My favourite German actors
List activity
492 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
19 people
- 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.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
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.- 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). - 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).- Vinzenz was born in 1979 in Weilburg/Lahn. He grew up in a small village between two farms. He loved chasing chickens as well as building cabins in the woods and playing with fire. His parents' video collection was also an early passion of his (later on he took care of it completely and since then, he has expanded it significantly). Movies like "King of Kings", "Zorro", "Three Musketeers", and "Robin Hood" were key experiences while he was a boy, as well as films about pirates. Later on titles like "Batman" and "Legend" would find his attention, and Vinzenz could be seen quite often in a Batman costume - or running around, painting big Zs on front doors. After trying to invent a time machine several times or to find diamonds in the forests or to dig a hole to the center of the earth (and failing each time, of course) he finally turned to every-day life and meeting people and finding friends. Learning by doing became to be one of his favorite principles, and he used it to get familiar with riding a motor scooter, smoking or finding his rank within the gang and impressing the girls. One day while visiting the Cologne film studios Vinzenz was crowded by a bunch of girls pleading for his autograph. Some people in a production studio watched this scene and invited him for an interview, after which he was offered a part in a TV series. Vinzenz declined because he did not feel ready to leave his home and his friends. But the production studio kept on asking him, and so, after finishing school, Vinzenz finally agreed to take this chance.
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Karoline Herfurth was born on 22 May 1984 in Berlin, Germany. She is an actress and director, known for Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), Text for You (2016) and Einfach mal was Schönes (2022).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Jürgen Vogel was born on 29 April 1968 in Hamburg, West Germany. He is an actor and producer, known for The Wave (2008), Der freie Wille (2006) and Life is All You Get (1997).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
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).- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Jan Josef Liefers was born on 8 August 1964 in Dresden, East Germany [now Saxony, Federal Republic of Germany]. He is an actor and director, known for Tatort (1970), The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008) and The Tower (2012). He has been married to Anna Loos since 5 August 2004. They have two children. He was previously married to Aleksandra Tabakova.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Elyas M'Barek was born on 29 May 1982 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. He is an actor, known for Suck Me Shakespeer (2013), Who Am I (2014) and The Wave (2008).- Actress
- Writer
Born in Stuttgart, Germany, Natalia Wörner studied acting at the Lee Strasberg's Actors' Studio in New York and began her stage career in Hamburg upon her return to Germany, She made her film debut in 1992, appearing in the feature film LENI as a young Jewish woman escaping Germany during the Second World War. That same year, she also starred in Sherry Hormann's 'Frauen sind etwas Wunderbares' (Women are wonderful) and 'Die Sieger' (The Invincibles.), a police thriller by Dominik Graf along with other TV productions. Fluent in several languages, Natalia effortlessly played alongside Gerard Depardieu in the 1994 French suspense thriller, François Dupeyron's 'La Machine'. She again caught the attention of the international audience for her French speaking role in the international cinematic production '20 Nuits et un Jour du Pluie' (20 Nights and One Rainy Day), which premiered in Cannes in 2000. However, it was her exceptional role in the 1995 popular TV series 'Um die Dreißig' (About 30) that won the hearts of the critics and the nation and catapulted her to become the critically acclaimed actress she is today having played leading roles in more than 50 national and international films. Natalia received her first award, the GOLDEN GONG, in 1996 for her outstanding performance in the episode 'Perfect Mind' of the long-standing crime series Tatort (Crime Scene). That same year she played in the romantic comedy 'Irren ist Männlich' (Father's Day), again directed by Sherry Hormann. Moving seamlessly between drama and comedy, in 2000 she was again honored twice for Best Leading Actress for her performances in 'Bella Block' episode 'Blinde Liebe' (Blind Love), to which she had also written the screenplay, and in the TV movie 'Frauen lügen besser' (Women Lie Better), an adaptation of Annemarie Schoenle's novel. Natalia's passion and commitment to the art of acting was never more evident than in her theatrical stage appearances. In 2001, at the Hamburger Kammerspiele she played in both David Hare's 'The Blue Room' and David Auburn's 'Proof'. She later returned to grace the stage in 2005, where she was part of the world premiere of Ulrich Waller's 'Ein Stück vom Himmel' (A Piece of Heaven) at the Deutsches Theater Berlin, and again in 2009 to the Renaissance Theatre in Berlin, for Patrick Marbers' successful play 'Hautnah' (Closer) directed by Ulrike Jackwerth. In addition to numerous