Matthias Schweighöfer (; born 11 March 1981) is a German actor, voice actor, film director, and producer.

Early life

Born in

Anklam Anklam [], formerly known as Tanglim and Wendenburg, is a town in the Western Pomerania region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the banks of the Peene river, just 8 km from its mouth in the ''Kleines Haff'', the western ...

Western Pomerania Historical Western Pomerania, also called Cispomerania, Fore Pomerania, Front Pomerania or Hither Pomerania (german: Vorpommern), is the western extremity of the historic region of Pomerania forming the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, Weste ...

, Schweighöfer attended Berlin's renowned acting school

Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts The Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts (German: ''Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch'', ''HFS''), based in the Niederschöneweide district of Berlin, Germany, was founded in 1951 as the National Theatre School in Berlin with the stat ...

, but dropped out after one year. Nevertheless, the son of actors had already worked with established directors such as

Peter Greenaway Peter Greenaway, (born 5 April 1942) is a Welsh film director, screenwriter and artist. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Flemish painting in particular. Common traits in his films are th ...

Career

His first role in a feature film was ''Raus aus der Haut'' (1997), directed by

Andreas Dresen Andreas Dresen (born 16 August 1963) is a German film director. His directing credits include '' Cloud 9'', ''Summer in Berlin'', ''Grill Point'' and ''Night Shapes''. His film ''Stopped on Track'' premiered at the Un Certain Regard section at th ...

. In the following years, he appeared in projects such as '' Soloalbum'' (2003), '' Off Beat'' (2004), ''

Eight Miles High "Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn (a.k.a. Roger McGuinn), and David Crosby. It was first released as a single on March 14, 1966. Musically influenced by sitar player Ravi Sh ...

'' (2007) and ''

Rabbit Without Ears ''Rabbit Without Ears'' (German title: ''Keinohrhasen'', "No Ear Rabbits"), is a 2007 German romantic comedy film, written, produced and directed by Til Schweiger. Co-written by Anika Decker, and starring Nora Tschirner and Schweiger himself, ...

''. portrayed Lieutenant-Colonel Franz Herber in ''

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...

'', a 2008 film dramatizing the failed 20 July assassination and political coup plot to kill Adolf Hitler. The international release of ''Valkyrie'' and the all-star cast (including

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...

Terence Stamp Terence Henry Stamp (born 22 July 1938) is an English actor. Stamp is known for his sophisticated villain roles. He was named by ''Empire Magazine'' as one of the 100 Sexiest Film Stars of All Time in 1995. He has received various accolades inc ...

and

Bill Nighy William Francis Nighy (; born 12 December 1949) is an English actor. Nighy started his career with the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool and made his London debut with the Royal National Theatre starting with '' The Illuminatus!'' in 1977. There he ...

) not only allowed Schweighöfer to be recognized abroad, it provided an opportunity for him to be cast in other English speaking roles. In 2009, Schweighöfer founded the fashion label ''German Garment'' with TV presenter

Joko Winterscheidt Joachim "Joko" Winterscheidt (born 13 January 1979) is a German television host, producer and actor. He became known as part of the duo ''Joko & Klaas'' alongside Klaas Heufer-Umlauf in TV programs like ''Circus HalliGalli''. Winterscheidt grew ...

. In 2010, he made his debut as film director with the romantic comedy '' What a Man'', followed in 2013 by his second movie '. In 2017, he directed, produced and played the lead role in ''

You Are Wanted You Are Wanted is a German drama series directed and produced by and starring Matthias Schweighöfer, first released on 17 March 2017 by Amazon Video, the first foreign-language Amazon Original Series to be released globally. The series was wr ...

'',

Amazon Studios Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...

' first non-English-language TV series. In 2021, Schweighöfer appeared in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

film ''

Army of the Dead ''Army of the Dead'' is a 2021 American zombie heist film directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shay Hatten and Joby Harold, based on a story he also created. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Dave Bauti ...

'', directed by

Zack Snyder Zachary Edward Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer. He made his feature film debut in 2004 with '' Dawn of the Dead'', a remake of the 1978 horror film of the same name. Since t ...

, as Ludwig Dieter. He reprised his role in the prequel film, ''

Army of Thieves ''Army of Thieves'' is a 2021 heist comedy film directed by Matthias Schweighöfer from a screenplay by Shay Hatten, based on a story he wrote with Zack Snyder. A prequel to ''Army of the Dead'' (2021), it is the second installment in the ' ...

'', which he also directed. In 2021/2022, he took on the role of real-life

music producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

Frank Farian Frank Farian (born Franz Reuther; 18 July 1941) is a German record producer, musician, singer and songwriter, who founded the 1970s disco-pop group Boney M., the Latin pop band No Mercy and the pop band Milli Vanilli. He frequently created voc ...

in the biopic ''Girl You Know It's True'' about the scandalous pop duo

Milli Vanilli Milli Vanilli were a German-French R&B duo from Munich. The group was founded by Frank Farian in 1988 and consisted of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. Their debut album, '' All or Nothing'' in Europe, reconfigured as ''Girl You Know It's True'' in ...

