Ulrich Matthes (born 9 May 1959) is a German

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, possibly best-known for having played

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 19 ...

in the 2004 film '' Downfall''.

Life and work

Matthes was born in

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

and educated at the

Evangelisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster The Evangelisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster, located in suburban Schmargendorf, Berlin, is an independent school with a humanistic profile, known as one of the most prestigious schools in Germany. Founded by the Evangelical Church in West Berli ...

. He studied acting in the early 1980s in Berlin under Else Bongers. In the 2004 movie '' Downfall'' he plays

. In the 2004 movie ''

The Ninth Day ''The Ninth Day'' is a 2004 German historical drama film directed by Volker Schlöndorff and starring Ulrich Matthes and August Diehl. It was released by Kino International. The film is about a Catholic priest from Luxembourg who is imprisoned ...

'', he plays Fr. Henri Kremer, a Catholic priest imprisoned at

Dachau , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...

. He is also the standard German voice for

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 t ...

along with Martin Umbach. In February 2021, Matthes came out as gay.

Awards

* 1985:

Förderpreis für Literatur der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf The Förderpreis für Literatur der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf is a German literary award donated by the City of Düsseldorf in North Rhine-Westphalia. The Prize for Literature in support of the City of Düsseldorf has been awarded since 1972 by ...

Northrhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabi ...

* 1999:

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

– Best Actor for performance in ''Rider of the Flames'' * 2003:

Deutscher Hörbuchpreis Deutscher Hörbuchpreis (German Audiobook Prize) is a literary prize of Germany. Best of all * 2003: Isaak Babel: ''Die Reiterarmee.'' ''Red Cavalry'' * 2004: Flann O'Brien: ''Auf Schwimmen-zwei-Vögel.'' ''At Swim-Two-Birds'' Kein & Aber Recor ...

* 2007: Theaterpreis Berlin * 2008: Deutscher Theaterpreis Der Faust * 2015:

Goldene Kamera The Goldene Kamera ("Golden Camera") is an annual German film and television award, awarded by the Funke Mediengruppe. The award show is usually held in early February in Hamburg, but has also taken place in Berlin in the past. The gold-plate ...

– Best German Actor for performances in the ''

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 by ...

'' episode ''Im Schmerz geboren'' (“Born in pain”) and in ''Bornholmer Straße'' (“Bornholm street”) * 2015:

Grimme-Preis 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.Lielais Kristaps The Big Christopher ( lv, Lielais Kristaps) is the highest award in Latvian cinema. Established in 1977, it is given out at the ''Latvian National Film Festival''. Due to different reasons, the festival has not been held in 1992, from 1994 t ...

– Best Actor for performance in ''Pelnu Sanitorija'' ''(Exiled)'' * 2022 Officer's Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

Film

*1969: ''An einem Tag im September'' (Short) – Max *1970: ''Die Wesenacks'' (TV film) – Fränzchen *1973: ''Artur, Peter und der Eskimo'' (TV film) – Peter *1989: ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...

'' –

(German version) *1992: ''Herr Ober!'' – TV game show host *1994: '' Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'' –

Victor Frankenstein Victor Frankenstein is a fictional character and the main protagonist and title character in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''.. He is an Italians, Italian-Swiss scientist (born in Naples, Italy ...

(German version) *1995: ''Ein falscher Schritt'' (TV film) – Georg Klein *1995: ''Der Mörder und sein Kind'' (TV film) – Rainer Dreyer *1995: '' Nikolaikirche'' (TV film) – Alexander ‘Sascha’ Bacher *1995: ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'' –

Iago Iago () is a fictional character in Shakespeare's ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Iago is the play's main antagonist, and Othello's standard-bearer. He is the husband of Emilia, who is in turn the attendant of Othello's wife Desdemona. Iago hates ...

(German version) *1996: ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' –

Prince Hamlet A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

(German version) *1997: ' (TV film) –

Jan-Carl Raspe Jan-Carl Raspe (24 July 1944 – 18 October 1977) was a member of the German militant group, the Red Army Faction (RAF). Early life Raspe was born in Seefeld in Tirol (then Germany, now Austria). He was described as gentle but had difficulty co ...

*1997: ''

Winter Sleepers ''Winter Sleepers'' (german: Winterschläfer meaning "hibernators") is a 1997 German film directed by Tom Tykwer. It was premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival. Plot The film is set in the deeply snowy alpine winter resort of Berc ...

'' – Rene *1998: ''

Abgehauen ''Abgehauen'' is a 1998 German television docudrama directed by Frank Beyer and based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Manfred Krug. (''Abgehauen. Ein Mitschnitt und ein Tagebuch.'' Düsseldorf: ECON 1996). Frank Beyer won an Ad ...

'' (TV film) – Eberhard E. *1998: ''

Rider of the Flames Rider or Riders may refer to: People * Daniel Rider (1938–2008), American mathematician * Fremont Rider (1885–1962), American writer and librarian * George Rider (1890–1979), American college sports coach and administrator * H. Rider Hagga ...

'' – Baron Isaac von Sinclair *1999: ''

Aimée & Jaguar ''Aimée & Jaguar'' is a 1999 German Drama (film and television), drama film set in Berlin during World War II. It was written and directed by Max Färberböck and based on Erica Fischer's book chronicling the actual lives of Lilly Wust and Felic ...