appearances in television productions throughout the years, in 2006 Natalia played a compelling role as an investigator in the TV crime series 'Unter anderen Umständen' (Under Different Circumstances), directed by Judith Kennel. Natalia has since appeared in the numerous subsequent annual films. In addition to this, she also starred in the German adaptation 'Das Kindermädchen' by Carlo Rola and played the evil stepmother in the the international film series 'Cinderella' by Christian Duguay. The year 2009, saw Natalia flourish in the international film industry. Firstly, she appeared in the English/German co production 'Four Seasons', starring alongside Senta Berger, Tom Conti and Michael York. Later that year, she ventured to Hungary for the shooting of the monumental 'Ridley Scott' and the Tandem Communications adaptation of Ken Follett's world-wide bestselling novel, 'The Pillars of the Earth'. Here, Natalia played a dramatic and romantic lead, Ellen, the wild forest woman. The eight-hour series was broadcast world-wide in 2010 and received international critical acclaim. As such, the film was awarded several international honors including the Austrian ROMY, nominations for the American Golden Globes and receiving the German BAMBI. Natalia completed another German cinematic wonder in 2012 with the project 'Die Kirche bleibt im Dorf' (The church stays in the village) by Ulrike Grothe. Her hilarious portrayal of the Swabian western-styled dialect showdown was seen and loved by more than half a million people. She also finished the next sequel feature film of 'Unter anderen Umständen' (Under Different Circumstances) and the superb culture clash comedy 'Kückückskind'. Subsequent projects were leading roles in the film adaption of the world famous Goethe-Drama 'Götz von Berlichingen' (2013), the eagerly awaited sequel of 'Die Kirche bleibt im Dorf' (The church stays in the village II), Carlo Rola's thriller "Die Mutter des Mörders" (Mother of the murderer, 2014), "Der gute Göhring" and a newly developed political TV series "Die Diplomatin" (The Diplomat), which received its premiere in 2016. For the preparation of her role, Karla Lorenz, Natalia Wörner accompanied Germany's former Secretary of State Frank-Walter Steinmeier during official trips to Indonesia and South Korea, and she took over the leading role in a new adaption of "Mata Hari" (2016) as well as a role in the internationally cast of "Berlin Station" (2017), a successful American series produced by Studio Babelsberg. Natalia's profile would not be complete without mentioning her remarkable effort in numerous charity projects, particularly those that are of personal significance in her life. Having directly experienced the devastating 2004 tsunami in Thailand, she responded with immediate effect and founded the Tsunami Direkthilfe e.V., the function of which is to help re-establish the coastal fishing communities. In 2006, she became an ambassador for the international children's aid organization Kindernothilfe e.V. and supports many national and international projects that strive for the protection, health, safety, education and love of children. For her ongoing dedication to the cause she was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in 2016.- Actor
- Writer
Götz Otto was born on 15 October 1967 in Dietzenbach, Hesse, Germany. He is an actor and writer, known for Iron Sky (2012), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and Cloud Atlas (2012). He is married to Sabine. They have four children.- Felicitas Woll was born on 20 January 1980 in Harbshausen, Hessen, Germany. She is an actress, known for Berlin, Berlin (2002), Dresden (2006) and Die Ungehorsame (2015).
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Franka Potente was born on 22 July 1974 in the German city of Münster, to Hildegard, a medical assistant, and Dieter Potente, a teacher, and raised in the nearby town of Dülmen. After her graduation in 1994, she went to the Otto-Falckenberg-Schule, a drama school in Munich, but soon broke off to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York. After a notable debut in Nach Fünf im Urwald (1995), the role of the heroine in Run Lola Run (1998), directed by her then longtime companion Tom Tykwer was her national breakthrough. After some other successful movies in Germany, she starred in several Hollywood productions, most prominently The Bourne Identity (2002) and The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and lived one year in Los Angeles. After her return to Berlin, she continues working with German and international directors.- Alexandra Neldel was born in 1976 in West Berlin, Germany. Her parents divorced when she was a child. His father is a hunter.
It was always very hard for her to decide if she would be with her father or her mother. Maybe that is the reason why she decided to leave her parents and to live her own life at the age of 16. Yet, she has a very good relationship with her parents.
After finishing "Realschule" in Berlin-Steglitz, she started to work as a dentists' assistant. She worked only one year as a dentists' assistant, but during this time she also worked as a hostess. In 1992 she was discovered by the boss of a German casting agency during a polo competition. Although Neldel had no experience in acting, she got a role in a German daily soap opera, Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten. After leaving Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten in 1999, Neldel starred in several German motion pictures and TV films, including Lammbock, Samba in Mettmann and Emmy-winning series Berlin, Berlin.
