Deutsche SchauspielerInnen

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 23 (1998). He was previously married to Julia Malik.

Klaus Kinski was born as Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski in Zoppot, Free City of Danzig (now Sopot, Poland), to Susanne (Lutze), a nurse, and Bruno Nakszynski, a pharmacist. He grew up in Berlin, was drafted into the German army in 1944 and captured by British forces in Holland. After the war he began acting on the stage, quickly gaining a reputation for a ferocious talent and an equally ferocious temper. He started acting in films shortly afterward, showing an utter disregard for the quality of the productions he appeared in and churning out so many that a complete filmography is almost impossible to assemble.

However, he did turn out memorable work for director Werner Herzog, a similarly driven and obsessive character. Herzog and Kinski pushed each other to extremes over a 15-year working relationship, which finally ended after filming Cobra Verde (1987), a production plagued by volcanic clashes between the star and director, involving--among other things--violent physical altercations and mutual death threats. He subsequently directed and starred in the notorious Paganini (1989), his only film as director and which was marked by (again) clashes between Kinski and his producers, who accused him of turning their movie into a pornographic film and sued him in court. His autobiography, "All I Need is Love", a vicious attack on the film industry, was withdrawn for legal reasons and subsequently re-released as "Kinski Uncut" in the US & UK, "Ich brauche Liebe" in Germany, and in various other languages.

Tom Schilling was born on 10 February 1982 in East Berlin, East Germany. He is an actor and producer, known for A Coffee in Berlin (2012), Before the Fall (2004) and Who Am I (2014).

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.

Daniel Brühl was born in Barcelona, Spain. His father was German TV director Hanno Brühl (1937-2010), who was born in São Paulo, Brazil. His Spanish mother was a teacher. He also has a brother and a sister, Oliver and Miriam. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Cologne, Germany, where he grew up and attended the Dreikönigsgymnasium. Brought up in a fully multilingual home, he speaks fluent German, English, Portuguese, Spanish, French and Catalan.

Jürgen Vogel is a German actor and producer, recognized as one of the country's most successful character actors. He gained prominence with his role in the 1992 film "Little Sharks" (Kleine Haie). Over his career, Vogel has appeared in numerous films and television series, including notable performances in "The Wave" (Die Welle, 2008) and "The Free Will" (Der freie Wille, 2006), the latter earning him the Silver Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Beyond acting, he has co-written and produced several projects, showcasing his versatility in the film industry. Vogel is also known for his distinctive appearance, particularly the gaps between his teeth, which have become a personal trademark. In addition to his artistic endeavors, he is involved in charitable activities, such as supporting families affected by the Angelman syndrome.

Beginning his life with the same flair for the dramatic that would come to define his career, Udo Kier was born in Köln, Germany near the end of the 2nd world war. The hospital was bombed and buried Kier and his mother in the rubble. Both survived, and Kier would later move to London as a young adult to study English. Kier was discovered in London by Michael Sarne, who cast him in his first role as a gigolo in "Road To Saint Tropez". Kier then starred in Michael Armstrong's extremely controversial "Mark Of The Devil". He would go on to work with Paul Morrissey in Andy Warhol's "Flesh For Frankenstein" and "Blood For Dracula", Dario Argento in "Suspiria", and Rainer Werner Fassbinder in "The Third Generation", "Lili Marllen", and "Lola".

Kier entered the American independent cinema scene many years later after meeting Gus Van Sant at the Berlin Film Festival. Van Sant offered Kier the role of Hans, the lamp-singing john in "My Own Private Idaho" with Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix. He would later have roles in Gus Van Sant's "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues" and "Don't Worry He Won't Get Far On Foot" as well as such 90s Hollywood hits as "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", "Johnny Mnemonic", "Barb Wire", "End Of Violence", "For Love Or Money", "Armagedden", "Blade", and "End Of Days". Kier is probably best known for his collaboration with Lars von Trier, appearing in most of his films including "Medea", "Europa", "Breaking The Waves", "Dancer In TheE Dark", "Dogville", "Manderlay", "Melancholia", "Nymphomaniac (Vol. II)" and "The Kingdom" (Danish TV). Kier's recent renaissance has seen him play memorable roles in the Activision game "Call Of Duty", numerous television roles in North America and Europe, and in the films "Iron Sky", "Brawl In Cell Block 99", "Downsizing", "American Animals", "Bacurau", "The Painted Bird", "The Blazing World" and "Swan Song", among many others.

