Austrian Female Film & Theater Personalities

Viennese actor Emily Cox initially wished to be a dancer but later began her career as a theater actor. She is now best known for her performance as Viking warrior Brida in the hit Netflix series The Last Kingdom. She has also been part of movies such as Fatherless.

Patricia Rhomberg is an Austrian former pornographic film actress who was active during the 1970s. She began her career as a medical assistant but her life took an unexpected turn after meeting director Hans Billian, who made sex movies and encouraged her to become a porn star. She played the lead role in many popular porn films before retiring. 

German-Austrian actress, author, and businesswoman Christine Kaufmann gained attention of post-war German movie audiences with her performances in films like Rosen-Resli, Der schweigende Engel and Ein Herz schlägt für Erika. She became the first German to be honoured with Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress for her performance in the drama film Town Without Pity.

Austrian actor Barbara Valentin, or the Queen of Nudity, was known for her saucy films and for her friendship with Queen star Freddie Mercury. She appeared in the Queen video It’s A Hard Life. Though Freddie was queer, close friends claimed he had shared a bed with Valentin multiple times.

It is believed Austrian actor Senta Berger was suspended by the Max-Reinhardt-Seminar, where she studied drama, after she bagged her first movie role. The three-time Bambi Award winner is known for her roles in films such as The Quiller Memorandum. She is also involved with peace and environmental activism.

Maria Schell was an Austrian-Swiss actress who achieved immense popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, when she was considered one of the leading actresses of German cinema. Maria Schell is best remembered for her portrayal of Dr. Helga Reinbeck in the 1954 Austrian-Yugoslavian war drama film The Last Bridge, which earned her the Cannes Best Actress Award in 1954.

Nauheed Cyrusi is an Indian model, actress, and VJ. Cyrusi is best known for appearing in TV commercials for well-known brands like Head & Shoulders, Britannia, and Himalaya. Over the years, Cyrusi has become a household name in India, thanks to her acting skills and visibility across the country.

One of the first female architects from Austria, Lilia Skala later also became a reputed actor, winning an Academy Award nomination for her film Lilies of the Field. She had also worked in Broadway plays such as Letters to Lucerne and in soaps such as Claudia: The Story of a Marriage.

Austrian filmmaker Veronika Franz teamed up with her nephew, Severin Fiala, to make several films. Initially a film journalist, she later gained fame with the German-language psychological horror movie Goodnight Mommy, which she co-directed with Fiala. She is married to award-winning filmmaker Ulrich Seidl.

Tilly Losch was an Austrian actress, dancer, choreographer, and painter. She achieved popularity in England before making her Hollywood debut. Losch went on to appear in films like The Garden of Allah, Duel in the Sun, and The Good Earth. However, she later chose to focus more on her career as a dancer and choreographer and acted only on Broadway.