor by the recognized teacher Else Bongers. At the age of 15, Götz George started his career as a movie actor. In 1960 he received his first major award (the Bundesfilmpreis) for his appearance in the film 'Jacqueline' (directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner), followed by the German Critics Award in 1961. A year later he received the public "Bambi"-award as the most popular German actor. Between 1959 and 1969 Götz George appeared in 26 cinema features, among them 'Kirmes' (directed by Wolfgang Staudte), 'Das Mädchen und der Staatsanwalt' (director Jürgen Goslar), 'Liebe will gelernt sein' (director Kurt Hoffmann), 'Sie nannten ihn Gringo' (director Roy Rowland) and 'Ostwind' (director Jean-Luc Godard). George's next movie production was 'Aus einem Deutschen Leben', directed by Theodor Kotulla, in 1977, where he gave a highly praised performance as the KZ commander Rudolf Höss. The movies 'Abwärts' in 1984 and 'Zahn um Zahn' in 1985 (the latter based on the TV-series 'Schimanski') were both successful at the box office and among critics. In 1985, George received the German Cinema Award (Charlie-Chaplin-Schuh) and the Gold Ribbon (Bundesfilmpreis) as best German movie actor. After starring in 'Zabou' in 1987 (another 'Schimanski'-adaption for cinema) and the action thriller 'Die Katze' in 1988, Götz George appeared in 'Der Bruch', the first East-West-German co-production for cinema, directed by Frank Beyer in 1988. The location of his next film was Argentina, where he starred in the movie 'Blauäugig', produced in 1989 under the direction of Reinhard Hauff. In 1991 George played a lead role in Helmut Dietl's comedy 'Schtonk', a big success in Germany among audience and critics, and official German nomination for the Oscar. For this performance, George again received the Gold Ribbon (Bundesfilmpreis) as best actor. Perhaps his most prominent achievement, however, was the role of the serial killer Fritz Haarmann in Romuald Karmakar's movie 'Der Totmacher', for which he received the Coppa Volpi, the actor's award of the Venice Film Festival in 1995 and, once more, the Gold Ribbon (Bundesfilmpreis) in 1996. In the same year he again appeared in another highly successful film by Helmut Dietl, 'Rossini'. In early 1997, George starred in the movie 'Das Trio', directed by Hermine Huntgeburth, and during the last two months he was filming the thriller 'Solo für Klarinette', directed by Nico Hofmann, a movie adaption of the successful novel by Elsa Lewin. In summer of 1998, Götz George starred as Josef Mengele in Roland Suso Richter's film 'After the Truth / Nichts als die Wahrheit'. In 2000 he played the advertiser Eddie Kaminski in the feature film 'Commercial Man', directed by Lars Kraume, he was strange bird Heinrich in 'Gott ist tot' (2001, written and directed by Kadir Sözen) and designer Jost in 'Maria an Callas' (2004/5, written and directed by Petra K. Wagner).
During the seventies, Götz George worked for television and theater. Among others, notable stage appearances were in 'Troilos und Cressida' (as Troilus), in 'Martin Luther und Thomas Münzer' (as Luther), in 'Endstation Sehnsucht' ('A Streetcar Named Desire' - as Kowalski), in 'Dantons Tod' (as Danton) and in 'Platonow' (as Platonow). Though Götz George has been a popular German movie actor for four decades, he gained his perhaps most unique popularity for the impersonation of the police detective Horst Schimanski in the 'Tatort' TV-series from 1981 to 1991. Aside from their success in Germany, the 'Schimanski' films have introduced George to TV-audiences worldwide: 427 million people have watched so far. Moreover, George's appearances in numerous other successful TV features have made him the most well-known and mostly decorated German actor of our time. After a six-year-intermission, Schimanski returned to German TV-screens in the end of 1997 and has been continued since. Other successful TV-appearances include 'Schulz & Schulz' (1989-93), 'Das Schwein' (1994), 'Der Sandmann' (1995), and 'Die Bubi Scholz Story' (1997). In 1999 Götz George was shooting for the TV feature film 'Die Spur meiner Tochter' in Marocco.The year 2000 started with two further 'Schimanski' movies and was closed with shoots for the TV movie 'Liebe macht blind' in South Africa. ), 'Vinzenz & Claire' followed in 2002. In 2003 und 2004 Götz George starred in 'Blatt & Blüte' (director: Michael Kreindl), 'Alpenglühen I+II' (director: Hajo Gies), and in 'Einmal so, wie ich will' (Regie: Vivian Naefe) along with the suspense-packed feature 'Geheimnissvolle Freundinnnen', filmed by young director Oliver Elias. In 2002 Götz George played one of the leads in the TV movie 'Mein Vater', which won the Emmy Award for best foreign feature film in 2003. The 'Schimanski'-episodes 'Der Golem' and 'Asyl' were nominated for the Emmy in 2004.- Wotan Wilke Möhring was born on 23 May 1967 in Detmold, Germany. He is an actor, known for Pandorum (2009), Winnetou & Old Shatterhand (2016) and Antibodies (2005).