Jan Fedder was born on 14 January 1955 in Hamburg, West Germany. He was an actor, known for Das Boot (1981), Der Mann im Strom (2006) and Soul Kitchen (2009). He was married to Marion Fedder. He died on 30 December 2019 in Hamburg, Germany.

Henry Hübchen was born on 20 February 1947 in Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany. He is an actor and producer, known for Go for Zucker (2004), Da geht noch was (2013) and Jacob the Liar (1974). He has been married to Sanna Hübchen since 1977. They have two children.

Christian Ulmen was born on 22 September 1975 in Neuwied, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He is an actor and producer, known for Berlin Blues (2003), Dr. Psycho - Die Bösen, die Bullen, meine Frau und ich (2007) and Jerks (2017). He has been married to Collien Ulmen-Fernandes since 22 June 2011. He was previously married to Huberta.

Ulrich Mühe was a German film, television, and theater actor renowned for his role as Captain Gerd Wiesler in the Oscar-winning film "The Lives of Others" (2006). His performance earned him the Best Actor award at the 2006 European Film Awards. Before his film success, Mühe was a prominent stage actor in East Germany, notably at the Deutsches Theater in East Berlin. He was also known for his political activism, publicly opposing Communist rule in East Germany during the Alexanderplatz demonstration on November 4, 1989. After German reunification, he continued to work extensively in theater, film, and television, including the series "Der letzte Zeuge" (1998-2007). Mühe was married to actresses Jenny Gröllmann and later Susanne Lothar, and had five children, including actress Anna Maria Mühe. He passed away in 2007.

Now a Swiss citizen, Antoine Monot, Jr was born in Germany in 1975. Monot undertook numerous PR mandates for touring theater groups following his training as a director at the "Hochschule für Musik und Theater Zürich". In 1993 Monot, Jr. produced the short film _Timing (1999 short)_ for the "Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Zürich".

In addition to his activities as an actor in German films (_Jazz (1994)_, _Gigantics (1999)_, Lammbock (2001), _The Experiment (2001)_, _The Family Jewels (2003)_, _Blaue Grenze, Die (2005)_qv) Monot, Jr founded, together with Karl Spoerri in 1999, the Creative Arts Management Talent Agency based in Zurich, later in Munich and then Cologne. He collaborated actively in developing the company, first as an agent and later as a consultant, until it disbanded in 2005. Monot, Jr has, since 2004, written a regular column, initially for the youth magazine "Blond" and then, until present, for 'www.kolumnen.de/monot.html'.

In 2004 he became responsible for the development and web presentation of the English digital film festival "onedotzero_adventures in moving image", to be implemented in Zurich in the Autumn of 2006. Antoine Monot, Jr is a founding member of the 'Zurich Film Festival' and active as the festival's Programme Director.

Bruno Ganz was an acclaimed Swiss actor who was a prominent figure in German language film and television for over fifty years. He is internationally renowned for portraying Adolf Hitler in the Academy Award-nominated film Downfall (2004).

Ganz was born in Zürich, to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother. He decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university. He debuted at the theatre in 1961, and gained a reputation as a reflective, charismatic and technically brilliant stage actor. In 1970, he and Peter Stein founded the theatre company 'Schaubühne' in Berlin, Germany. On stage, Ganz portrayed Dr. Heinrich Faust in Peter Stein's staging of Faust, Part One and Faust, Part Two in 2000.

In cinema, Ganz became one of the best-known and most acclaimed actors in the German language, collaborating with many of the most respected European actors and directors of his time. He also starred in international features that reached a global audience. His film debut was The Gentleman in the Black Derby (1960). He also starred in Unknown (2011), The Counselor (2013), and The Party (2017).

Ganz died from cancer on 16 February 2019 at his home in the village of Au, in Wädenswil, Switzerland.

Ben Becker spent his childhood and youth with his sister Meret Becker in Berlin with his mother and her partner, the actor Otto Sander. As a child, Becker was already involved in radio plays, for example in "The 3 Question Marks and the Car Marten". He later found a strong role model in Otto Sander and decided to train as an actor. Becker had theater engagements and appeared in various film and television productions. Becker had his first film role in 1983 in "A Love in Germany" with Hannah Schygulla and Armin Mueller-Stahl. In 1978 he played in a "Tatort" episode for the first time. In 1991 and 1995 he appeared twice as "Stefan Triest" in the crime series "Polizeiruf 110". In 1991, Becker received the Adolf Grimme Prize in silver for his role in the television film "Landschaft mit Thornen" and the Adolf Grimme Prize in gold for his role in the "Polizeiruf 110" episode "Totes Gleis".

