This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tobias Santelmann is a German-born Norwegian actor best known for starring in the historical drama film Kon-Tiki. Interested in acting from a young age, he graduated from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. Since then, he has been employed at The Norwegian Theatre in Oslo. He is also active in the TV and film industries.
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.
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.
Tom Tykwer is a German film producer, director, composer, and screenwriter. Tykwer is best known for directing thriller films like Perfume: The Story of a Murderer and Run Lola Run. The recipient of three Bavarian Film Awards, Tom Tykwer is also known for co-creating the popular German TV series Babylon Berlin.
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.
Filmmaker and producer Paul Bern was the man behind the launch of American sex symbol Jean Harlow. He, unfortunately, died of a gunshot wound only 2 months after his marriage to Bern, which gave rise to numerous theories, one of them being suicide. The handwritten suicide not found was not conclusive.
Herbert Grönemeyer is a musician, singer, composer, producer, and actor. After appearing as Lieutenant Werner in the popular West German war film Das Boot, Grönemeyer went on to focus on his musical career. Over a period of time, Grönemeyer became one of the most successful German musicians of all time, having sold more than 13 million copies of his albums.
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.
Katharine Cornell was a German-born American actress, producer, writer, and theater owner. Considered one of the greatest theatre actresses of all time, Cornell became the first performer to win the prestigious Drama League Award in 1935 for her portrayal of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Katharine Cornell was also the recipient of other prestigious awards, such as the Tony Award.
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 artist and filmmaker Hans Richter was initially associated with the Blaue Reiter and later inspired by Cubism. He made a significant impact on Dadaism. A Jew, he fled the Nazi regime by escaping first to the Soviet Union, then to Switzerland, and then finally to the US.
Richard Mansfield was a German-born English actor-manager. He is best remembered for his work in Gilbert and Sullivan operas and Shakespeare plays. Mansfield is renowned for playing a psychopathic killer; such was his performance in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde that he was suspected in Jack the Ripper case as the complainant believed that Mansfield was homicidal.
Kristina Söderbaum was a Swedish-born German actress, photographer, and producer. She is best remembered for playing important roles in films that were made by the state-controlled production companies in Nazi Germany. Regarded as the quintessential Nazi star, Söderbaum portrayed the ideal Aryan woman. She later expressed regret for playing such roles. After her acting career, Söderbaum became a fashion photographer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