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Actor, producer, writer, and director Til Schweiger is Germany's best-known actor and also the country's most successful director. With more than 51 Million admissions no other German filmmaker drew more people to cinemas. He runs his own production company Barefoot Films based in Berlin, Germany.
Til Schweiger (born December 19, 1963) was raised along with his two brothers in his hometown Giessen. In his early years, Schweiger began studying German and Medicine. He decided to drop out of university to pursue his career as an actor and went to drama school from 1986-1989. After graduation, he played at several theaters as a stage actor to gain more experience.
In 1991, Schweiger landed his first lead role in Manta, Manta (1991) following his big breakthrough role on Maybe... Maybe Not (1994) with the support of Germany's renowned film producer and mentor Bernd Eichinger. In 1996, Til Schweiger founded his first film production company Mr. Brown Entertainment together with business partner and film producer Tom Zickler. Schweiger debuted as producer with Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997) winning several Festival Awards. The road movie remains a cult favorite with audiences worldwide. Within the same year, Schweiger was the first foreign actor to win the "Polish Oscar" at the International Warsaw Film festival for his performance in in Bandyta (1997). He has since built up acting credits in dozens of German movies including Der Eisbär (1998), where Schweiger made his debut as director.
Judas Kiss (1998) was Schweiger's first role in an international film. He then appeared in several internationally acclaimed movies including SLC Punk! (1998), The Replacement Killers (1998), Driven (2001), Intimate Affairs (2001), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003), King Arthur (2004), New Year's Eve (2011), and many more.
To this day, Schweiger has delivered a series of German-language hits and won numerous Awards as actor/writer/director/producer: Barefoot (2005) grossed about $7,7 million with 1,5 million admissions, Rabbit Without Ears (2007) was up to 2014 Schweiger's most successful film and earned some $74 million locally, followed by the sequel Rabbit Without Ears 2 (2009). In 2011, Schweiger wrote, produced and directed Kokowääh (2011), which grossed $43 million, starring alongside his youngest daughter Emma. A sequel hit theaters in 2013.
As an actor, he received widespread critical acclaim and further recognition for his portrayal as the legendary Hugo Stieglitz in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009).
In December 2014, Til Schweiger released the family-friendly dramedy Head Full of Honey (2014) , which he co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in. It is his most successful film to date breaking the 6, 3 million admissions barrier of his 2007 hit Rabbit Without Ears (2007).
Schweiger, who started his career in German TV, plays the lead role on hit local crimes series Tatort (1970)(Hamburg) (Scene of the Crime). His debut generated the best ratings for the long-running procedural in 20 years.- Jürgen Schornagel was born in 1939 in Essen, Germany. He is an actor, known for Doppelter Einsatz (1994), Treasure Island (2007) and Goebbels und Geduldig (2001). He is married to Elisabeth.
- During his school years he was enthusiastic about artistry and gymnastics. His athletic skills helped him land a role in the musical "Can Can" in 1978, which also sparked his interest in acting. After finishing school, Heino Ferch devoted himself to his acting training at the Salzburg Mozarteum. In addition to the classical acting courses, he was also trained here in singing, ballet and tap dancing. He completed his training in 1987 and was immediately hired by the Freie Volksbühne Berlin, whose ensemble he was a member of until 1990. Also in 1987 he had his first screen role in the cinema production "Schloss Königswald".