, written and directed by

Simon Verhoeven Simon Verhoeven (born in Munich on 20 June 1972) is a German film director, screenwriter, film producer, former actor, and occasional film music composer. Life and family Verhoeven is the son of international screen actress Senta Berger and BAF ...

, produced by Wiedemann & Berg Film. The film is set to be released theatrically by Leonine in 2023.

Personal life

Between 2004 and 2012, Schweighöfer dated Ani Schromm, and they got together again in the summer of 2013. They have a daughter born in 2009 and a son born in 2014. Schweighöfer and Schromm later separated, and as of 2019 Schweighöfer has been in a relationship with his ''Army of Thieves'' co-star

Ruby O. Fee Ruby Moonstone Camilla Willow Fee (born February 7, 1996) is a German-Costa Rican actress. Early life Fee was born in Costa Rica to a German mother. She soon moved to Brazil, where she spent much of her childhood. In 2008, the family moved to ...

. Schweighöfer currently lives in Berlin.

Awards

Matthias Schweighöfer Berlinale 2008 cropped

* 2000: German Television Prize – Promotional Award for the performance in ' * 2002: Günter Strack TV Award – Best Young Actor for the performance in ' * 2003: Golden Camera – "Curt Jürgens Memorial Camera" for best newcomer and performances in ' & ' * 2003: – For the performance in ' * 2003: New Faces Award – ''Best Actor'' * 2004:

Bavarian Film Award The Bavarian Film Awards (german: Bayerischer Filmpreis) have been awarded annually since 1979 by the state government of Bavaria in Germany for “exceptional achievement in German filmmaking.” Along with the German Film Awards, these are the ...

– Best Young Actor * 2004: Baden-Baden TV and Film Festival – Special award for the outstanding performances in ' and ''Cold Spring'' * 2005: Undine Award – Best Young Actor (TV) for the performance in ' * 2006: DIVA-Award – Best Actor for the performances in ', ' and ''Polly Blue Eyes'' * 2007: Undine Award – Best Young Actor (feature film) for the performance in ''Eight Miles High'' * 2007:

Bambi Award The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and oth ...

– Film – National – Male * 2009: Golden Camera – Best German Actor for the performance in ''The Author of Himself: The Life of Marcel Reich-Ranicki'' * 2010: Jupiter Award – Best Male Actor (TV) for his performance in ''The Author of Himself: The Life of Marcel Reich-Ranicki'' * 2011: GQ Man of the Year – Film National

Selected filmography

Director Actor * 1999: '' Dr. Stefan Frank'', season 4, episode 10, als Ingo * 2000: ''Trust Me'' ('), as Speedy * 2001: ' (''Herz im Kopf''), as Dirk * 2002: ''Die Freunde der Freunde'' (TV film), as Gregor * 2002: ''

FeardotCom ''FeardotCom'' is a 2002 horror film directed by William Malone and starring Stephen Dorff, Natascha McElhone and Stephen Rea. The plot details a New York City detective investigating a series of mysterious deaths connected to a disturbing web ...

'', as Dieter Schrader * 2003: '' Soloalbum'' ('), as Ben * 2003: ', as Felix * 2004: ''Baal'' (TV film), as

Baal Baal (), or Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). ( ''baʿal'') was a title and honorific meaning "owner", "lord" in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity. From its use among people, it came to be applied t ...

* 2004: ''Cold Spring'' (', TV film), as Ben * 2004: '' Off Beat'' ('), as Crash * 2004: '' Gold – The Tulse Luper Suitcases'' * 2005: ''Schiller'' (TV film), as * 2005: ', as Ronny Helske * 2006: ''Lulu'' (TV film), as

Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...

* 2007: ''

'' ('), as

Rainer Langhans Rainer Langhans (born June 19, 1940 in Oschersleben) is a German writer and filmmaker who is primarily known for his membership of Kommune 1 Kommune 1 or K1 was a politically motivated commune in Germany. It was created on 12 January 1967, ...

* 2007: ' (TV film), as Felix * 2007: '' Fata Morgana'', as Daniel * 2007: ''

'', as Moritz * 2008: ''

The Red Baron Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of t ...

'' ('), as

Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of ...

* 2008: ', as Jan Winter * 2008: ''

'', as Lieutenant Herber * 2009: ' (TV film), as

Marcel Reich-Ranicki Marcel Reich-Ranicki (; 2 June 1920 – 18 September 2013) was a Polish-born German literary critic and member of the informal literary association Gruppe 47. He was regarded as one of the most influential contemporary literary critics in the fi ...

* 2009: '' Night Train'', as Frankie * 2009: ''

12 Paces Without a Head ''12 Paces Without a Head'' (german: Zwölf Meter ohne Kopf) is a 2009 film set in the North Sea in 1401. The film centers on the German folk hero Klaus Störtebeker, who was a pirate at the time. The title comes from a legend which asserts th ...

