Top 50 Most Popular German Actors Of All Time

 

Germans are known for their engineering prowess and their superior technology in automobiles and industries.

 

They are known for their castles, their rulers, and kings. However, when it comes to arts and entertainment, many of us only think of classical composers like Beethoven, Bach, Strauss, Handel, etc.

 

In recent years, Germans have shined in the area of acting. Do you find it surprising?

 

It is true that there has been a flood of talented and acclaimed actors and actresses from Germany or of German descent.

 

Diane Kruger, Franka Potente, Til Schweiger, Daniel Brühl, and more, have graced the world of cinema.

 

They have amazed us with their talent, grace, and versatility. ENTOIN has curated a list of actors of Germany and of German descent who have left a mark on our hearts.

 

This list will remind us of actors of bygone eras and the current crop of actors, and it will also surprise us to see their names.

 

 

50. Casey Affleck

 

 

 

Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt is famous as the acclaimed Oscar-winning actor Casey Affleck. He is of German ancestry from his mother’s side of the family.

 

He began work as a child actor and appeared on PBS shows. Affleck’s acclaimed films that were nominated include To Die For, Good Will Hunting, Gerry, the Ocean’s trilogy, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Manchester By the Sea, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Tower Heist, ParaNorman, Interstellar, etc.

 

 

49. Michael Roll

 

 

 

Michael Roll is a German actor born in Munich. He is a television actor with over 150 acting credits to her name.

 

He debuted in the TV film Kraftprobe and won the Munich Film Festival award for Best Young Actor for his role in Ein naheliegender Mord.

 

Some of the popular roles of Michael Roll were in Der König, M. E. T.

 

R. O. - Ein Team auf Leben und Tod, Kommissarin Lucas, Alarm für Cobra 11 - Die Autobahnpolizei, Andersrum, ein Gauner Gottes, etc.

 

 

 

48. Vince Vaughn

 

 

 

Vince Vaughn is an actor, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for his comedies, but in recent years, he chose more dramatic roles with much success.

 

Vaughn is of German ancestry from his father's side of the family. Vince Vaughn began his career with comedies and rom-coms.

 

He starred in Old School, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Wedding Crashers, The Break-Up, Fred Claus, etc.

 

However, he also starred in dramatic roles in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Return to Paradise, Psycho, etc. which were widely acclaimed.

 

In recent years, he starred in Hacksaw Ridge, Brawl in Cell Block 99, Dragged Across Concrete, etc.

 

 

 

47. Boris Kodjoe

 

 

 

Boris Kodjoe is a model, actor, and producer. He is the son of a German psychologist and a Ghanaian Physician, born in Austria.

 

Kodjoe grew up in Germany and came to the USA with a tennis scholarship to study marketing.

 

He played tennis for his university and had to discontinue due to a back injury.

 

During his tennis matches, he was scouted and offered a role in TLC’s music video for Red Light Special.

 

Soon his popularity grew, and he was named among the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People Magazine.

 

Later, Kodjoe starred in films and Tv series like Soul Food, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Resident Evil: Retribution, Surrogate, Addicted, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19, Code Black, etc.

 

 

 

46. Frederick Lau

 

 

 

Frederick Lau is a German actor and producer. He was born and brought up in Berlin and continues to stay in the same city.

 

In 2008 he won the Deutscher Filmpreis award, also called the Lolas for his role in the film Die Welle.

 

Lau regularly appears in German films and TV series. His notable performances were in Die Welle, Victoria, 4 Blocks, Heart of Stone, 3 Türken und ein Baby, Gutland, Rising High, Wolke unterm Dach, Roccos Reise, etc.

 

 

 

45. Horst Günter Marx

 

 

 

Horst Günter Marx was born in the East German city of Potsdam and developed an interest in acting from the age of ten years.

 

He participated in school plays and directed them. After graduation, he continued his work in theater and stage plays.

 

However, some of his work was deemed to be against the principles of East Germany.

 

Marx attempted to relocate to West Germany and restart his acting career there. He appeared in many acclaimed TV roles, films, and stage plays.