She never really studied acting, her principle has always been "learning by doing". She always mentions in interviews that she never wanted to be an actress, it was not her dream to stand in front of the camera, she was completely satisfied with her life as a dentists' assistant. But now, she enjoys her work as an actress and it always makes her happy to give something to the audience.
2005 was the year of her breakthrough as an actress: she began to play the role of Lisa Plenske in the most successful German daily soap-opera ever. She left the series after 365 episodes. After her leaving, the majority of the audience turned aside from "Verliebt in Berlin", the series became rather unsuccessful. More than seven million German people watched the 365th episode of "Verliebt in Berlin", therefore it was a profitable production for German TV channel Sat1.
In 2006 Neldel was "best European soap actress" and got the Rose d'Or (Golden Rose) Award.
She is often considered as a sex-symbol , too - but she always refuses this kind of expression. She is also considered as a girls' girl: that means the majority of her fans are women.
She never talks about her private life, one can never read home-stories about her, as she says, she wants to keep her private life.
Nowadays she is one of the most successful actresses in Germany, she has many fans also in France, since her series "Verliebt in Berlin" was broadcast there as well: it was the most successful German series in France ever. - Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Furtwängler is the great-niece and step-granddaughter of the conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler. She grew up in middle-class circumstances with her parents. The father Bernhard Furtwängler was an architect, the mother Kathrin Ackermann was an actress. At the age of eight, she appeared in front of the camera for the first time in the film "Zum Farewell Chrysanthemums", directed by her uncle Florian Furtwängler. She received her early acting training from her mother, Kathrin Ackermann, and from Elionor Hofmann. After finishing school with a high school diploma, Furtwängler studied human medicine, received her doctorate and practiced as a doctor in Munich. However, she quickly found her way back to her passion, acting. Maria Furtwängler became known to a wide TV audience in the successful series "The Happy Family".
She was seen here from 1987 to 1990 in the role of "Katja" alongside Maria Schell and Siegfried Rauch. Meanwhile, in 1991 she married the publisher Dr. Hubert Burda. The marriage produced a son and a daughter in 1990 and 1992. In 1995, Maria Furtwängler played in the relationship comedy "Three Women and (no) a Man". From 1996 she starred in the pediatrician series "Hello, Uncle Doc!" in front of the TV camera. In the same year she played Walter Sitter's wife in the family series "Two to Fall in Love" and "Lust auf Liebe" alongside Peter Sattmann. This was followed by comedies, TV series, romantic melodramas and roles in crime series such as "Der Alte", "Fahnder" and "Siska", in which she was able to continue to assert herself. From 1997 to 1998 the production "Cape of Good Hope" and "Herzflimmern" based on the book by Barbara Wood were directed by Dieter Kehler. The melodrama "Dir zu Liebe" from 1999, directed by Hans Werner, received great attention. Another successful production was created with Furtwängler in 2000 under the title "The Eighth Deadly Sin - Ghost Hunt". In it she played the head of a police department that was investigating a cigarette smuggler.
The romantic melodrama "Happiness is an Island" followed in the same year. In 2001 she received the role of chief detective "Charlotte Lindholm" in the renowned TV crime series "Tatort" on ARD. In 2002 she was awarded the Jupiter Prize from the cinema magazine "Cinema" as the most successful television film of the year for the "Tatort" "Lastrumer Misch". The marital drama "Too Close to the Fire" with Michael Mendel followed in the same year. It told the story of a woman who risked her relationship with an affair. Maria Furtwängler also made a name for herself through the numerous social projects she supported. The focus of their work is the fight against cancer, violence against children and the fight against disease and poverty in the Third World. In 2003, Maria Furtwängler was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for her commitment to the aid organization "Doctors for the Third World".
Maria Furtwängler was awarded the Siegfied Lowitz Prize in 2005 for her theater and acting.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born on 12 November 1978 in Bucharest, Romania, Alexandra Maria Lara fled to Germany with her parents when she was four and half years old. After graduating at the French High School, she studied acting at the Theaterwerkstatt Charlottenburg from 1997 and 2000, but had already played leading characters in several TV shows and movies such as Die Bubi Scholz Story (1998). Due to her critically acclaimed performance in The Tunnel (2001), she has appeared in several successful national and international projects, most notably the Oscar nominated Downfall (2004).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Johanna Wokalek was born on 3 March 1975 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany. She is an actress, known for The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008), Pope Joan (2009) and Barefoot (2005). She is married to Thomas Hengelbrock. They have one child.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Anna Loos was born on 18 November 1970 in Brandenburg an der Havel, German Democratic Republic. She is an actress, known for The Weissensee Saga (2010), Anatomy (2000) and Die Lehrerin (2011). She has been married to Jan Josef Liefers since 5 August 2004. They have two children.