Sebastian Koch (born 31 May 1962) is a German television and film actor. He is known for roles in the 2007 Academy Award-winning film ''

The Lives of Others ''The Lives of Others'' (german: link=no, Das Leben der Anderen, ) is a 2006 German drama film written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck marking his feature film directorial debut. The plot is about the monitoring of East Berli ...

'', in

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

's '' Bridge of Spies'', and as

Otto Düring This is a list of characters appearing in the Showtime drama television series '' Homeland''. Appearances : = Main cast (credited) : = Recurring cast (3+) : = Guest cast (1-2) Main cast Recurring cast ;Notes Main characters The f ...

in the fifth season of the Showtime series ''

Homeland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethn ...

''.

Childhood

Koch grew up in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the Sw ...

with his mother who was a single parent. He originally wanted to be a musician, but production by artistic director Claus Peymann influenced him in the late 1970s to change careers to become an actor.

Career

Theatre

From 1982 to 1985, Koch studied at the renowned Otto Falckenberg School in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

. In addition to his cinematic work, he played a diversity of different roles on stage. Koch portrayed amongst other

Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five- act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen published in 1876. Written in Norwegian, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. Ibsen believed '' Per Gynt'', the Norwegian fairy tale on ...

and Leonce in ''

Leonce and Lena ''Leonce and Lena'' (german: Leonce und Lena) is a play by German dramatist Georg Büchner (1813–1837) which is considered a comedy, but is actually a satire veiled in humor. It was written in the spring of 1836 for a competition 'for the best ...

'' at the municipal theatre of

Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it the fourth largest city in the state of Hesse ...

. At the Schiller theatre in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

he played the character Roller in Schiller's ''

The Robbers ''The Robbers'' (', ) is the first drama by German playwright Friedrich Schiller. The play was published in 1781 and premiered on 13 January 1782 in Mannheim, Germany, and was inspired by Leisewitz' earlier play '' Julius of Taranto''. It ...

'' and Orest in

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

's '' Iphigenie auf Tauris''. A couple of years later, he took over the role of Lord Goring in

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's ''

An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

'' in the playhouse

Bochum Bochum ( , also , ; wep, Baukem) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 364,920 (2016), is the sixth largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) of the most populous German federal state of N ...

under the direction of Armin Holz.

Film and television

Koch had his first TV appearance in 1980 in the 77th episode of the series ''

Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and ...

'', followed by an episode in the popular crime series ''

Tatort ''Tatort'' ("Crime scene") is a German language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with some 30 feature-length episodes per year, which makes it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed b ...

'' in 1986. He acted in numerous thrillers like ''Der Mann mit der Maske'', ''Die brennende Schnecke'', and in 1997 in Heinrich Breloer's two-piece ', in which he portrayed the role of

Andreas Baader Berndt Andreas Baader (6 May 1943 – 18 October 1977) was one of the first leaders of the West German left-wing militant organization Red Army Faction (RAF), also commonly known as ''the Baader-Meinhof Group''. Life Andreas Baader was born i ...

. For the title role in ' and for his performance as the writer

Klaus Mann Klaus Heinrich Thomas Mann (18 November 1906 – 21 May 1949) was a German writer and dissident. He was the son of Thomas Mann, a nephew of Heinrich Mann and brother of Erika Mann, with whom he maintained a lifelong close relationship, and Golo ...

in Heinrich Breloer's docudrama '' The Manns – A Novel of the Century'', he won respectively in 2002 the

Adolf Grimme Award The Grimme-Preis ("Grimme Award"; prior to 2011: Adolf-Grimme-Preis) is one of the most prestigious German television awards. It is named after the first general director of Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk, Adolf Grimme.Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

'', which Koch in appeared alongside

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, CQ (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman and vineyard owner since 1989 who is one of the most prolific thespians in film history having completed over 250 films since 1967 al ...

John Malkovich John Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Screen Actors Guild Aw ...

and

Isabella Rossellini Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (born 18 June 1952) is an Italian-American actress, author, philanthropist, and model. The daughter of the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and the Italian film director Roberto Rossellini, she is noted ...

and brought him more attention. He portrayed the youthful lover of

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. She gained recogni ...

