Christian Berkel

Christian Berkel (born 28 October 1957) is a German actor, internationally most known for Downfall, Inglourious Basterds, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Valkyrie.

Christian Berkel
Berkel at the Women's World Award 2009
Born (1957-10-28) 28 October 1957
West Berlin, West Germany
OccupationActor
Years active1977–present
Spouse(s)Andrea Sawatzki
WebsiteStudlar

Life and career

Berkel was born in Berlin, Germany. His father had been a military doctor in World War II. His mother came from a Jewish German family.[1][2]

From the age of 14 he lived in Paris where he took drama lessons with Jean-Louis Barrault and Pierre Berlin. He then trained at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin and appeared on stage in Augsburg, Düsseldorf, Munich, Vienna and at the Schiller Theatre, Berlin.

He has appeared in many German television productions and secured a major role in the Academy Award-nominated film Downfall as Dr. Ernst-Günther Schenck. He has followed this with significant roles in the Paul Verhoeven-directed Dutch movie Black Book and the big-budget American movies Flightplan, Valkyrie (in which he portrayed Colonel Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim) and Quentin Tarantino's Academy Award-nominated Inglourious Basterds. In addition to his native German, Berkel speaks fluent English and French.

In 2011, Berkel married his long-term girlfriend Andrea Sawatzki. They have two sons together and live in Berlin.[3]

Filmography
  • 1977: Der Mädchenkrieg (Maiden's War) - Karol Djudko
  • 1977: The Serpent's Egg - Student
  • 1978: Tatort - Rot, rot, tot (TV) - Doc Decker / Dr. Alfred Waller / Erik Steinbeck / Rainer Wenisch / Uwe Pfandler
  • 1982: Frau Jenny Treibel (TV) - Leopold Treibel
  • 1983: Derrick - Season 10, Episode 06: "Tödliches Rendezvous" - Manfred Kessler
  • 1989: Der Bastard (TV series) - Felix Dennison
  • 1991: Karniggels - Man #2 (voice)
  • 1993: Das Schicksal der Lilian H. (TV) - Josef
  • 1993: Ein unvergeßliches Wochenende ... in Salzburg (TV)
  • 1996: Der Mann ohne Schatten (TV series) - Bruno Kuhlin
  • 1996: Lautlose Schritte (TV) - Simon Sundermann
  • 1997: Rossini - Weich
  • 1997: Umarmung mit dem Tod (TV) - Lefevre
  • 1998: Tod auf Amrum (TV) - Rolf Spiekermann
  • 1999: Sweet Little Sixteen (TV) - Thomas Reiner
  • 2000: Verzweiflung
  • 2000: Blondine sucht Millionär fürs Leben (TV) - Dietrich
  • 2001: Das Experiment (The Experiment) - Robert Steinhoff Nr. 38
  • 2002: Safe Conduct - Dr. Greven
  • 2002: Die Affäre Semmeling (TV series) - Fred Kiefer
  • 2002: Der Unbestechliche - Harald Kittler
  • 2003: Erste Liebe (TV)
  • 2004: Soundless - Lang
  • 2004: Der Untergang (Downfall) - Prof. Ernst-Günther Schenck
  • 2004: Männer wie wir (Guys and Balls) - Rudolf
  • 2005: Der Vater meiner Schwester (TV) - Dr. Klaus Merbold
  • 2005: Tatort - Leerstand (TV) - Doc Decker
  • 2005: Flightplan (film) - Mortuary Director
  • 2006: Die Sturmflut (TV) - Innensenator Helmut Schmidt
  • 2006: Eine Frage des Gewissens (A Question Of The Conscience) (TV) - Martin Beltz
  • 2006: Black Book - General Käutner
  • 2006: Der Kriminalist (TV) - Kriminalhauptkommissar Bruno Schumann
  • 2007: Der andere Junge - Jakob Wagner
  • 2008: Flame & Citron (film) - Hoffmann
  • 2008: Mogadischu (film) - Helmut Schmidt
  • 2008: Haber (film) - Fritz Shimon Haber
  • 2008: Miracle at St. Anna (film) - Captain Eichholz
  • 2008: Valkyrie (film) - Colonel Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim
  • 2009: Inglourious Basterds (film) - Proprietor Eric
  • 2009: Attack on Leningrad (film) - Vinkelmayer
  • 2010: Der letzte Angestellte - David
  • 2013: Buddy (film) - Martin
  • 2015: Traumfrauen - Herr Hegemann
  • 2015: Anti-Social - Philip
  • 2015: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (film) - Dr. Udo Teller
  • 2015: Trumbo (film) - Otto Preminger
  • 2016: Elle (film) - Robert
  • 2016: The Jungle Book - King Louie (German dubbing, originally performed by Christopher Walken)
  • 2020: Enfant Terrible
gollark: You also might end up damaging the camera(s).
gollark: Maybe here.
gollark: Or eere.
gollark: "Greek keyboard aere" or something.
gollark: θις ις υσελεσς

References
  1. http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=53134%5B%5D
  2. "Valkyrie - Christian Berkel and Thomas Kretschmann interview". IndieLondon. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  3. "Sawatzki heiratet Christian Berkel nach 14 Jahren". Die Welt (in German). 18 December 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
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