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A strikingly beautiful German lead actress, Barbara Sukowa broke into TV and films as the protégée of famed director Rainer Werner Fassbinder with his masterpiece mini-series Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) and the moody film drama Lola (1981) in the title role. In the latter, Barbara won critical kudos portraying a cynical, manipulative singer/hooker who sets her sights on an unsuspecting town politician played by Armin Mueller-Stahl. Following Fassbinder's sudden death in 1982, Barbara was gloriously displayed in a couple of stark, brilliant, politically-motivated films by director Margarethe von Trotta. In Marianne & Juliane (1981), Barbara won both the Venice Film Festival and German Film awards and as _Rosa Luxemburg (1986)_ , she copped the Cannes Film Festival award. A number of international productions, notably Lars von Trier's Europa (1991), brought Barbara to the attention of Hollywood. Although not well known here by name, this fascinating figure has added her exotic allure to a number of American films including The Sicilian (1987), M. Butterfly (1993), Johnny Mnemonic (1995), Cradle Will Rock (1999) and the just-completed Romance & Cigarettes (2005), which was written and directed by John Turturro. Barbara started up a second career as a concert vocalist in recent years, performing works by such classical composers as Arnold Schönberg, among others.

Günter Meisner was born on 18 April 1926 in Bremen, Germany. He was an actor and director, known for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), The Boys from Brazil (1978) and In a Glass Cage (1986). He was married to Gisela Albrecht Meisner. He died on 5 December 1994 in Berlin, Germany.

During his school years he was enthusiastic about artistry and gymnastics. His athletic skills helped him land a role in the musical "Can Can" in 1978, which also sparked his interest in acting. After finishing school, Heino Ferch devoted himself to his acting training at the Salzburg Mozarteum. In addition to the classical acting courses, he was also trained here in singing, ballet and tap dancing. He completed his training in 1987 and was immediately hired by the Freie Volksbühne Berlin, whose ensemble he was a member of until 1990. Also in 1987 he had his first screen role in the cinema production "Schloss Königswald".

After his time at the Freie Volksbühne, Ferch went to the Berlin Schillertheater in 1990, where he remained loyal until 1994. During this time he had several guest appearances at the Scala in Milan, at the Salzburg Festival and at the Burgtheater in Vienna. He quickly attracted attention both through his performance in the theater and in film. He received particular praise for his portrayal of Obersturmbandführer Raufeisen in "Unhold" (1996) and for his portrayal of Gestapo leader Klaus Barbie in "Lucie Aubrac" (1996). His role as Roman Cycowski in the hit production "Comedian Harmonists" helped him achieve widespread popularity in 1997. Heino Ferch became one of the most sought-after German actors and several successful productions followed, both for cinema and television.

His most successful TV production to date was "The Miracle of Lengede" in 2003, which was awarded a "Bambi" as "TV Event of the Year". Ferch left a lasting impression as Albert Speer in "Downfall," in which he played Lara alongside Bruno Ganz and Alexandra Maria. "Ghetto," another Third Reich drama, was released in German cinemas in 2006. However, the production did not achieve the desired success and also failed to convince the critics. Ferch was in a relationship with the actress Susanne von Borsody for several years. He has been married to the rider Marie-Jeanette Steinle since August 2005.

Meret Becker was born on 15 January 1969 in Bremen, West Germany. She is an actress and composer, known for Munich (2005), The Invincibles (1994) and Das Versprechen (1994). She was previously married to Alexander Hacke.

Inge Birkmann was born on 24 August 1915 in Bremen, Germany. She was an actress, known for Der Kirschgarten (1959), Baumeister Solness (1966) and John Gabriel Borkman (1967). She was married to Hermann Krings and Hermann Schultze-Griesheim . She died on 26 December 2004 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.

Roman Schomburg was born in Bremen, Germany. He studied at the renowned academy of dramatic arts HfS Ernst Busch in Berlin. After his graduation he got the chance to make his international debut in the awarded danish movie »Into the darkness« by Anders Refn. Since then he was able to follow his career with new projects, such as »SAM - A Saxon« running on Disney+, »Nightwatch« as the lead by Joachim Neef, »The Gold« directed by Lawrence Gough, »The new look« on Netflix by Todd A. Kessler (Sopranos) or »God's spy« by Todd Komarnicki (Elf, Sully).

Anna-Lena Schwing was born in 1996 in Bremen, Germany. She is an actress and director, known for The Island (2020), Friedmanns Vier (2021) and Sörensen hat Angst (2020).

Gustav Botz was born on 4 August 1883 in Bremen, Germany. He was an actor, known for Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922), Die Entdeckung Deutschlands (1916) and Gräfin de Castro (1916). He was married to Elisabeth Botz-Kotz. He died on 29 September 1932 in Bremen, Germany.

