Famous Swiss Film & Theater Personalities

Swiss actress, yesteryear model and sex symbol Ursula Andress gained attention playing Honey Ryder, widely regarded as the first Bond girl, in the first James Bond film titled Dr. No. In the ensuing years, she bolstered her career starring in films like The Southern Star, Clash of the Titans, and particularly as Vesper Lynd in spy parody film Casino Royale.    

The Paris-born French-Swiss director and screenwriter had the reputation of adding new dimensions to filmmaking with his experimentation, a trend which came to be known as the French New Wave. The director of acclaimed films like Breathless, My Life to Live and Pierrot le Fou, Jean-Luc Godard was married to actress Anna Karina. He is regarded as an all-time great director.

Kate Burton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Ellis Grey in the popular medical drama television series, Grey's Anatomy. The daughter of famous actors, Sybil Christopher and Richard Burton, Kate is also renowned for her stage work and has received three Tony Award nominations so far. 

Sean Hepburn Ferrer is an American author and film producer who has worked on films, such as Inchon and Blood In Blood Out. Also known for his charity work, Sean established the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund a year after Audrey Hepburn's death. In 2020, he published a children's book, with the proceeds benefitting the European Organisation for Rare Diseases.

Bruno Ganz was a Swiss actor best remembered for his collaborations with acclaimed directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Werner Herzog, and Wim Wenders. Ganz achieved immense popularity for his performance in movies like The American Friend and Nosferatu the Vampyre. Bruno Ganz was the recipient of several prestigious awards such as the Swiss Film Prize and the European Film Award.

Maximilian Schell was an Austrian-born Swiss actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Hans Rolfe in the 1961 courtroom drama film, Judgment at Nuremberg. Remembered for his versatility, Schell received the Golden Globe Award for playing Vladimir Lenin in the 1992 TV film, Stalin. A multi-talented personality, Schell was also an accomplished conductor and pianist.

Sofia Milos is an Italian Greek actress and model best known for her portrayal of Yelina Salas in the popular American police procedural TV series, CSI: Miami. Before establishing herself as an actress, Milos entered several beauty pageants, winning provincial, regional, and national contests.

Carla Juri is a Swiss actress best known for her role in the biographical film Paula. She studied theater in London and Los Angeles and traveled across Berlin, London, and Rome to find jobs early in her career. She started acting professionally in the mid-2000s and has since appeared in many critically acclaimed films and TV shows. 

Aomi Muyock is a Swiss actress who is renowned for her portrayal of Electra in the 2015 erotic drama art film, Love. The film achieved fame and notoriety for its unsimulated and often unchoreographed sex scenes. In addition to appearing in films, Aomi Muyock also pursues her interest in arts. 

While he initially studied architectural design, Daniel Bernhardt also co-owned a martial arts center with his brother. He later worked as a model in Paris, before stepping into films. Known for his roles in action films such as the Bloodsport franchise, he was later seen as Agent Johnson in The Matrix Reloaded.

Ma Anand Sheela is an Indian-Swiss woman best known for her involvement with the Osho movement, serving as the spokesperson of the movement and as the secretary of Rajneesh from 1981 to 1985. Sheela also managed the famous Rajneeshpuram ashram. In 1986, Ma Anand Sheela was imprisoned for attempted murder and for her hand in the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack.

Jake Canuso is a Swiss actor best known for his portrayal of Mateo Castellanos in the comedy TV series, Benidorm. Canuso is also known for playing Tony Peroni in another comedy TV series titled Scarborough. Apart from appearing on TV, films, and stage, Jake Canuso has also appeared on music videos of popular artists like Spice Girls and Kylie Minogue.

Anthony Radziwill was a Swiss-born American filmmaker and television executive. The son of Polish Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł and socialite Lee Radziwiłł, Anthony started his career as a television producer, winning the prestigious Peabody Award in 1990 for his investigation on the revival of Nazism in the US. Anthony Radziwill died at the age of 40 due to cancer.

Irène Jacob is a French-Swiss actress best known for her collaboration with Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski. In 1991, she won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for the Kieślowski movie, The Double Life of Veronique. The following year, Irène Jacob received a César Award nomination under the Best Actress category for the film. 

Marc Forster is a Swiss filmmaker best known for directing popular and critically acclaimed films like Monster's Ball, Stranger than Fiction, Quantum of Solace, and The Kite Runner. Over the course of his career, Marc Forster has received nominations for prestigious awards like the BAFTA Award for Best Direction and Golden Globe Award for Best Director. 

Baran bo Odar is a German screenwriter and film and television director. He is best known for directing the 2014 German techno-thriller film Who Am I, which received a German Film Award nomination for Best Screenplay and Best Fiction Feature Film in 2015. Baran bo Odar has also directed popular TV series like Dark and 1899. 