'', as

Gottfried Michaelsen Gödeke Michels (Low Saxon; died 1402), also known as Gottfried Michaelsen in High German, was a German pirate and one of the leaders of the Likedeeler, a combination of former Vitalienbrüder. Early life Career Together with Klaus Störtebe ...

* 2009: '' Rabbit Without Ears 2'', as Moritz * 2010: ''

Friendship! ''Friendship!'' is a 2010 German film directed by Markus Goller. Plot Berlin 1989: After the fall of the Berlin wall, Veit (Mücke) and his friend Tom (Schweighöfer) decide to fly to San Francisco. Veit claims that he wants to travel to San Franc ...

'', as Tom * 2011: '' What a Man'', as Alex Nowak * 2011: ', as Alexander Honk * 2012: ''

Russian Disco ''Russian Disco'' (german: Russendisko) is a 2012 German comedy film based on the eponymous novel by Wladimir Kaminer. Cast * Matthias Schweighöfer - Wladimir Kaminer * Friedrich Mücke - Mischa * Christian Friedel - Andrej * Peri Baumeister ...

'', as Wladimir * 2013: ', as Paul Voigt * 2013: ''

Frau Ella ''Frau Ella'' is a 2013 German comedy film directed by Markus Goller. Cast * Matthias Schweighöfer as Sascha * Ruth Maria Kubitschek as Frau Ella * August Diehl as Klaus * Anna Bederke as Lina * Anatole Taubman as Rudolph * as Arzt Krankenhau ...

'', as Sascha * 2013: ''

Kokowääh 2 is a 2013 German film directed by Til Schweiger. It is a sequel to the 2011 film . It was released in German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) on 7 February 2013. The film stars Til Schweiger, his daughter Emma Schweiger, J ...

'', as himself * 2014: '' Joy of Fatherhood'', as Felix * 2015: ''

The Little Prince ''The Little Prince'' (french: Le Petit Prince, ) is a novella by French aristocrat, writer, and military pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It was first published in English and French in the United States by Reynal & Hitchcock in April 1943 an ...

'', as the Fox (German version) * 2015: '' The Manny'', as Clemens * 2016: '' The Most Beautiful Day'', as Andi * 2016: '' Vier gegen die Bank'', as Max * 2017: '' The Price'', as Jonas * 2017: ''

'' (TV series), as Lukas Franke * 2018: ''Hot Dog'', as Theo * 2018: ''Vielmachglas'', as Erik Ruge * 2018: ', as Toni Katz * 2018: ''

Kursk Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...

'' * 2019: '' Playmobil: The Movie'', as Rex Dasher (German version) * 2020: '' Resistance'', as

Klaus Barbie Nikolaus "Klaus" Barbie (25 October 1913 – 25 September 1991) was a German operative of the SS and SD who worked in Vichy France during World War II. He became known as the "Butcher of Lyon" for having personally tortured prisoners—primar ...

* 2021: ''

'', as Ludwig Dieter * 2021: ''

'', as Ludwig Dieter/Sebastian Schlencht-Wöhnert * 2022: ''

The Swimmers The Swimmers are an American four-piece rock band from Philadelphia and include drums, guitar, keyboard (or synth more recently), and bass. They are signed to Drexel University's MAD Dragon Records and released their first album, ''Fighting ...

'' as Sven * 2022: ''

Hinterland Hinterland is a German word meaning "the land behind" (a city, a port, or similar). Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated ...

'' as Josef Severin * 2023: '' Oppenheimer'' * 2023: '' Heart of Stone''

Theatre

* 2004: ''

One, Two, Three ''One, Two, Three'' is a 1961 American political comedy film directed by Billy Wilder and written by Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond. It is based on the 1929 Hungarian one-act play ''Egy, kettő, három'' by Ferenc Molnár, with a "plot borrowed par ...

'' – Otto Ludwig Pfiffl, Hebbel Theatre, Berlin * 2007: ''North'', directed by

Frank Castorf Frank Castorf (born 17 July 1951 in East Berlin) is a German theater director and was the artistic director of the ''Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz'' from 1992 to 2015. His work is often associated with postdramatic theatre. Biography E ...

, , Berlin

Audiobooks

* 2008: ''Slam'' by Nick Hornby, * 2008: ''Die Traumnovelle'' by

Arthur Schnitzler Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist. Biography Arthur Schnitzler was born at Praterstrasse 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire (as of 1867, part of the dual monarchy ...

References

External links

*
Matthias Schweighöfer
at the German Dubbing Card Index
Matthias Schweighöfer at Players Agency

Schweighöfer at german-films.de

Rubbeldiekatz Videointerview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schweighofer, Matthias 1981 births Living people People from Anklam German male film actors German male television actors 21st-century German male actors German film directors