, Rodolphe Löwenstein, in ''Marie und Freud''. Koch has portrayed historically significant personalities, among

Rudolf Höss Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Höss (also Höß, Hoeß, or Hoess; 25 November 1901 – 16 April 1947) was a German SS officer during the Nazi era who, after the defeat of Nazi Germany, was convicted for war crimes. Höss was the longest-serving comm ...

Costa-Gavras Costa-Gavras (short for Konstantinos Gavras; el, Κωνσταντίνος Γαβράς; born 12 February 1933) is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for films with political and s ...

Hochhuth's adaptation '' Amen (Der Stellvertreter).'' He appeared in '' The Tunnel'', a made-for-television German film about the idea of going underground by digging a tunnel shortly after the construction of the Berlin wall in 1961, and in

Peter Keglevic Peter Keglevic (born 1950) is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He has directed 30 films since 1976. His film ''Bella Donna (1983 film), Bella Donna'' was screened at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival. Selected filmography * ''Tatort: Be ...

’s historical drama ''Two Days of Hope'' about the uprising on 17 June 1953. Koch appeared in ''

Stauffenberg The Schenk von Stauffenberg family is a noble (''Uradel'') Roman Catholic family from Swabia in Germany. The family's best-known recent member was Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg – the key figure in the 1944 "20 July plot" to ...

'' (2004 by

Jo Baier Jo Baier (born 13 February 1949) is a German film director and writer. He directed more than twenty films since 1982 and is known for ''Operation Valkyrie'' (2004), ''Henri 4'' (2010) and ' (2006). He is married to Gertrud Baier. Early life and ...

and winner of the German Film Award); and he played

Albert Speer Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as the Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of World War II. A close ally of Adolf Hitler, h ...

in Heinrich Breoler's mini-series ''

Speer und Er ''Speer und Er'' (literally "Speer and He", released as ''Speer and Hitler: The Devil's Architect'') is a three-part German docudrama starring Sebastian Koch as Albert Speer and Tobias Moretti as Adolf Hitler. It mixes historical film material wi ...

'' in 2004 – his third collaboration with the director following ''Death Game'' and '' The Manns – A Novel of the Century''. He received for his performance as the Nazi architect Albert Speer the German TV Award. Sebastian Koch appeared in Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's drama ''

'' in 2006 as one of the leading roles. He portrayed the playwright Georg Dreyman, who lived in

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In t ...

with his lover, a dissident who was spied on and monitored. The movie received an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007 as well as the

BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...

, the César, and the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and

European Film Award The European Film Awards (or European Film Academy Awards) have been presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in 19 categories, of which the mo ...

. Koch himself was nominated several times for his work in ''

'' and received the

Globo d'oro The Globo d'oro (internationally known as Italian Golden Globe) is an Italian annual film award. It was established in 1960 and it has as jury the Rome Foreign Press Association. The first awards ceremony took place in 1960 and was won by the film ...

for Best European Actor, The Quadriga, and the

Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the 1923 book ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten ...

Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch director, producer and screenwriter, active in the Netherlands, France and the United States. His blending of graphic violence and sexual content with social satire is a trademark of both his dram ...

's movie '' Black Book (Zwartboek)'' was also shot in 2006. Koch played a Nazi Officer in occupied Holland who falls in love with a Jewish member of the resistance (

Carice van Houten Carice Anouk van Houten () is a Dutch actress and singer (born 5 September 1976 in Leiderdorp). Her first leading role in the television film ''Suzy Q'' (1999) won her the Golden Calf for Best Acting in a Television Drama; two years later, s ...

). ''Black Book'' celebrated its premiere at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

and the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...

. After shooting the movie ' in 2007/2008, Koch appeared on camera for the international production of

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

's classic psychological adventure novel '' Sea Wolf'', where Koch portrayed a lone despot of both brutal cruelty and longing romance. The shooting of this two-parter based on Nigel Williams’ script and under Mike Barker’s direction took place in Halifax, Canada. The mini-series won the

Directors Guild of Canada The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is a Canadian labour union representing more than 5,500 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. Founded in 1962, the DGC represents directors, editors, assist ...