 

Some of Horst Günter Marx’s acclaimed roles are in Die Venusfalle, Die Drei, Tatort, Balko, der Clown, SoKo 5113, Die Tote von Amelung, Mörderische Zwillinge, etc.

 

 

 

44. Alexander Radszun

 

 

 

Alexander Radszun is a German actor born in Berlin. He began acting professionally in 1975 and has appeared in over 75 films and many more television roles.

 

The most prominent roles portrayed by Alexander Radszun have been in films like Goldene Zeiten - Bittere Zeiten, Der Bastard, Group Portrait with a Lady, Eurocops, SoKo 5113, Everyone Dies Alone, Dr. M, The Magic Mountain, etc.

 

 

 

43. Nick Nolte

 

 

 

Nick Nolte is an actor and a model. Growing up, Nolte was an active sportsman and played football, basketball, and baseball, but had to drop out of college due to poor grades.

 

He developed an interest in theater and pursued it. Initially, Nolte gained fame as a model for Clairol’s hair lightener.

 

After that, Nick Nolte was offered film roles and starred in acclaimed roles like Rich Man, Poor Man., The Prince of Tides, Affliction, Warrior, 48 Hrs., Teachers, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Another 48 Hrs, The Thin Red Line, The Good Thief, Hulk, Hotel Rwanda, Tropic Thunder, etc.

 

Nick Nolte earned nominations for three Academy Awards, Golden Globe Award, Primetime Emmy Award, etc.

 

 

 

42. Gene Kelly

 

 

 

Eugene Curran Kelly was an actor, director, dancer, choreographer, and singer. He is most famous for his role in musical films and in introducing and popularizing ballet-style dances in films.

 

He was nominated for an Oscar, two Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Directors Guild awards, and more.

 

Gene Kelly is of German ancestry from his maternal side of the family, while his paternal side was Irish.

 

Kelly starred in critically acclaimed films like An American In Paris, Singin' in the Rain, Cover Girl, Anchors Aweigh, Brigadoon, It's Always Fair Weather, etc.

 

He directed films like A Guide for the Married Man, Hello, Dolly! Invitation to Dance, etc.

 

 

 

41. Joachim Król

 

 

 

Joachim Król is a German actor who was born in Herne, West Germany. He trained in drama at the Otto-Falckenberg-Schule in Munich to begin his acting career.

 

After that, he starred in many acclaimed film and television roles. Some of Król's most notable performances are in Run Lola Run, No More Mr.

 

Nice Guy, Anne Frank: The Whole Story, Tatort, Maybe, Maybe Not, Windland, The Postcard Killings, Berlin Alexanderplatz, The Three Robbers, etc.

 

In 1994, he won the Best Actor Award at The Bavarian Film Awards, and in 2007, he won the Hessian Film Award.

 

 

 

40. Robin Williams

 

 

 

Robin Williams is an actor and comedian par excellence. He is widely regarded as the greatest comedian of all time, and his improvisational skills are unparalleled.

 

He could create characters and personalities for any kind of comedy or dramatic role within a few minutes.

 

Robin Williams earned four Academy Awards and won the award for Good Will Hunting. He also has multiple Primetime Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and SAG awards to his name.

 

Williams appeared in many memorable films, a few of which are The World According to Garp, Moscow on the Hudson, Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Awakenings, The Fisher King, Patch Adams, One Hour Photo, World's Greatest Dad, Mork & Mindy, Aladdin, etc.

 

 

 

39. Ulrich Noethen

 

 

 

Ulrich Schmid adopted his mother’s maiden name Noethen as his stage name, Ulrich Noethen. He graduated from the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart and performed with theater groups like Theater Freiburg, Zelt-Ensemble Birach, Schauspiel Köln, etc.

 

Noethen starred in Comedian Harmonists, Der Untergang, Mein Führer – Die wirklich wahren Wahrheit über Adolf Hitler, The Slurb, The Flying Classroom, Neben der Spur, Die Wespe, etc.

 

He won many Awards like the German Film Award, The Bavarian Film Award, Adolf Grimme Award,  etc.

