Famous German Film & Theater Personalities

Michael Fassbender is a critically-acclaimed Irish-German actor best known for playing a sex addict in the psychological erotic drama film Shame. Apart from being an actor, Michael is also a well-known racing driver; he started his auto racing career in 2017 and currently races for Proton Competition in the European Le Mans Series.

German film score composer and record producer Hans Zimmer has composed music for over 150 films so far. He developed a love for music as a child and started playing professionally when he was in his teens. He eventually ventured into films. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards and three Classical BRIT Awards.

German-American actress, Zazie Beetz, is best known for her role in the FX comedy-drama series Atlanta. She became interested in acting while in high school and appeared in many community theater productions. She began her career with small roles in short films and established herself as a popular TV actress in a few years.

Evel Knievel was an entertainer and stunt performer. He attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps in his career, a feat that gained him much popularity. In 1999, he was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. He was known to be a man of values and actively preached anti-drug messages to youngsters. He also campaigned for motorcycle helmet safety. 

Spanish-German actor Daniel Brühl began his career with the soap Verbotene Liebe. Raised trilingual, he is now fluent in six languages. Hollywood knows him best as Fredrick Zoller from Inglourious Basterds, while he first made waves with the German film Good Bye, Lenin! He later co-owned two bars.

Pia Wurtzbach is a Filipino-German beauty queen who participated in the 64th Miss Universe pageant where she was crowned Miss Universe 2015. Wurtzbach is also a model, actress, and TV personality; she had to quit her showbusiness career temporarily to participate in the beauty pageant. She is also an advocate for gender equality and works towards raising awareness of HIV.

Best known for his performances as Kunta Kinte in Roots and Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, LeVar Burton is also known for his 23-year stint as the award-winning host of Reading Rainbow. Though he initially aspired to be a Catholic priest, he doesn’t believe in any religion anymore.

Nico was a German musician, singer, and songwriter. Her work continues to serve as an inspiration to several musicians like Björk, Morrissey, and the English rock band The Cure. In 2017, Susanna Nicchiarelli directed Nico's biographical film titled Nico, 1988. Also an actress, Nico appeared in many films, including Andy Warhol's experimental underground film Chelsea Girls.

Audra McDonald is a singer and actress primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage. She has appeared in multiple musicals, operas, and dramas and is the recipient of six Tony Awards. She is a classically trained soprano and has performed with the Los Angeles Opera. She has also acted in many TV shows and films. 

Two-time Lola Award-winning German actor Sibel Kekilli is best known to international audiences as Shae from the iconic HBO series Game of Thrones. The Turkish-origin actor took up many odd jobs, working as a porn actor and a waitress, before stepping into mainstream movies and tasting success with Head-On.

Franka Potente is a German actress who took the entertainment world by storm with her performance in her debut film, After Five in the Forest Primeval, for which she won a Bavarian Film Award for Best Young Actress. After establishing herself in her native country, she moved on to Hollywood, appearing in multiple popular films. 

Mario Gómez is a German former footballer who played for the Germany national football team between 2007 and 2018, during which he represented Germany in two FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships. He was also an important member of the popular club Bayern Munich as he helped the team secure several trophies, such as the UEFA Champions League.

Born to American parents in Germany, Daniel Tosh initially graduated in marketing and began his career as a telemarketer. He later began performing in comedy clubs and scored a breakthrough on the Late Show with David Letterman. He has also appeared in The Love Guru and even had his own show, Tosh.0.

Arón Piper is a German-Spanish actor best known for his portrayal of Ander Muñoz in the Spanish thriller teen drama series, Elite. Apart from being an actor, Piper is also a musician. He joined hands with several other musicians to release a single titled Sigo. In 2020, he released another song titled Rosé.

Pantomime and clown Benedikt Negro hails from Germany and began performing at age 9, mastering tricks such as breathing fire, knife throwing, and juggling. Now, the lead attraction of O, the Cirque du Soleil water show, he has also recently worked with famed directors such as James Cameron.

Leni Riefenstahl was a German film director and actress best remembered for her role in producing Nazi propaganda. She made her directorial debut in 1932, becoming one of the few women to direct a movie during the Weimar Period. Riefenstahl is credited with directing two of the most technically innovative propaganda films of all time, Olympia and Triumph des Willens.

German-French actor Romy Schneider began her career with the Heimatfilm genre of films as a teenager. She appeared as Empress Elisabeth of Austria in the Austrian Sissi trilogy and in Ludwig. She is also remembered for her César Award-winning roles in Une histoire simple and L'important c'est d'aimer.