Award and Koch was nominated in 2010 for his role as Wolf Larsen for the international

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

. The shooting of the movie ''Manipulation'' (adapted from the novel ''Das Verhör des Harry Wind'') took also place in 2008, with Koch and

Klaus Maria Brandauer Klaus Maria Brandauer (; born Klaus Georg Steng; 22 June 1943) is an Austrian actor and director. He is also a professor at the Max Reinhardt Seminar. Brandauer is known internationally for his roles in ''The Russia House'' (1990), ''Mephisto'' ...

playing leading roles. In 2010, Koch was the male title role in the English independent tragicomedy ''

Albatross Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pac ...

'' under the direction of Niall MacCormick. He played the role of Prof. Bressler in the movie ''

Unknown Unknown or The Unknown may refer to: Film * ''The Unknown'' (1915 comedy film), a silent boxing film * ''The Unknown'' (1915 drama film) * ''The Unknown'' (1927 film), a silent horror film starring Lon Chaney * ''The Unknown'' (1936 film), a ...

'' (with

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on '' Th ...

and

Diane Kruger Diane Kruger ( Heidkrüger; ; born 15 July 1976) is a German and American actress. Early in her career, Kruger gained worldwide recognition and received the Trophée Chopard from the Cannes Film Festival. Kruger became known for her roles in ...

) under the direction of

Jaume Collet-Serra Jaume Collet-Serra (; born 23 March 1974) is a Spanish-American film director and producer. He directed the horror films '' House of Wax'' (2005), '' Orphan'' (2009), and '' The Shallows'' (2016), as well as the Liam Neeson-led thriller films '' ...

. In the summer of 2010, he took a guest role alongside

Eva Green Eva Gaëlle Green (, ; born ) is a French actress and model. The daughter of actress Marlène Jobert, she began her career in theatre before making her film debut in Bernardo Bertolucci's '' The Dreamers'' (2003). She achieved international reco ...

and

Joseph Fiennes Joseph Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (), known as Joseph Fiennes, is an English actor of film, stage, and television. Journalist Zoe Williams observed that "he seemed to be the go-to actor for English cultural history". Fiennes is particul ...

in the TV series ''

Camelot Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...

'' from the Irish RT Film production, followed by the UFA production ''

Bella Block ''Bella Block'' is a long-running German detective television series starring Hannelore Hoger as inspector Bella Block. The show was first broadcast in 1994 on ZDF and last aired in 2018, having run for 38 seasons. See also * List of German t ...

'' – Stich ins Herz under the direction of Stephan Wagner, in which Koch played the role of Max Klöckner. As a host of the ZDF production ''Terra X'', Koch presented the Cologne Cathedral, the Neuschwanstein Castle and the Dresden Frauenkirche. In 2011, Koch appeared in the Czech production '' The Shadow of the Horse (Ve Stinu)'', in which Koch played the leading role of the investigator Zenk, whose mission is to win through one personal rival and through the regime of communist

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

in the 50s. In the German production adapted from

Bernhard Schlink Bernhard Schlink (; born 6 July 1944) is a German lawyer, academic, and novelist. He is best known for his novel ''The Reader'', which was first published in 1995 and became an international bestseller. He won the 2014 Park Kyong-ni Prize. Earl ...

's novel ''The Weekend'' in 2012, Koch portrays an amnestied RAF terrorist (Jens Kessler), who has a reunion with his old mates. In the same year, Koch began shooting the Greek-Russian drama film '' God Loves Caviar'' based upon the true story of Ioannis Varvakis, played by Koch, a former pirate who moved up to being a Greek caviar merchant and eventual benefactor from Psara. The international cast also included

Catherine the Great of Russia , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

and

John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...

as Officer McCormick. Furthermore, Koch played the title role in ''

Suspension of Disbelief Suspension of disbelief, sometimes called willing suspension of disbelief, is the avoidance of critical thinking or logic in examining something unreal or impossible in reality, such as a work of speculative fiction, in order to believe it for t ...

'', a thriller by

Mike Figgis Michael Figgis (born 28 February 1948) is an English film director, screenwriter, and composer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for his work in ''Leaving Las Vegas'' (1995). Figgis was the founding patron of the independent filmmakers o ...

, which was followed by part 5 of the '' Die Hard'' movies, with Koch as

Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...

' antagonist. In 2013,

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades th ...