 

 

38. Elijah Wood

 

 

 

Elijah Wood is an actor of Danish, English, and German ancestry. He began acting as a child actor and worked in many successful films like Avalon, Forever Young, The Adventures of Huck Finn, The Good Son, Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (2003), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, etc.

 

Wood gained widespread fame with his role as Frodo Baggins in the Lord of The Rings trilogy.

 

He also appeared in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Apart from these films, Elijah Wood has many notable roles like Grand Piano, Cooties, The Last Witch Hunter, I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore, The Trust, Happy Feet, Legend of Spyro, Tron: Uprising, Over The Garden Wall, etc.

 

 

37. Günther Maria Halmer

 

 

 

Günther Maria Halmer is a German actor born in Bavaria in Germany. He trained at the Otto- Falckenberg-Schule in Munich to study drama.

 

He starred in over 150 film and television roles in over five decades of acting.

 

Some of the prominent roles of Günther Maria Halmer include Hermann Kallenbach in Gandhi, SS Lt.

 

Colonel Rudolf Höss in Sophie’s Choice and in War and Remembrance, Anwalt Abel, Münchner Geschichten, Rosamunde Pilcher, etc.

 

 

36. David Kross

 

 

 

David Kross is a German actor born in Henstedt-Ulzburg, 20 miles north of Hamburg. He began acting as a child and did voice acting in the video game Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone.

 

He acted in minor roles in films while also concentrating on his education. Kross played basketball for his club, TSV Bargteheide at a professional level.

 

David Kross gained acclaim for his roles in The Reader, War Horse, Into The White, Race, The King's Man, Same Same But Different, etc.

 

He won acclaim and the Sierra Award at the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards, Bavarian Film Awards, Cannes Film Award, etc.

 

 

35. Jon Voight

 

 

 

Jonathan Vincent Voight is an actor and producer who won acclaim for his roles. He earned four Academy Award nominations and won the Oscar for Coming Home.

 

He also won a BAFTA, four Golden Globe Awards, a Critics Choice Award, etc. The list of films that Voight starred in include Midnight Cowboy, Deliverance, The Champ, Runaway, Train, The Rainbow Warrior, Heat, Mission: Impossible, Enemy Of The State, The Rainmaker, Ali, etc.

 

He also starred in TV series like Ray Donovan, 24, Pope John Paul II, Uprising,  etc.

 

 

34. Tom Cruise

 

 

 

Tom Cruise is an actor and producer of many acclaimed films. He is of English and German ancestry.

 

Tom was one of the highest-paid actors for many years, and he is also one of the highest-grossing actors.

 

For his roles, Cruise earned three Oscar nominations and more awards. The most memorable roles of Tom Cruise include Top Gun, Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, A Few Good Men, The Film, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky, The Minority Report, The Last Samurai, Jack Reacher, Oblivion, War Of Worlds, etc.

 

Tom Cruise starred in the successful film franchise Mission: Impossible which has six films and two more in production.

 

 

33. Ben Affleck

 

 

 

Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt is an actor, producer, screenwriter, and director. He is the elder brother of Casey Affleck and has German ancestry from his maternal side of the family.

 

Ben Affleck also won two Academy Awards, one for the screenplay of Good Will Hunting and the other for Best Picture for Argo.

 

Ben Affleck starred in many hit films like Dazed and Confused, Shakespeare In Love, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Gone Girl, Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Suicide Squad, The Accountant, The Last Duel, etc.

 

 

32. Leonardo DiCaprio

 

 

 

Leonardo DiCaprio is an actor and producer who has gained great fame and acclaim for his multiple Oscar-worthy performances.

 

DiCaprio’s maternal grandparents are German, while his parental grandparents are Italian. Leonardo DiCaprio began acting from a young age.

 

As a child, he starred in This Boy’s Life, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Growing Pains, Parenthood, etc.

 

He became a leading actor in the mid-1990s with The Basketball Diaries, Romeo + Juliet, Titanic, The Man In The Iron Mask, etc.