Nastassja Kinski is a German actress who played a major role in the success of several European and American films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. One of the most popular German sex symbols of her generation, Kinski appeared in erotic films like Cat People. She is also renowned for her much-publicized personal life, which includes her relationship with Roman Polanski.

Q'orianka Kilcher is an American actress, activist, and singer. She is best known for playing important characters in films like The New World and Princess Kaiulani. As an activist, Kilcher has been visiting universities and colleges and delivering speeches at organizations like Amnesty International. 

Cress Williams is an American actor known for his portrayal of Terrence Williams in the popular television series, Living Single. Williams struck a deal with DC Entertainment in 2018 to play Jefferson Pierce / Black Lightning in the TV series Black Lightning. He is expected to play the role in future DC Entertainment movies and series featuring Black Lightning.

While he initially trained to be an Olympic swimmer, Thomas Kretschmann turned to acting at age 25. Surprisingly, he was typecast as a Nazi officer and ended up playing one in 11 films, including The Pianist. He first gained fame with his Max Ophüls Prize-winning role in Der Mitwisser.

Flula Borg is a German actor, comedian, musician, DJ, and YouTube personality. Despite being a German, Borg has managed to establish himself in the American film and TV industry; he has appeared in films like Pitch Perfect 2 and Bad Therapy. Popular on social media, Flula Borg was named in The Hollywood Reporter magazine's Top 25 Digital Stars list in 2015.

Born in Germany, Annette Schwarz studied in all-girls school in France and then moved to Munich as an aspiring surgical nurse. However, after spotting an ad for the porn company GGG, she stepped into the adult movie industry at age 18. She has won porn awards including the AVN Award.

Otto von Habsburg was the son of Charles I, the last emperor of Austria. A staunch opponent of Nazism, he called for the unification and integration of Europe. He had been a European Parliament member and spearheaded the Pan-European Picnic at the Austrian-Hungarian border during the 1989 revolution.

When German actor Helena Zengel won the Lola Award for the Best Actress for System Crasher, she became the youngest performer to achieve the feat. She has also appeared with Tom Hanks in News of the World and earned a Golden Globe nomination for it.

Briana Banks is a German American adult actress and model. Born in Germany, she later moved to USA where she began her career as a model. She eventually ventured into pornography and appeared in many popular adult videos. She was also featured in the cable TV series Vivid Valley. She was inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame in 2016.  

The daughter of former German ice-hockey player Rainer Makatsch, Heike Makatsch initially apprenticed as a dressmaker. She began her entertainment career hosting shows such as Interaktiv. She later appeared in movies such as Love Actually and Am I Beautiful? She also earned an Emmy nomination for Margarete Steiff.

Sheryl Lee is a German-born American actress best known for her work in film, stage, and television. Lee is well-known for playing Madeline Ferguson and Laura Palmer in the cult TV series Twin Peaks. Sheryl Lee is also renowned for her philanthropic efforts and activism. She has participated in campaigns to raise awareness and money for breast cancer.

Max Riemelt is a German actor who achieved international recognition after portraying Wolfgang Bogdanow in the popular American science fiction TV series, Sense8. His performance in the series landed him opportunities to play important roles in German as well as international projects, such as Berlin Syndrome and World on Fire.

Though German actor Klaus Kinski had gained fame with his stellar performances in the films of Werner Herzog, he had also been in the news for his eccentricity and volatile nature. He was once admitted to psychiatric facility for attempting to kill his sponsor, and his own daughter accused him of abuse.

Ugandan-born German actor Florence Kasumba is best known as Ayo from the Marvel films. Apart from voicing Shenzi in the 2019 version of The Lion King, she has also appeared in Wonder Woman. The multilingual actor was first inspired to join the entertainment industry after watching a musical at 12.

Til Schweiger is a German actor, filmmaker, and voice actor. Apart from playing important roles in German films, Schweiger has also appeared in several American films, such as Investigating Sex, King Arthur, and Already Dead. Til Schweiger is credited with establishing a production company named Barefoot Films.

F. W. Murnau was a German film director best remembered for directing the 1922 silent horror film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, which is widely regarded as a masterpiece of German Expressionist cinema. He also made Hollywood films like Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, which is often counted among the best movies ever made by critics and film directors.

One doesn’t come across an actor who manages her own red-carpet look, but Romanian-German actor Alexandra Maria Lara claims she does just that. Married to actor Sam Riley, she has appeared with him in several films, too. She is the star of the upcoming spy thriller The King's Man.