(director and producer) began working on ''The Vatican'', a pilot episode for a Showtime series about intrigues concerning the Pope and mysteries and secrets within the Catholic Church. Koch played the role of the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

's secretary Cardinal Marco Malerba, who is one of the true potentates of the inner circle. In the Austrian production ' Koch portrayed

Alfred Nobel Alfred Bernhard Nobel ( , ; 21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedish chemist, engineer, inventor, businessman, and philanthropist. He is best known for having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prize, though he al ...

in 2014, and in the French production ''

Au nom de ma fille ''Kalinka'' (french: Au nom de ma fille) (released on home video and VOD as ''In Her Name'') is a 2016 French-German drama film directed by . The film is based on the true story of the Kalinka Bamberski case which took place in 1982. The film wa ...

'', based on a true story, Koch played Dieter Krombach, a German doctor who is accused of murdering his stepdaughter by her biological French father (played by

Daniel Auteuil Daniel Auteuil (; born 24 January 1950) is a French actor and director who has appeared in a wide range of film genres, including period dramas, romantic comedies, and crime thrillers. In 1996 he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Fest ...

). The case had spanned 30 years and has caused considerable publicity because of the issues of French-German relations and vigilante justice it raised. In 2014, Koch was also part of

's historical dramatic thriller '' Bridge of Spies'' about the negotiations of the release of spies between the East and West. Lawyer James B. Donovan (

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

) is thrown into the centre of the Cold War and East German lawyer Wolfgang Vogel (Koch) is a key figure in the process. The film premiered at the

New York Film Festival The New York Film Festival (NYFF) is a film festival held every fall in New York City, presented by Film at Lincoln Center (FLC). Founded in 1963 by Richard Roud and Amos Vogel with the support of Lincoln Center president William Schuman, i ...

and was nominated for the 2016 Academy Award for Best Picture. The biographical romantic drama film ''

The Danish Girl ''The Danish Girl'' is a novel by American writer David Ebershoff, published in 2000 by the Viking Press in the United States and Allen & Unwin in Australia. Summary The novel is a fictionalized account of the life of Lili Elbe, one of the fi ...

'' by Academy Award winner

Tom Hooper Thomas George Hooper (born 5 October 1972)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005''. 5d: 2485. is a British-Australian filmmaker. Hooper began making short films as a teenager and had his first professional short, ...

(''The King's Speech'') is about one of the first known recipients of

sex reassignment surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a transgender or transsexual person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their identified gender, and a ...

. Koch portrays

Kurt Warnekros Kurt Warnekros (November 15, 1882–September 30, 1949) was a German gynaecologist and pioneer in sexual reassignment surgery. Biography Kurt Warnekros was born on November 15, 1882 in the family of the professor of medicine Ludwig Warnekros ...

, a doctor at the Dresden Municipal Women's Clinic, who was one of the first to carry out such operations. The cast furthermore includes

Eddie Redmayne Edward John David Redmayne (; born 6 January 1982) is an English actor. Known for his roles in biopics and blockbusters, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Olivier Awards. He ...

and

Alicia Vikander Alicia Amanda Vikander (, ; born 3 October 1988) is a Swedish actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Critics' Choice Movie Award, as well as receiving nominations for ...

. Subsequently, Koch filmed ''Fog in August'' (by director Kai Wessel), the first feature film to address the Nazis' euthanasia program and the hospital's staunch Nazi chief physician Werner Veithausen's (played by Koch) way of dealing with the issue. Eventually, in 2015, Koch began shooting the fifth season of the Showtime series ''

'' about bipolar CIA Officer Carrie Mathison (

Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. She is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2012, ''Time'' named her one of the 100 most influenti ...

). After leaving the CIA, Carrie now works for German billionaire Otto Düring (Koch), a philanthropist who uses the money his family made through affiliation with the Nazis to help struggling people around the world, including in volatile regions of the Middle East. Düring hires her to be his head of security in Berlin. In 2016, he collaborated again with director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck for the feature film '' Never Look Away'', produced by Wiedemann & Berg and

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

. The subject of the drama is the life of an artist, loosely based on the biography of

Gerhard Richter Gerhard Richter (; born 9 February 1932) is a German visual artist. Richter has produced abstract as well as photorealistic paintings, and also photographs and glass pieces. He is widely regarded as one of the most important contemporary Germa ...