 

DiCaprio starred in several Oscar-winning movies like Catch Me If You Can, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Blood Diamond, Django Unchained, Shutter Island, The Revenant, Inception, Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood, Don’t Look Up, etc.

 

 

31. Robert De Niro

 

 

 

Robert De Niro is one of the greatest actors of his generation, with multiple Oscar awards, Golden Globe awards, Screen Actors Guild awards, and more.

 

De Niro is also a producer who made over 35 films in Hollywood. Robert De Niro has German ancestry from his mother’s side of the family.

 

He studied acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory before he began his career as an actor.

 

He is also known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese and Joe Pesci. Some of his prominent roles in films are Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, Godfather II, This Boy's Life, Brazil, Midnight Run, Wag the Dog, Analyze This,  Once Upon a Time in America, Goodfellas, Heat, Casino, etc.

 

 

30. Florian Lukas

 

 

 

Florian Lukas is a German actor born and brought up in East Germany. He won several accolades for his roles like Bavarian Film Award, German Film Award, Sochi Film Festival Award, etc.

 

Lukas began acting in the early 1990s and starred in major TV series like Tatort, Good Bye Lenin, Don 2 (Bollywood Film), Into The White, The Grand Budapest Hotel,  Der Tatortreiniger, Die Wespe, The Weissensee Saga, etc.

 

 

29. Johnny Depp

 

 

 

Johnny Depp is an actor, producer, and musician. He also paints and is an artist during his spare time.

 

In 1984, Johnny Depp debuted with the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, but he found fame after his role in 21 Jump Street.

 

He followed it up with character roles that have set him apart from his competition.

 

Some of Depp’s most acclaimed performances have been in Platoon, Edward Scissorhands, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Don Juan DeMarco, Nick Of Time, Donnie Brasco, etc.

 

However, he became famous for his quirky characters in Tim Burton films like Alice in Wonderland, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, etc.

 

 

28. Robert Downey Jr.

 

 

 

Robert Downey Jr. is an actor and producer who began his film career at a very young age.

 

He is Swiss-German from his mother’s side, and his father was a half Lithuanian actor.

 

This gave Downey early access to films. He began with Weird Science, True Believer, Johnny B Goode, Chances Are, etc.

 

Downey achieved critical success with his films Air America, Soapdish, Chaplin, Heart and Souls, Only You, Richard III, US Marshals, etc., which were highly regarded.

 

Due to his substance abuse issues, he was arrested and lost many roles. He made a comeback with films like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Gothika, Good Night and Good Luck, A Scanner Darkly, Zodiac, Tropic Thunder, the Iron-man franchise, etc.

 

He was nominated for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA, Critics Choice Awards, etc.

 

 

27. Jack Nicholson

 

 

 

Jack Nicholson is an actor and filmmaker of high acclaim. He was nominated for an Academy Award for twelve movies and won the award for three of them, namely One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, As Good As It Gets, and Terms of Endearment.

 

Jack Nicholson starred in acclaimed films like The Shining, Batman, A Few Good Men, Something's Gotta Give, About Schmidt, Anger Management, Five Easy Pieces, Easy Rider, The Departed, Chinatown, etc.

 

He also directed movies like The Two Jakes, Goin’ South, Drive, He Said, etc.

 

 

26. George Clooney

 

 

 

George Clooney is an award-winning actor, director, and producer. He earned six Academy Award nominations and won two Oscars for Syriana and Argo.

 

He also has multiple nominations for BAFTAAs, Golden Globes, Primetime Emmys, SAG awards, and more.

 

George Clooney’s father was of German ancestry, and he was a journalist and anchorman. Clooney began his career with TV series, but got his break only after ER, in 1994.

 

He went on to star in hits like the Ocean trilogy, Intolerable Cruelty, Good Night..and Good Luck, Ides of March, O Brother Where Art Thou?

 

Michael Clayton, Up In The Air, etc. As a filmmaker, Clooney made Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, August: Osage County, Suburbicon, The Tender Bar, Argo, etc.

 

 

25. Elvis Presley

 

 

 

Elvis Presley was a singer, musician, and actor. He was known as the King of Rock and Roll, and he was a cultural icon unlike any other.