From the mid-1990s onwards, Becker was seen more and more often in major productions and made his breakthrough in 1995 with the drama "Schlafes Bruder". Two years later, Becker played the manager of the "Comedian Harmonists" in the film of the same name with his sister Meret, Heino Ferch, Katja Riemann and Kai Wiesinger. Together they received the special prize of the "Bavarian Film Prize" in 1998. Ben Becker also directed his own plays such as "Sid and Nancy" with Sister Meret in the lead role and wrote short stories. However, he wasn't satisfied with that either and tried his hand as a musician. In 1997 he released his first CD "And silently the head flies away" onto the market. In the same year he also appeared in front of the camera for television productions. In the crime thriller "Against the Current" he played a detective, in the thriller "The Seven Fires of Death", with Iris Berben and Hannes Jaenicke, and in "Game for your Life" he was seen.

Becker released his second music album in 2000 together with Xavier Naidoo. This is the sampler "Rilke Project", on which Becker and Naidoo musically embellished works by the German poet. In 2001, Becker was involved as an actor in the Berlinale film "Frau 2 sucht Happy End" and provided the song "Engel wie wir" for the soundtrack. Shortly afterwards, Becker's third album "We lift off" was released. Becker's projects continued to be exceptional. He lent his voice to the boxer Muhammad Ali on the audio book CD "King Of The World" and produced the CD "Fever - Diary of a Leper" with Alexander Hacke. Becker then recited previously unpublished poems by his eccentric actor colleague Klaus Kinski. The role of Franz Sass in the 2001 film "Sass" is one of Becker's other film projects. In the same year he played in the Peter Zadek production "Bash - Pieces of the Last Days" at the Hamburg Kammerspiele.

Ben Becker performed one of his most impressive character portrayals in 2006 in the drama "An Ordinary Jew" directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. The piece is a one-man show, carried by Becker's self-confident and sometimes cynical reflections. The bold decision to bring a 90-minute monologue to theaters was appreciated by audiences and critics alike. In 2009 and 2010 he appeared in front of the camera for "The Tiger or What Women Love", directed by Niki Stein, and "Habermann". In 2012 he married Anne Seidel. The couple became parents to their daughter Lilith in 2000. In 2013 Becker was awarded the Askania Award. In 2019 and 2020 he was in front of the camera for the Tatort productions "The Palatinate from Above" and "The Team".

Robert Stadlober was born on 3 August 1982 in Friesach, Carinthia, Austria. He is an actor and producer, known for Summer Storm (2004), Enemy at the Gates (2001) and Engel & Joe (2001).

Kostja Ullmann was born on 30 May 1984 in Hamburg, West Germany. He is an actor, known for Summer Storm (2004), Verfolgt (2006) and A Most Wanted Man (2014). He was previously married to Janin Ullmann.

Leonard Lansink was born on 7 January 1956 in Hamm, Germany. He is an actor, known for Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997), Wilsberg (1995) and Nur für eine Nacht (1997). He has been married to Maren Muntenbeck since 15 October 2011.

Nora Tschirner was born on 12 June 1981 in East Berlin, East Germany. She is an actress and producer, known for Rabbit Without Ears (2007), Tatort (1970) and Kebab Connection (2004).

Sibel Kekilli is a German actress of Turkish origin. With her debut in Fatih Akin's movie "Head On" she gained major public attention. The film won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival 2004 and her acting performance received several national and international prizes, among them the highly prestigious German film award Lola for Best Actress.

Since then Kekilli played in several national and international productions like "Eve Dönüs" ("Home coming"), awarded Best Actress at the Antalya Film Festival, aside with Josef Bierbichler and Hanna Schygulla in "Winter Journey" ("Winterreise) or the leading role Umay in Feo Aladags "When We Leave" ("Die Fremde") in 2010 which lead to Best Actress Award at the Tribeca Film Festival and once again the Lola award among others.

Apart from other movie roles, as the very successful comedy "What a man" (2011) directed by Matthias Schweighöfer, she has been investigating in the highly regarded German series "Tatort" since 2010.

She has also become widely known as part of the main cast for her role as Shae in the HBO award-winning series "Game of Thrones" (Season 1 until Season 4).

Jennifer Ulrich was born in Berlin, Germany. She is an actress, known for The Wave (2008), Diaz - Don't Clean Up This Blood (2012) and We Are the Night (2010).