After his time at the Freie Volksbühne, Ferch went to the Berlin Schillertheater in 1990, where he remained loyal until 1994. During this time he had several guest appearances at the Scala in Milan, at the Salzburg Festival and at the Burgtheater in Vienna. He quickly attracted attention both through his performance in the theater and in film. He received particular praise for his portrayal of Obersturmbandführer Raufeisen in "Unhold" (1996) and for his portrayal of Gestapo leader Klaus Barbie in "Lucie Aubrac" (1996). His role as Roman Cycowski in the hit production "Comedian Harmonists" helped him achieve widespread popularity in 1997. Heino Ferch became one of the most sought-after German actors and several successful productions followed, both for cinema and television.
His most successful TV production to date was "The Miracle of Lengede" in 2003, which was awarded a "Bambi" as "TV Event of the Year". Ferch left a lasting impression as Albert Speer in "Downfall," in which he played Lara alongside Bruno Ganz and Alexandra Maria. "Ghetto," another Third Reich drama, was released in German cinemas in 2006. However, the production did not achieve the desired success and also failed to convince the critics. Ferch was in a relationship with the actress Susanne von Borsody for several years. He has been married to the rider Marie-Jeanette Steinle since August 2005. - Manfred Zapatka was born on 2 October 1942 in Bremen, Germany. He is an actor, known for Das Himmler Projekt (2000), KDD - Kriminaldauerdienst (2007) and Todesspiel (1997). He has been married to Margarete ? since 1978. They have two children. He was previously married to Regine Vergeen.
- Götz Schubert was born on 13 February 1963 in Pirna, German Democratic Republic [now Federal Republic of Germany]. He is an actor, known for Alles was recht ist (2008), The People Vs. Fritz Bauer (2015) and Flemming (2009).
- Devid Striesow was born on 1 October 1973 in Bergen auf Rügen, East Germany [now Germany]. He is an actor, known for All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), The Counterfeiters (2007) and Before the Fall (2004). He has been married to Francine since 2008. They have two children.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Friedrich von Thun was born on 30 June 1942 in Kwassitz, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia [now Kvasice, Moravia, Czech Republic]. He is an actor and director, known for Schindler's List (1993), Die Verbrechen des Professor Capellari (1998) and Cold Hell (2017). He was previously married to Gabriele (Gaby) Schniewind and Gabriele (Yella) Bleyler.- Christian Berkel was born on 28 October 1957 in West Berlin, West Germany. He is an actor, known for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), Valkyrie (2008) and Downfall (2004). He has been married to Andrea Sawatzki since 17 December 2011. They have two children.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
August Diehl was born on 4 January 1976 in Berlin, Germany. He is an actor and writer, known for Inglourious Basterds (2009), A Hidden Life (2019) and The King's Man (2021). He has been married to Julia Malik since 1999. They have two children.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Oliver Stokowski was born on 8 August 1962 in Kassel, Hesse, West Germany. He is an actor, known for The Book Thief (2013), Zeit der Helden (2013) and Der Ermittler (2001). He has been married to Lilian Naumann since 2014.- Actor
- Soundtrack
After school, he completed his training at the Folkwang School in Essen from 1980 to 1984 and clown training with Pierre Byland. Rohde then worked at various theaters in Bielefeld and Bochum and played in the ensemble of the Schauspielhaus Bochum from 1987 to 1995. His brother Uwe Rohde, who was three years younger, also became an actor. His first major roles were in Berthold Brecht's "Threepenny Opera", "Sophocles' Oedipus" and "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett. Meanwhile, in 1991 he appeared with a role in "Schtonk!" Helmut Dietl participated in his first cinema production. In the same year he celebrated his breakthrough with Sönke Wortmann's film "Little Sharks". In 1992 he made his TV debut in the crime scene "The Schimanski Case". In 1996 he took on the main role of the truck driver in the television series "Auf Axle", which was made popular by Manfred Krug as a trucker. In 1995 Armin Rohde married Angela Baroness von Schilling.
In the following years he became one of the most popular actors in Germany with films such as "The Moving Man", "The Superwoman", "Rossini", "Life is a Construction Site" and "Lola Runs". He also appeared in numerous television films such as "Dangerous Girlfriend" by Hermine Huntnatalh (1996), "The Yellow of the Egg" by Lars Becker (1998), "No Way Back" by Volker Vogeler (1999) and the "Pommery Series". ZDF by Manfred Stelzer (2002, 2004). In 2000 Armin Rohde was awarded the Golden Camera for best actor. In 2001 he received the readers' award "Jupiter" from Cinema magazine as best actor. For his contribution to the two-part TV series "The Miracle of Lengede" (2003) he received the Bambi and the Adolf Grimme Prize. In 2005 he appeared in front of the camera for the successful productions "Blood Wedding" and "The Ghost of Canterville".
In 2006 he played the main roles in the fairy tale film "The Robber Hotzenplotz" and in the comedy "Father Undercover - On behalf of the family". In 2009 his autobiography was published under the title "Megalomania and Stage Fright: The Truth About Actors". In 2010 he appeared in front of the camera for the cinema production "Jud Süß - Film without Conscience".- Michael Roll was born on 29 April 1961 in Munich, Bavaria, West Germany. He is an actor, known for M.E.T.R.O. - Ein Team auf Leben und Tod (2006), Der König (1994) and Kommissarin Lucas (2003). He has been married to Claudia Heiss since 23 July 2016. He was previously married to Antje Roll.
- Ronald Zehrfeld was born on 15 January 1977 in East Berlin, East Germany. He is an actor, known for Barbara (2012), The People Vs. Fritz Bauer (2015) and In the Face of Crime (2010).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Max Riemelt was born on 7 January 1984 in Berlin, Germany. He is an actor, known for Before the Fall (2004), Free Fall (2013) and Berlin Syndrome (2017).- Misel Maticevic was born on 28 July 1970 in West-Berlin, Germany. He is an actor, known for In the Face of Crime (2010), Exile (2020) and The Vow (2007).
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Moritz Bleibtreu is a German actor born on August 13, 1971 in Munich growing up in Hamburg. He first appears in children's television series Neues aus Uhlenbusch (1977) at the age of six. His breakthrough was the role called "Abdul" in the movie Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997). He also became internationally known for his work on Run Lola Run (1998), The Experiment (2001) and World War Z (2013). In Germany, He is well known for the classic stoner-movie called Lammbock (2001) in which he plays the leading role. He speaks fluent German, English, French and Italian and is the son of Austrian actors Hans Brenner and Monica Bleibtreu.- Thomas Thieme was born on 29 October 1948 in Weimar, Thuringia, Germany. He is an actor, known for The Lives of Others (2006), Downfall (2004) and The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008).
- Michael Schenk was born on 21 December 1965 in Osnabrück, Germany. He is an actor and writer, known for The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008), Enemy at the Gates (2001) and The Reader (2008).
- Fabian Hinrichs was born in 1974 in Hamburg, West Germany. He is an actor, known for Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005), Tatort (1970) and Divided We Stand (2022).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Sebastian Koch is one of the most internationally sought-after German actors of his generation. After stage engagements in Berlin, Bochum and Darmstadt, the Karlsruhe native was twice awarded the "Grimme Prize" in 2002 for the title role in Peter Keglevic's "Der Tanz mit dem Teufel - Die Entführung des Richard Oetker" (Dance with the devil - The kidnapping of Richard Oetker) and for his acting performance as Klaus Mann in the family story "The Manns" by Heinrich Breloer. He also received the "Bavarian Television Award" for his portrayal of Klaus Mann. His international breakthrough came in 2006 with director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's Oscar-winning theatrical success "The Lives Of Others". For his outstanding portrayal of the GDR writer Georg Dreyman, Koch received numerous nominations and awards, including the 2007 Italian Foreign Press Award, the "Globo d'Oro" for Best European Actor.
He has since appeared in numerous international film productions. His performances in the historical drama "Napoleon" alongside Isabella Rossellini, Gérard Depardieu and John Malkovich, and alongside Catherine Deneuve in Benoît Jaquot's "Princesse Marie" (Marie Bonaparte, 2004) brought him great attention. He starred in Constantin Costa-Gavra's Hochhuth adaptation "Amen" (2002) and played the title role in Jo Baier's documentary "Stauffenberg". He received the "German Television Award" for his portrayal of Nazi criminal Albert Speer in Heinrich Breloer's multi-part series "Speer and Hitler".