 

Elvis brought about a music revolution that popularized African American songs with an upbeat tempo and provocative performances.

 

While his music career was unparalleled, he joined the army in 1958. This brought a break to his career, but he picked up his acting career after his return and starred in Girls!

 

Girls! Girls!, Blue Hawaii, Tickle Me, G. I. Blues, Love Me Tender, Jailhouse Rock, Viva Las Vegas, etc.

 

 

24. Willem Dafoe

 

 

 

Willem Dafoe is an actor of Swiss-German ancestry. He is highly regarded with four Academy Award nominations, four SAG Award nominations, three Golden Globe nominations, and more.

 

Dafoe is known for his style of experimental cinema. He has starred in many critically praised projects like Platoon, The Last Temptation of Christ, Mississippi Burning, Shadow of the Vampire, Mr. Bean’s Holiday, Antichrist, The Fault In Our Stars, John Wick, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Murder on the Orient Express, The Florida Project, The Lighthouse, Aquaman, At Eternity’s Gate, etc.

 

 

23. Christopher Walken

 

 

 

Christopher Walken is an acclaimed actor. He is the son of a German immigrant who operated the Walken’s Bakery in Queens.

 

Christopher Walken was a big fan of Elvis Presley, and he imitated Presley’s dance, hairstyle, and persona.

 

While studying in college, he got a role in an Off-Broadway play and dropped out.

 

Walken is well-known for his typical style of speech and mannerisms. These were reflected in his films like Catch Me If You Can, The Dogs of War, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, Biloxi Blues, King of New York, The Comfort of Strangers, etc.

 

The films that earned him awards include The Deer Hunter, Sleepy Hollow, The Prophecy, The Jungle Book, Wedding Crashers, Hairspray, etc.

 

 

22. Alexander Fehling

 

 

 

Alexander Fehling is a German actor who is known for his film and stage performances.

 

He was born in East Germany and trained at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts before he began his career in acting.

 

He has performed in several stage plays since 2005. Fehling won the O. E. Hasse-Preis der Akademie der Künste, Förderpreis Deutscher Film  Award for Best Actor, the Shooting Stars Award, etc.

 

He starred in Hollywood films Inglourious Basterds, Labyrinth of Lies, A Hidden Life, Homeland, The Space Between the Lines, etc.

 

 

21. Bruce Willis

 

 

 

Walter Bruce Willis is an actor, singer, and film producer. He was born in West Germany to an American soldier and a German woman.

 

Willis worked on theater and stage roles during the initial years. He also starred in TV roles but he gained fame only after his role in the detective show, Moonlighting.

 

After that, Willis went on to star in many films, chiefly in the Die Hard franchise, The Last Boy Scout, Death Becomes Her, Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, The Fifth Element, Armageddon, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Sin City, Moonrise Kingdom, Looper, etc.

 

 

20. Sebastian Koch

 

 

 

Sebastian Koch is a German actor born in Stuttgart. He trained at the prestigious Otto-Falckenberg-Schule in Munich between 1982 and 1985.

 

Initially, Koch aspired to be a musician, but artistic director Claus Peymann convinced him to try out stage and drama.

 

Sebastian Koch worked in several plays in different theaters before he started working in TV and films.

 

His most popular performances have been in the award-winning film The Lives of Others, Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, A Good Day to Die Hard, Never Look Away, etc.

 

Sebastian Koch earned accolades like two Grimme Awards, a German Television award, two Bavarian TV Awards, and more.

 

 

19. Matthias Schweighöfer

 

 

 

Matthias Schweighöfer is a German actor, director, and producer. He joined the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts but dropped out within a year.

 

As his parents were actors, Schweighöfer started working in films early and worked with acclaimed directors.

 

Schweeighöfer won several accolades for his work like Grimme Awards, German Television Awards, Bavarian Film Awards, Bambi Awards, Undine Awards, Golden Camera Awards, etc.