'' – Eckert (SS) *1999: ''Framed'' (Short) – Beck *2000: ''The Coq Is Dead'' (TV film) – Kommissar Steiner *2002: ''Mörderherz'' (TV film) – Dr. Graf *2004: ''Mitfahrer – Jede Begegnung ist eine Chance'' – Peter *2004: ''

'' – Abbé Henri Kremer *2004: '' Downfall'' –

*2006: ''Wer war Kafka?'' (Documentary) (voice) *2006: ''Vineta'' – Dr. Leonhard *2008: ' – Robert von der Mühlen *2010: ' (TV film) – Hauptmann *2011: ''

Cracks in the Shell ''Cracks in the Shell'' (german: Die Unsichtbare; ) is a 2011 German drama film directed by Christian Schwochow. Cast * Stine Fischer Christensen as Josephine 'Fine' Lorenz * Ulrich Noethen as Kaspar Friedmann * Dagmar Manzel as Susanne Loren ...

'' – Ben Kästner *2011: ''

Calm at Sea ''Calm at Sea'' (french: La mer à l'aube) is a 2011 German / French drama film directed by Volker Schlöndorff. The film depicts the events leading to the 1941 execution of a group of French communists, including the 17-year-old Guy Môquet, as ...

'' (TV film) –

Ernst Jünger Ernst Jünger (; 29 March 1895 – 17 February 1998) was a German author, highly decorated soldier, philosopher, and entomologist who became publicly known for his World War I memoir '' Storm of Steel''. The son of a successful businessman and ...

*2012: ''A Little Suicide'' (Short) – The Cockroach (voice) *2012: ''Kunduz: The Incident at Hadji Ghafur'' – Grewe *2013: ''

The Notebook ''The Notebook'' is a 2004 American romantic drama film directed by Nick Cassavetes, with a screenplay by Jeremy Leven and Jan Sardi, based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as ...

'' – Apa *2014: ''Bornholmer Straße'' (TV film) – Hartmut Kummer *2016: ''Pelnu Sanitorija'' (''Exiled'') (

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

n film) – Ulrihs *2016: ''Geschichte einer Liebe – Freya'' –

Helmuth James von Moltke Helmuth James Graf von Moltke (11 March 1907 – 23 January 1945) was a German jurist who, as a draftee in the German Abwehr, acted to subvert German human-rights abuses of people in territories occupied by Germany during World War II. He ...

*2016: ''Die Vierte Gewalt'' (TV film) – Publisher *2017: ''Gift'' (TV film) – Matteo Kälin *2017: ''Krieg'' (TV film) – Arnold *2017: ''Die Puppenspieler'' (TV film) –

Rodrigo Borgia Pope Alexander VI ( it, Alessandro VI, va, Alexandre VI, es, Alejandro VI; born Rodrigo de Borja; ca-valencia, Roderic Llançol i de Borja ; es, Rodrigo Lanzol y de Borja, lang ; 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Churc ...

*2019: '' A Hidden Life'' – Lorenz Schwaninger *2021: ''

The Story of My Wife ''The Story of My Wife: The Reminiscences of Captain Storr '' is a Hungarian novel by Milán Füst. First published in Hungary in 1946, it was eventually translated into English by Ivan Sanders in 1988. The book is written as if it is a memoir a ...

'' – the psychiatrist *2022: ''

Munich - The Edge of War 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 Ha ...

'' -

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

Television

*1995: ''

Wolffs Revier ''Wolffs Revier'' is a German television series. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * ''4 Blocks'' (TNT Serie, 2017–2019) * ''Alarm für Cobra 11 � ...

: Sommersprossen'' – Danzer *1987–1997: ''

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 a ...

'' (4 episodes) – Harald Breuer / Robert Lohmann / Holger Küster / Ulrich Huberti *1997: ''

The Old Fox ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

: Der Tod der Eltern'' – Andreas Gobel *1997–1999: ''

Polizeiruf 110 ''Polizeiruf 110'' ("Police call 110") is a long-running German-language detective television series likened to Poirot. The name links to the emergency telephone number of the ''Volkspolizei''. The first episode was broadcast 27 June 1971 in the ...

'' (2 episodes) – Psychologe / Tanjas Partner *2000: ''

Ein Fall für zwei ''Ein Fall für zwei'' (''"A case for two"'') is a German television series, which premiered on 11 September 1981 on ZDF. The series, set in Frankfurt am Main, features two main characters who solve crimes: a defense attorney and a private invest ...

: Blutiges Pfand'' – Michael Strobel *2008: '' The Bill: Proof of Life'' – Victor Hauptmann (crossover story with ''

Leipzig Homicide ''Leipzig Homicide (SOKO Leipzig)'' is a German crime drama television series first broadcast on 31 January 2001 on ZDF. More than 400 episodes have been screened since. On 12 November 2008, the first of a two-part crossover between ''SOKO Leipz ...

'') *2011: ''

: '' – Günther Kremer *2014: ''

: '' – Richard Harloff *2019: ''Sarah Kohr: Das verschwundene Mädchen'' – Artem Lasarew *2020: ''Das Boot''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Matthes, Ulrich 1959 births Living people 20th-century German male actors 21st-century German male actors Crystal Simorgh recipients German gay actors German male film actors German male television actors LGBT actors from Germany Lielais Kristaps Award winners Male actors from Berlin Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin