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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.
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.
Matthias Schweighofer is a German actor, film director, voice actor, and producer. Over the course of his career, Schweighofer has received several prestigious awards like the German Television Prize, Adolf Grimme Award, and Bavarian Film Award. Matthias Schweighofer is also a fashion enthusiast; he is credited with co-founding a fashion label named German Garment along with television presenter Joko Winterscheidt.
Numan Acar is a Turkish-German film producer and actor. A civil engineer by profession, Acar chose acting in the late 1990s and started appearing in German and Turkish films. In 2007, he began his own production company Acar Entertainment, which produces German-Turkish movies. Numan Acar achieved international fame in 2019 when he played Dmitri Smerdyakov in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
American actor/writer George Nader is best known for his iconic films such as Sins of Jezebel and Congo Crossing. With his 6’1” frame, the actor mostly earned "beefcake" roles. Though not openly gay, he lived with his partner Mark Miller. An eye injury later forced him to retire from acting.
I. Marlene King is a German film director, producer, and writer. Also known for her contribution to the TV industry, King is best known for executive producing the popular American teen drama mystery thriller series Pretty Little Liars.
German filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff, a Sorbonne alumnus, excelled in philosophy and political science in college, though he later focused on film studies. Starting his career as an assistant director, he later became a significant figure of the New German Cinema movement and also won an Academy Award for The Tin Drum.
Dolly Buster is a Czech-German author, filmmaker, and retired pornographic actress. She appeared in more than 100 X-rated European movies and was named the hottest porn star in Germany in 2009. Dolly Buster also has a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented at the Venus Awards, and a Special Jury Award under her belt. Buster has also written a series of crime-novels.
While he initially tried his luck in law school, Stefan Raab, the son of a butcher, later dropped out and focused on an entertainment career. Now a renowned comedian, musician, TV producer, and host, he is known for his association with the Eurovision contest. He also owns the production company Raab TV.
German-American actor and filmmaker Frank Reicher was the son of actor Emanuel Reiche and the grandson of baritone singer August Kindermann. While he started his career with Broadway, he later soared to fame as Capt. Englehorn from the film King Kong and its sequel, The Son of Kong.
Filmmaker Simon Verhoeven was no stranger to the entertainment world in childhood, being the son of actor Senta Berger and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Michael Verhoeve. While he started his career as an actor, he is now best known for directing the blockbuster hit comedy Welcome to Germany, based on the refugee crisis.
German-born director Henry Koster experimented with cartooning, painting, and even scriptwriting, before directing his debut film, Thea Roland. Following the rise of the Nazi regime, he moved to the U.S. His rich body of work consists of his Oscar-nominated direction in The Bishop's Wife and his equally popular Harvey.
Jurgen Vogel is a German actor, film producer, screenwriter, and singer. Vogel is widely regarded as one of the most successful and popular character actors in the history of German cinema. Over the course of his career, he has won several prestigious awards like the Bavarian Film Awards, The German Film Award, The Jupiter Award, and The Golden Bear Award.
Andre Hennicke is a German actor who has played important roles in over 100 films since 1984. In 2002, he was presented with a German television award for his portrayal of Thomas Richter in the 2001 thriller film Something to Remind Me. He has also played supporting roles in popular movies like Sophie Scholl– The Final Days, Pandorum, and Downfall.
German actor, director, and producer Fritz Diez was born to a maid servant and had to join theater at age 9 to support his family. He was known for his accurate portrayal of Adolf Hitler in at least 10 projects, both German and international. He was awarded the Patriotic Order of Merit.
Initially a stage actor, Lupu Pick later gained fame as one of Romania’s best filmmakers of the silent era. He co-founded the Rex-Film GmbH studio and also served on the boards of association such as the Film Association of Industrialists. He was also the first chairperson of Filmmakers in Germany.