 

Some of the notable performances of Schweighöfer have been in Army of the Dead, Army of Thieves, The Red Baron, What A Man, Valkyrie, Soloalbum, Off Beat, Eight Miles High, Rabbit Without Ears, etc.

 

 

18. Christian Berkel

 

 

 

Christian Berkel is an actor who earned great acclaim with his roles and portrayals. From the age of fourteen, Berkel trained in Paris with Jean-Louis Barrault and Pierre Berlin.

 

Later, he joined the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin. Berkel began acting with stage performances in different cities like Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Düsseldorf, etc.

 

Christian Berkel won international acclaim with his roles in films like Downfall, Black Book, Flightplan, Valkyrie, Inglourious Basterds, The Man from U. N. C. L. E, Trumbo, Enfant Terrible, etc. He was nominated for a Bambi Award, A Bavarian Film Award, and Golden Camera Award for his great performances.

 

 

17. Ulrich Matthes

 

 

 

Ulrich Matthes is a German actor who studied acting and drama under Else Bongers. He is a highly acclaimed actor who won awards like Bavarian Film Award, Deutscher Hörbuchpreis, Grimme Prize, German Television Academy Award, etc.

 

Ulrich Matthes starred in renowned films like Downfall, The Ninth Day, Feuerrieter, A Hidden Life, Tatort, Pelnu Sanatorija, Bornholmer Straße, Rider of the Flames, Das Boot, The Story of My Wife, etc.

 

 

16. Max Riemelt

 

 

 

Max Riemelt is a German-born actor and director. He began acting from the age of thirteen with TV movies and series like Eine Familie zum Küssen, Zwei allein , Praxis Bülowbogen, etc.

 

He continued to work in acclaimed films on sensitive topics with success. The most notable roles of Max Riemelt have been in Mädchen, Mädchen, Free Fall, Berlin Syndrome, Before The Fall, The Wave, Matrix: Resseructions, Sense8, etc.

 

Riemelt has won awards like the best actor award at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and the Bavarian Film Festival.

 

 

15. Udo Kier

 

 

 

Udo Kier is a German actor who is known for working extensively in most European languages.

 

He was born in Cologne during the final days of world war II and grew up in a single-parent home.

 

He moved to England at eighteen to learn English, and from there, his acting career began.

 

Kier worked in art-house films and experimental horror films from directors like Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant, Werner Herzog, Alexander Payne, Paul Morrissey, etc.

 

Some of his notable films include Hunters, Swan Song, Downsizing, Bacurau, Die Einsteiger,  Blade, Modern Vampires, etc.

 

 

14. Thomas Kretschmann

 

 

 

Thomas Kretschmann is a German actor who starred in many American films. He is known for his work in MCU’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

 

He also starred in Italian films, The Stendhal Syndrome, Marching in Darkness, etc. Thomas Kretschmann got his Hollywood break in Roman Polanski’s The Pianist.

 

He followed it up with Downfall, Valkyrie, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, King Kong, Butterfly: A Grimm Love Story, Hellboy II: The Golden Army., Wanted, Cars 2, etc.

 

 

13. August Diehl

 

 

 

August Diehl is a German actor. He is the son of actor Hans Diehl and a costume designer.

 

His family is full of artistic people, and his brother is a composer. Diehl joined the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts after performing in stage productions.

 

August Diehl starred in many international productions like Inglourious Basterds, 23, A Hidden Life, Love in Thoughts, The King’s Man, Munich: The Edge of War, Salt, The Counterfeiters, The Young Karl Marx, The Ninth Day, etc.

 

Diehl has won numerous awards like a SAG award, a Bavarian Film Festival award, a German Film Award, an Undine Award, etc.

 

 

12. Ulrich Tukur

 

 

 

Ulrich Tukur is the stage name of Ulrich Gerhard Scheurlen; he is an actor and a musician.

 

Tukur was studying at the University of Tübingen when he was offered a role in a play.

 

After his interest in acting was triggered, Tukur changed his course to study acting and appeared in several plays.

 

Ulrich Tukur starred in Stammheim, Tatort, The Lives of Others, John Rabe, Solaris, Amen, The White Ribbon, Die Weiße Rose, etc.