. Sebastian starrs alongside Tom Schilling, Paula Beer,

Saskia Rosendahl Saskia-Sophie Rosendahl (born 9 July 1993) is a German actress. She is best known for her role in the film ''Lore (film), Lore'' (2012), for which she won the AACTA Award for Best Young Actor. Biography Saskia Rosendahl began her career with th ...

Oliver Masucci Oliver Masucci (born 6 December 1968) is a German actor. He is best known internationally for the role of Adolf Hitler in the 2015 film adaptation of the satirical novel ''Look Who's Back'', Ulrich Nielsen in the Netflix series ''Dark,'' Anton ...

and Ina Weisse. '' Never Look Away'' was submitted as the German entry for the 2019 Academy Awards and was ultimately nominated by the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

in the categories of "Best Foreign Language Film" and "Best Cinematography". Sebastian Koch also won the

award for "Best Actor National" in '' Never Look Away'' in 2018. In 2020, Koch starred in the German-Canadian television series ''

The Defeated ''The Defeated'', also known as ''Shadowplay'', is a 2020 television series. Plot New York Police Department Detective Max McLaughlin gets assigned to post-World War II Berlin by the United States Department of State to help organize and esta ...

'' by Måns Mårlind. In the thriller series ''Your Honor'' (German title '' Euer Ehren''), a German-Austrian adaptation of the Israeli series ''Kvodo'', which aired in April 2022, Koch embodies a incorruptible judge who violates his moral principles and breaks with law and order driven by the infinite love for his son and the concern for his son's life. Sebastian Koch is a member of the

, which awards the

. In addition to his acting work, he regularly delights audiences with symphonic-scenic readings, including ''Paradise'' with violinist

Daniel Hope Daniel Hope (born 17 August 1973, Durban, South Africa) is a European classical violinist. Early life and education Hope was born in Durban, South Africa, and is of Irish and Jewish German descent, his maternal grandparents, formerly from Be ...

, ''Dream Story'' with the Hubert Nuss Jazz Quartet and ''The Kreutzer Sonata'' after L. Tolstoy, which Sebastian Koch dramaturgically adapted and conceived as a stage play with piano and violin.

Audiobooks

Koch has frequently served as an interpreter of both literary and musical-literary audiobooks and live performances of such. Current projects include ''Schumann – Scenes of a marriage'' (with

Martina Gedeck Martina Gedeck (; born 14 September 1961) is a German actress. She came to broader, international attention due to her roles in films such as '' Mostly Martha'' (2001), ''The Lives of Others'' (2006), and ''The Baader Meinhof Complex'' (2008). Sh ...

) about the exchange of letters between

Clara Clara may refer to: Organizations * CLARA, Latin American academic computer network organization * Clara.Net, a European ISP * Consolidated Land and Rail Australia, a property development consortium People * Clara (given name), a feminine gi ...

and Robert Schumann, and accompanied by Argentinean bandoneon virtuoso Roberto Russo Koch has also presented excerpts from ''The Player'' by

Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...

. The premiere of a play reading of ''Rhapsody: A Dream Novel'' 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 ...

– accompanied by compositions especially for jazz – took place at the Literature and Poetry Festival in Bad Homburg in 2011. In 2012, he produced the audiobook ''Koch is reading Heuss'' about speeches and letters by

Theodor Heuss Theodor Heuss (; 31 January 1884 – 12 December 1963) was a German liberal politician who served as the first president of West Germany from 1949 to 1959. His cordial nature – something of a contrast to the stern character of chancellor K ...

in collaboration with Cherbuliez Productions. Koch twice lent his voice to the audiobook edition of ''Brigitte – Strong Voices''. In 2007, he recorded the novel ''A perfect friend'' (

Martin Suter Martin Suter (born 29 February 1948 in Zürich) is a Swiss author. He became known for his weekly column ''Business Class'' in the Weltwoche newspaper (1992–2004), now appearing in the Tages-Anzeiger, and another column appearing in " NZZ F ...

) followed by the crime story ''On the twelfth day'' (Wolfgang Schorlau) in 2014.