Robert Frank was a Swiss documentary filmmaker and photographer best remembered for his photographic book The Americans which earned him comparisons with the likes of Tocqueville. An acclaimed photographer, Robert Frank won many prestigious awards, such as Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography in 1996 and the Edward MacDowell Medal in 2002.

Marthe Keller is a Swiss actress best known for her portrayal of Elsa Opel in the 1976 film Marathon Man, for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination under the Best Supporting Actress category. Marthe Keller is also renowned for her theater and opera work. She made her debut as an opera director with Dialogues des Carmélites in 1999.

Gustav Knuth was a German actor who appeared in over 120 movies between 1935 and 1982. Some of his best-known films include My Daughter and I, You Don't Shoot at Angels, and That Can Happen to Anyone. Gustav Knuth also played an important role in the TV series Alle meine Tiere.

Vincent Perez is a Swiss actor, photographer, and director. He is best known for playing important roles in films like The Crow: City of Angels and Queen of the Damned. Vincent Perez has also played prominent roles in many French films, receiving César Award nominations on a couple of occasions.

Anatole Taubman is a Swiss actor best known for his portrayal of Elvis in the 2008 spy film, Quantum of Solace. He has also played important roles in other popular films like Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky, Northmen: A Viking Saga, and The Circle.

David Bennent is a Swiss actor who made his film acting debut in 1979 with the controversial film The Tin Drum. The movie attracted criticisms as an 11-year-old Bennent was shown in sex scenes. Since then, Bennent has appeared in several other films such as Legend and Happy as Lazzaro. David Bennent has also appeared in plays like Michael Kramer.

Michelle Hunziker is a Swiss-Italian model, actress, and television hostess. After starting her career as a model by posing for brands, such as Armani, La Perla, and Rocco Barocco, Hunziker established herself as a TV personality, hosting popular shows like Paperissima Sprint and Colpo di Fulmine. Over the years, she has also acted in films and TV series.

Joel Basman is a Swiss actor. He began his career as a teenager with a role in the weekly soap opera Lüthi und Blanc. A few years later, he gained much fame for playing an autistic boy in the film Jimmie. While pursuing his acting career, he also completed his training at the European Film Actor School.  

Pipilotti Rist is a Swiss visual artist renowned for producing experimental installation art and video art. Categorized as feminist art, Rist's artwork is also described as abstract art, intimate, and surreal. Over the years, Pipilotti Rist's work has earned her prestigious awards like the Wolfgang Hahn Prize, Joan Miró Prize, and Best Architects '11 Award.

Max Hubacher is a Swiss actor best known for his portrayal of Willi Herold in the 2017 historical drama film, The Captain. Active since 2010, Max Hubacher was honored with the Shooting Stars Award in 2012.

Born to circus-owner parents, James Thiérrée began performing on stage at age 4. He later stepped into theater and films and gained international fame with his César Award-winning portrayal of George Foottit in the film Chocolat. He is also the grandson of legendary comedian and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin.

Swiss instrumentalist and composer Adrian von Ziegler, known for his signature long mane, first gained international attention on YouTube, where he has over a million subscribers. A self-proclaimed lover of Celtic and fantasy music, he also often experiments with metal and Oriental music. He was initially known by his pseudonym Indigo.

Elodie Frenck is a Peruvian-Swiss-French actress best known for her portrayal of Marlène Leroy in the popular French television program, Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie. In addition to playing important roles in TV series, Elodie Frenck also plays prominent roles in feature films, short films, TV movies, and on stage. 

Anne-Marie Miéville is a Swiss filmmaker, screenwriter, and editor. After starting her career as a photographer, Miéville went on to establish herself as a film and TV director. In one of its editions, Sight & Sound magazine called Anne-Marie Miéville a hugely important multimedia artist.

Swiss conceptual artist Urs Fischer uses sculptures and installations to explore themes traditionally associated with painting, such as nudes and still lifes. His artworks, such as What if the Phone Rings, are often self-destructing. He had initially worked as a bouncer in clubs to support his photography lessons.

Max Miedinger was a Swiss typeface designer who achieved international fame after creating the Helvetica typeface in 1957. Initially named Neue Haas Grotesk, the typeface was renamed Helvetica in 1960. Helvetica achieved global success after being marketed as a symbol of Swiss technology.

Mario Adorf is a German actor best known for having played supporting and leading roles in more than 200 film and television productions. He is widely regarded as one of the finest character actors of European cinema. Apart from being an actor, Mario Adorf is also known as a successful author.

Swiss-born Greek singer-actor Panos Mouzourakis is best known for his roles in the Greek series S1ngles and 4. He had first gained attention with the play Acharnis, which toured around the globe. He has also lent his voice to the Greek version of the hit Disney animated film Frozen.

Michel Simon was a Swiss-French actor best remembered for playing important roles in many successful French films like La Chienne, L'Atalante, and Boudu Saved from Drowning. In 1967, he was honored at the Berlin International Film Festival with the Silver Bear for Best Actor for his performance in the comedy-drama film, The Two of Us.