 

He also started the dance band Ulrich Tukur & the Rhythmus Boys. Throughout his career, Tukur has won multiple awards like Golden Camera, O.

 

E. Hasse Prize, Grimme Prize, German Television Award, etc.

 

 

11. Jan Josef Liefers

 

 

 

Jan Josef Liefers is an actor, director, and producer. He received much acclaim for his performance in the very successful TV series Tatort.

 

However, he was also criticized for his stand on the COVID-19 policies during the campaign #Allesdichtmachen.

 

Apart from this Liefers received high praise for his roles in Die Besteigung des Chimborazo, Rossini, Tatort, 70 West – Entscheidung in Peru, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, The Baader Meinhof Complex, Baron on the Cannonball, etc.

 

Liefers won several awards like Bambi Awards, Golden Camera Awards, German Television Awards, German Film Awards, Grimme Awards, etc.

 

 

10. Jürgen Prochnow

 

 

 

Jürgen Prochnow is a German actor with extensive experience in film, stage, and television roles in Germany, across Europe, and the USA.

 

He gained fame and acclaim for his role as the U-Boat captain in Das Boot.

 

The most memorable roles of Prochnow have been in the TV series Tatort, 24, A Hidden Life, The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum, Dune, Beverly Hills Cop II, In the Mouth of Madness, The English Patient, Air Force One, The Da Vinci Code, See Arnold Run, Wing Commander, Judge Dredd, etc.

 

Prochnow also won multiple awards for his work, including Golden Camera, Bavarian Film Awards, Bambi Award, a SAG award nomination, etc.

 

 

9. Michael Fassbender

 

 

 

Michael Fassbender is an Irish actor of German origin. His father is German, and Fassbender was born there but moved to Ireland to enjoy a country lifestyle.

 

Fassbender earned numerous awards and nominations, including two Academy Award nominations, 4 BAFTA nominations, etc.

 

Michael Fassbender starred in Hunger, Inglourious Basterds, A Dangerous Method, Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, the X-Men franchise, 12 Years a Slave, The Counsellor, Steve Jobs, etc.

 

Fasssbender is also a racecar driver. He competed in the European Le Mans Series, Porsche Driving Experience, and the Ferrari Challenge.

 

 

8. Tom Schilling

 

 

 

Tom Schilling is a German actor who worked in television and films. He received much acclaim and won multiple Bambi Awards, Bavarian Film Awards, German Television awards, Undine Awards, German Film Awards, etc.

 

Schilling won a scholarship to study drama at New York’s Lee Strasberg Academy in 2006.

 

He returned to star in Before The Fall, A Coffee In Berlin, Who Am I, Generation War, Dawn of Evil: Rise of the Reich, Tatort, Woman In Gold, Never Look Away, Brecht, etc.

 

Tom Schilling has also done Audio plays and Audiobooks of several children’s books.

 

 

7. Daniel Brühl

 

 

 

Daniel Brühl is a Spanish German actor and filmmaker. He is the son of the German filmmaker Hanno Brühl and a Spanish teacher.

 

His mother insisted on giving birth in Spain, and Brühl is fluent in Spanish, German, English, French, and Catalan.

 

Daniel Brühl earned three German Film Awards, a Bambi Awards, a Bavarian Film Award, and multiple nominations for Golden Globes, Goya Awards, SAG awards, etc.

 

The prominent films of Daniel Brühl include Captain America: Civil War, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Rush, Inglourious Basterds, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Fifth Estate, The Alienist, Woman In Gold, Good Bye Lenin!, Das Weisse Rauschen, etc.

 

 

6. Bruno Ganz

 

 

 

Bruno Ganz is a German actor who is highly regarded for his talent. He was born to a Swiss-German actor and worked extensively in German film, stage, and television roles.

 

Ganz decided to be an actor from a young age. However, in the initial days, he found more success on stage than in films.

 

The roles that earned him widespread acclaim include The American Friend, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Wings of Desire, The House That Jack Built, Unknown, Downfall, The Boys from Brazil, Strapless, Luther, The Manchurian Candidate, The Reader, Remember, etc.