Personal life

Sebastian Koch lives in Berlin and has a daughter, Paulina (born 1995) and a son, Jacob (born 2013). He was in a relationship with actress

, whom he met on the set of the movie '' Black Book'', from 2005 to 2009.

Filmography (selection)

*' (1991) – Gerhardt *'' Death Came As a Friend'' (1991, TV film) – young Gerhard Selb *''The Duck Bros.''/''Dog Days'' (1991–2011, franchise) – Stanley (voice) *''Cosimas Lexikon'' (1992) – Sven *' (1994, TV film) – Bernd Schild *''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset life ...

: Two Harts in 3/4 Time'' (1995, TV film) – Hans Ditsch *' (1996, TV miniseries) – Wismar *' (1997, TV film) –

*''

Gloomy Sunday "Gloomy Sunday" ( Hungarian: ''Szomorú vasárnap''), also known as the "Hungarian Suicide Song", is a popular song composed by Hungarian pianist and composer Rezső Seress and published in 1933. The original lyrics were titled "Vége a vilá ...

'' (1999) – Obersturmbannführer Eichbaum *''Das Tal der Schatten'' (1999) – von Sviet *'' The Tunnel'' (2001) – Matthis Hiller *' (2001, TV film) – Richard Oetker *'' Die Manns – Ein Jahrhundertroman'' (2001, TV miniseries) –

*''

Amen. ''Amen.'' is a 2002 historical war drama film directed and co-written by Costa-Gavras. Based on the play ''The Deputy'' by Rolf Hochhuth, the film examines the political and diplomatic relationship between the Vatican and Nazi Germany during Wo ...

'' (2002) –

*''

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

'' (2002, TV miniseries) – Maréchal

Jean Lannes Jean Lannes, 1st Duke of Montebello, Prince of Siewierz (10 April 1769 – 31 May 1809), was a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was one of Napoleon's ...

*''Das fliegende Klassenzimmer'' (2003) – Robert 'Nichtraucher' Uthofft *' (2004, TV film) – Rodolphe Löwenstein *''

'', ''Operation Valkyrie'' (2004, TV film) –

Claus von Stauffenberg Colonel Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (; 15 November 1907 – 21 July 1944) was a German army officer best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair. Despite ...

*' (2004) – Philipp *''

'' (2005, TV film) –

*'' The Shell Seekers'' (2006, TV film) – Cosmo *''

'' (2006) – Georg Dreyman *'' Black Book'' (2006) – Ludwig Müntze *''Rudy: The Return of the Racing Pig'' (2007) – Thomas Bussmann *' ''At Any Second'' (2008) – Dr. Hans Frick *''

Effi Briest ''Effi Briest'' is a realist novel by Theodor Fontane. Published in book form in 1895, ''Effi Briest'' marks both a watershed and a climax in the poetic realism of literature. It can be thematically compared to other novels on 19th century mar ...

'' (2009) – Geert von Instetten *'' Sea Wolf'' (2009, TV film) – Wolf Larsen *''Manipulation'' (2011) – Harry Wind *''

'' (2011) – Professor Bressler *''

'' (2011, TV miniseries) – King

Uther Uther Pendragon ( Brittonic) (; cy, Ythyr Ben Dragwn, Uthyr Pendragon, Uthyr Bendragon), also known as King Uther, was a legendary King of the Britons in sub-Roman Britain (c. 6th century). Uther was also the father of King Arthur. A few m ...

*''

'' (2011) – Jonathan *'' The Weekend'' (2012) – Jens Kessler *'' God Loves Caviar'' (2012) – Varvakis *'' In the Shadow'', ''Ve stínu'' (Czech title) (2012) – Zenke *''

'' (2012) – Martin *''

A Good Day to Die Hard ''A Good Day to Die Hard'' is a 2013 American action thriller film and the fifth and final installment in the ''Die Hard'' film series. The film was directed by John Moore and written by Skip Woods, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane in h ...