Together with Paul Verhoeven, Sebastian Koch filmed the World War II drama "Black Book" (Zwartboek, 2006) and was nominated for an "Emmy Award" in 2008 for his portrayal of the title role in the international co-production "The Sea Wolf", based on Jack London's classic. He also appeared in Jaume Collet-Serra's "Unknown" (2011) with Liam Neeson, as well as Mike Figgis' "Suspension Of Disbelief" (2012). He assumed the lead role in the most successful Greek film of 2012, "God Loves Caviar" (O Theös Agapäei To Chaviäri), alongside John Cleese and Catherine Deneuve. Koch starred alongside Bruce Willis in John Moore's "A Good Day To Die Hard" (2013) and in the pilot of Ridley Scott's US series "The Vatican" (2014). He then co-starred with Daniel Auteuil in the German-French feature film "Kalinka" (Au Nom De Ma Fille, 2015) and with Oscar winners Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hooper in Hooper's Oscar-nominated bestselling adaptation "The Danish Girl" (2016). That same year, Sebastian Koch joined Tom Hanks in front of the camera for Steven Spielberg's "Bridge Of Spies", a story about brokering the first agent exchange in the Cold War - the film was nominated for an "Academy Award". Koch was lauded for his leading role in Kai Wessel's "Fog In August" (2016). In "Bel Canto" (2017), a film by Paul Weitz, he stars alongside Julianne Moore and Ken Watanabe. In the 5th and 6th seasons of the US series "Homeland", he played the German entrepreneur Otto Düring. The film "Never Look Away", yet another collaboration with director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, gained international attention after it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in fall 2018 and was nominated for several Oscars and Golden Globes. Sebastian Koch received the "Bambi" in the category "Best Actor National" for the role of Prof. Seeband in 2018. In 2021, he was awarded the European film prize "Die Europa" at the Braunschweig International Film Festival. Most recently, Sebastian Koch starred in the German-Austrian thriller series "Euer Ehren" (Your Honor), which is set to air in spring 2022 on the German public broadcaster Das Erste. He was also involved in the creation of the scripts.
Sebastian Koch has been a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since July 2019.
In addition to his acting work, he regularly delights audiences with symphonic-scenic readings, including "Paradise" with violinist Daniel Hope, "Dream Story" with the Hubert Nuss Jazz Quartet and recently "The Kreutzer Sonata" after L. Tolstoy, which Sebastian Koch dramaturgically adapted and conceived as a stage play with piano and violin.- Actor
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Hansa Czypionka was born on 1 March 1958 in Sandhorst, Aurich, Lower Saxony, Germany. He is an actor, known for Happy Birthday, Türke! (1992), Autumn Blood (2013) and R.I.S (2007).- Actor
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Justus Von Dohnanyi was born in 1960 in Lubeck (Northern Germany) as a son of the conductor Christoph von Dohnanyi; his uncle is the politician Klaus von Dohnanyi. He worked at the city theaters in Frankfurt and Zurich and at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg after studying at the Hochschule fur Musik und darstellende Kunste in Hamburg. His first appearance in the American cinema was in Jakob the Liar (1999). He was seen on the PBS presentation of Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace (2000) as well as in the James Bond adventure The World Is Not Enough (1999). He has made many appearances on German television, mostly in TV movies. In 2001 he was awarded a Deutsche Filmspiel Award in Gold as Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Experiment (2001).- Benjamin Sadler was born on 12 February 1971 in Toronto, Canada. He is an actor, known for Luther (2003), The Charlemagne Code (2008) and Augustus: The First Emperor (2003).
- Jan-Gregor Kremp was born on 30 September 1962 in Monheim, Germany. He is an actor, known for The Musketeer (2001), Tatort (1970) and Fugitives (2011). He is married to Johanna Gastdorf. They have one child.
- Jürgen Tarrach was born on 17 December 1960 in Geilenkirchen, Germany. He is an actor, known for Die Musterknaben (1997), The Reader (2008) and Casino Royale (2006).
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Franz-Xaver Kroetz was born on 25 February 1946 in Munich, Germany. He is an actor and writer, known for Die Geschichte vom Brandner Kaspar (2008), Der Leibwächter (1989) and Viagem para a Felicidade (1978). He was previously married to Marie Theres Relin.- Actor
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For an actor who has appeared in so many film roles, Hanss Zischler has had time to contribute to a remarkable variety of cultural and scholarly pursuits. He left his native Bavaria at age 21 for Berlin, where he wrote and directed plays, did translations into German of such philosophical authors as Rousseau and Derrida, worked as a photographer in the colored pinhole form, wrote his own books, and performed as a recital speaker of poetry and other texts in musical settings. He describes such activities as guided by what the Germans call "Erkenntnisinteresse" (Interest in Research) And in film, he has made his mark in works by Wenders, Godard, Akerman, Chabrol, Caviani, and Spielberg.- Actor
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His stepfather was a chief petty officer in the Navy. He spent his childhood and youth in Neustadt, Holstein. After secondary school, he attended secondary school, switched to vocational school and then to technical high school, where he completed his technical high school diploma. He then studied music and mathematics at the University of Education for five semesters. He dropped out of his studies without graduating. He then trained at the Kiel Drama School from 1982 to 1985. As a result, Prahl worked as a theater actor at the Schleswig-Holstein State Theater as well as in touring theater and other stages. The artist then moved to Berlin in the early 1990s, where he received engagements at the Renaissance Theater, the GRIPS Theater and the Kammerspiele of the German Theater.
Prahl then switched to film and television. In 1994 he got his first TV engagement in the television series Bella Block. With the multi-award-winning, episodic film "Nachtgestalten", in which Prahl plays a police officer, a closer collaboration with director Andreas Dresen developed from 1999 onwards. He also appeared under him in the productions "Halbe Stapel" (2002) and "Willenbrock" (2004) as a cheated husband and a resourceful used car dealer. He was awarded the Bavarian Film Prize for his performance in "Half Stairs". In 2002 he played a German sergeant in the Holocaust drama "The Pianist" under the renowned director Roman Polanski. Axel Prahl has made a name for himself among audiences primarily through his versatility.
The mime masters his craft from comedy to tragic figures. His great acting achievements also include the embodiment of "little people" and narrow-minded scofflaws, as in the TV production "Hope Dies Last" (2002), which he co-created as the revenge-seeking district leader Eddy, in the award-winning TV drama "Das Miracle of Lengende" (2003), in which he plays a miner, or in the film "Befreite Zone" (2004), in which he can be seen as vacuum cleaner salesman Rolf Kubicek. He was once again awarded the Adolf Grimme Prize for his excellent casting in "Hope Dies Last". Pahl appears in the role of a representative in a music video released in 2006 for the song "If it happens" from "We Are Heroes".
Axel Pahl has been known to a larger series audience since 2002 as Chief Inspector Frank Thiel from Münster in the international television series "Tatort". In 2011, the actor separated from his second wife, with whom he has twins, after 12 years of marriage. He moved from Marienwerder in Brandenburg back to Berlin.- Clemens Schick was born on 15 February 1972 in Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He is an actor, known for DogMan (2023), Andor (2022) and Futuro Beach (2014).
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Jürgen Tonkel was born on 23 August 1962 in Höhenrain, Wolfratshausen, Bavaria, Germany. He is an actor and director, known for Downfall (2004), Leave Without Running (2009) and Die Chefin (2012). He is married to Eva Tonkel. He was previously married to Daniela Tolkien.- Michael Lott was born on 30 December 1964 in Hamburg, West Germany. He is an actor, known for The Physician (2013), Tatort (1970) and Mit Leib und Seele (1989).
- Pierre Besson was born on 4 April 1967 in East Berlin, East Germany. He is an actor, known for Die Zürcher Verlobung - Drehbuch zur Liebe (2007), Hindenburg: The Last Flight (2011) and Tatort (1970).
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Godehard Giese was born on 20 October 1972 in Hamburg, West Germany. He is an actor and director, known for Transit (2018), Babylon Berlin (2017) and I Was, I Am, I Will Be (2019).