 

For his role in Downfall, Bruno Ganz earned several awards, including Bambi Award, Bavarian Film Awards, German Film Awards, Golden Camera Awards, Grimme Award, Locarno International festival awards, etc.

 

 

5. Lukas Haas

 

 

 

Lukas Daniel Haas is an American actor whose father immigrated to the USA. Haas was discovered at the age of five and he debuted in films at seven years old with Testament.

 

He worked in movies as a child actor; some of them are Witness, Solarbabies, The Twilight Zone, Music Box, Amazing Stories, etc.

 

Haas has also starred in recent films like Inception, The Brothers Bloom, Entourage, 24, First man, Dark Was The Night, Mars Attack!, Brick, etc.

 

Lukas Haas is also a musician; he is the drummer and the pianist for the group The Rogues.

 

He collaborated with the band Jet and worked on the original soundtrack for films like Breakfast of Champions and Last Days.

 

 

4. Til Schweiger

 

 

 

Tilman ‘Til’ Valentin Schweiger is a German actor, director, writer, and producer. He trained at Der Keller in Cologne and began his acting career with the TV series Lindenstraße.

 

Schweiger worked in more series and films like Manta, Manta, Der bewegte Mann, Das Mädchen Rosemarie, etc.

 

Til Schweiger also starred in Hollywood films like Already Dead, King Arthur, In Enemy Hands, Magicians, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, Inglourious Basterds, This Means War, etc.

 

Schweiger became a producer, director, and writer with his production company, Barefoot Films. He made acclaimed German films like Barefoot, Rabbit Without Ears, Kokowääh, 1½ Knights - In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde, etc.

 

 

3. Armin Mueller-Stahl

 

 

 

Armin Mueller-Stahl is a widely acclaimed German actor. He began his career as a concert violinist in his teenage years.

 

In 1952, he enrolled to study acting and chose to become an actor. Mueller-Stahl worked in many stage productions before moving to TV movies and films.

 

Armin Mueller-Stahl worked in German and international films like Her Third, Jacob The Liar, Eastern Promises, Shine, The International, The Thirteenth Floor, Music Box, A Pyromaniac’s Love Story, Angels & Demons, Attack on Leningrad, etc.

 

Throughout his career, Mueller-Stahl won numerous awards like Grimme Prize, German Film Award, Bavarian Film Awards, Bambi Award, Golden Camera award, etc.

 

He earned nominations for An Academy Award, a SAG Award, etc.

 

 

2. Klaus Kinski

 

 

 

Klaus Kinski is the stage name of the German actor Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski. He and his family moved to Germany from Poland in search of employment and were drafted into the armed forces.

 

Kinski was captured by British forces and stayed in the POW camp till the end of the war.

 

After returning to Germany, Kinski took up acting in stage productions, but he was often fired for his temperamental behavior.

 

All through his career, Klaus Kinski was known for his spirited performances and his eccentric behavior.

 

After his death, many controversies emerged about the fabricated stories of his family’s struggles, his wartime events, his own abuse of his children, and more.

 

Despite all these scandals, Kinski starred in many great films like Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Woyzeck, Fitzcarraldo, Cobra Verde, For a Few Dollars More, A Bullet for the General, The Great Silence, And God Said to Cain, etc.

 

 

1. Christoph Waltz

 

 

 

Christoph Waltz is a Hollywood actor who was born to a German set designer father and an Austrian costume designer mother.

 

Waltz was interested in becoming an opera singer and trained at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.

 

However, he also learned acting at Lee Strasberg Institute and Stella Adler Studio in New York.

 

Christoph Waltz has won numerous accolades like two Academy Awards, two BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, two SAG Awards, a Cannes Film Festival Award, and a nomination for a Primetime Emmy.

 

Some of the most memorable roles of Christoph Waltz are Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, Most Dangerous Games, Big Eyes, The Zero Theorem, Carnage, No Time To Die, The French Dispatch, Downsizing, Rifkin’s Festival, Spectre, Epic, Pinocchio, etc.