'' (2013) – Yuri Komarov *'' October November'' (2013) – Andreas *'' The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden'' (2013) – Heinz Wittmer (voice) *''

'' (2015–2016, TV series) – Otto Düring *' (2014, TV film) –

*''

'' (2015) – Warnekros *'' Bridge of Spies'' (2015) – Wolfgang Vogel *''

'' (2016) – Dieter Krombach *'' Fog in August'' (2016) – Dr. Werner Veithausen *'' Billionaire Ransom'' (2016) – Bobby Hartmann *'' Bel Canto'' (2018) *'' Never Look Away'' (2018) *'' 11-11: Memories Retold'' (2018, Video game) – Kurt (voice) *''

The Name of the Rose ''The Name of the Rose'' ( it, Il nome della rosa ) is the 1980 debut novel by Italian author Umberto Eco. It is a historical murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327, and an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in ficti ...

'' (2019, TV miniseries) *''

'' (2021 Netflix series) *''Your Honor'' (2022, TV series)

Awards and Nominations (selection)

* 2001 – German Television Awards nomination for best supporting actor in ''Der Tunnel'' * 2002 **

Bavarian TV Award Bayerischer Fernsehpreis (the Bavarian TV award) is an award presented by the government of Bavaria, Germany since 1989. The prize symbol is the "Blue Panther", a figure from the Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory. The prize money is €10,000 (Spec ...

("Blue Panther") for his portrayal of

in '' The Manns – A Novel of the Century'' **

Adolf Grimme Award The Grimme-Preis ("Grimme Award"; prior to 2011: Adolf-Grimme-Preis) is one of the most prestigious German television awards. It is named after the first general director of Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk, Adolf Grimme.Klaus Mann Klaus Heinrich Thomas Mann (18 November 1906 – 21 May 1949) was a German writer and dissident. He was the son of Thomas Mann, a nephew of Heinrich Mann and brother of Erika Mann, with whom he maintained a lifelong close relationship, and Golo ...

in '' The Manns – A Novel of the Century'' ** Jupiter Award for his portrayal of Richard Oetker in ' * 2003 – DIVA Award; nominated for "Best German Actor" at the '' Verleihung der Goldenen Kamera'' for his role in ''Napoleon''. * 2004 – Golden Gong award for ''Stauffenberg''; German Television Awards nomination for "Best Leading Actor" in ''Stauffenberg''. * 2005 –

("Blue Panther") for his portrayal of

in ''Speer und Er''; German Television Award for "Best Leading Role" in ''Speer und Er''. * 2006 – Quadriga award for ''

'' (shared with

Ulrich Mühe Friedrich Hans Ulrich Mühe (; 20 June 1953 – 22 July 2007) was a German film, television and theatre actor. He played the role of Hauptmann (Captain) Gerd Wiesler in the Oscar-winning film '' Das Leben der Anderen'' (''The Lives of Others'', 2 ...

and the film's director, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck);

award for best actor (national). * 2007 –

Globo d'Oro The Globo d'oro (internationally known as Italian Golden Globe) is an Italian annual film award. It was established in 1960 and it has as jury the Rome Foreign Press Association. The first awards ceremony took place in 1960 and was won by the film ...

award for "Best European Actor" (Italy) * 2010 – Nomination for "Best Male Actor" for the

International Emmy Award The International Emmy Awards, or International Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based International Academy of Television Arts and Sci ...

; Nomination as "Most Popular Actor" for the Austrian Romy TV award for his performance in '' Sea Wolf'' * 2013 – Nomination for "Best Supporting Actor" for the Czech Lion for '' The Shadow of the Horse (Ve Stinu)'' *2015 – Nomination for "Most Popular Actor" for the Austrian Romy TV award for his performance in ' *2016 – Günter Rohrbach TV Award for his role in '' Fog in August''; Nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award in the category "Best Acting Ensemble in a Drama Series" for

*2018 –

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 ...

for "Best Actor National" *2019 – Nomination for "Best Actor" for the Austrian Romy TV award for his performance in '' Never Look Away'' *2020 – Golden Carp Film Award for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role" for '' Never Look Away'' *2021 – "Die Europa" award at the Braunschweig International Film Festival

References

External links

*
Sebastian Koch
at his management's website *
Fan site

Photographs of Sebastian Koch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koch, Sebastian 1962 births Living people German male film actors German male television actors German male stage actors 20th-century German male actors 21st-century German male actors Male actors from Stuttgart