Ben Becker spent his childhood and youth with his sister Meret Becker in Berlin with his mother and her partner, the actor Otto Sander. As a child, Becker was already involved in radio plays, for example in "The 3 Question Marks and the Car Marten". He later found a strong role model in Otto Sander and decided to train as an actor. Becker had theater engagements and appeared in various film and television productions. Becker had his first film role in 1983 in "A Love in Germany" with Hannah Schygulla and Armin Mueller-Stahl. In 1978 he played in a "Tatort" episode for the first time. In 1991 and 1995 he appeared twice as "Stefan Triest" in the crime series "Polizeiruf 110". In 1991, Becker received the Adolf Grimme Prize in silver for his role in the television film "Landschaft mit Thornen" and the Adolf Grimme Prize in gold for his role in the "Polizeiruf 110" episode "Totes Gleis".

From the mid-1990s onwards, Becker was seen more and more often in major productions and made his breakthrough in 1995 with the drama "Schlafes Bruder". Two years later, Becker played the manager of the "Comedian Harmonists" in the film of the same name with his sister Meret, Heino Ferch, Katja Riemann and Kai Wiesinger. Together they received the special prize of the "Bavarian Film Prize" in 1998. Ben Becker also directed his own plays such as "Sid and Nancy" with Sister Meret in the lead role and wrote short stories. However, he wasn't satisfied with that either and tried his hand as a musician. In 1997 he released his first CD "And silently the head flies away" onto the market. In the same year he also appeared in front of the camera for television productions. In the crime thriller "Against the Current" he played a detective, in the thriller "The Seven Fires of Death", with Iris Berben and Hannes Jaenicke, and in "Game for your Life" he was seen.

Becker released his second music album in 2000 together with Xavier Naidoo. This is the sampler "Rilke Project", on which Becker and Naidoo musically embellished works by the German poet. In 2001, Becker was involved as an actor in the Berlinale film "Frau 2 sucht Happy End" and provided the song "Engel wie wir" for the soundtrack. Shortly afterwards, Becker's third album "We lift off" was released. Becker's projects continued to be exceptional. He lent his voice to the boxer Muhammad Ali on the audio book CD "King Of The World" and produced the CD "Fever - Diary of a Leper" with Alexander Hacke. Becker then recited previously unpublished poems by his eccentric actor colleague Klaus Kinski. The role of Franz Sass in the 2001 film "Sass" is one of Becker's other film projects. In the same year he played in the Peter Zadek production "Bash - Pieces of the Last Days" at the Hamburg Kammerspiele.

Ben Becker performed one of his most impressive character portrayals in 2006 in the drama "An Ordinary Jew" directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. The piece is a one-man show, carried by Becker's self-confident and sometimes cynical reflections. The bold decision to bring a 90-minute monologue to theaters was appreciated by audiences and critics alike. In 2009 and 2010 he appeared in front of the camera for "The Tiger or What Women Love", directed by Niki Stein, and "Habermann". In 2012 he married Anne Seidel. The couple became parents to their daughter Lilith in 2000. In 2013 Becker was awarded the Askania Award. In 2019 and 2020 he was in front of the camera for the Tatort productions "The Palatinate from Above" and "The Team".

Hans Löw was born in 1976 in Bremen, Germany. He is an actor, known for In My Room (2018), Toni Erdmann (2016) and All Is Well (2018).

Max Nemetz was born on 19 October 1884 in Bremen, Germany. He was an actor, known for Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922), Hexenjagd (1960) and Marizza (1922). He died on 2 July 1971 in Bad Herrenalb, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Neele Leana Vollmar was born in 1978 in Bremen, Germany. She is a director and writer, known for Meine Eltern (2004), The Pasta Detectives (2014) and Auerhaus (2019).

Manfred Zapatka was born on 2 October 1942 in Bremen, Germany. He is an actor, known for Das Himmler Projekt (2000), KDD - Kriminaldauerdienst (2007) and Todesspiel (1997). He has been married to Margarete ? since 1978. They have two children. He was previously married to Regine Vergeen.

Gerd Baltus was born on 29 March 1932 in Bremen, Germany. He was an actor and director, known for Der Tod läuft hinterher (1967), Wälsungenblut (1965) and Der Fall von nebenan (1970). He was married to Brigitte Rohkohl. He died on 13 December 2019 in Hamburg, Germany.

Anna Stieblich was born on 20 February 1965 in Bremen, Germany. She is an actress, known for Türkisch für Anfänger (2012), Türkisch für Anfänger (2006) and Leipzig Homicide (2001). She is married to Didi Danquart. They have one child.

Tiffani Faison was born on 20 August 1977 in Bremerhaven, Bremen, Germany. She is an actress, known for Beachside Brawl (2022), Tournament of Champions (2020) and Best Bite in Town (2024).

Karl Walter Lindenlaub was born on 19 June 1957 in Bremen, West Germany. He is a cinematographer, known for Independence Day (1996), Stargate (1994) and Moon 44 (1990).

Lea Willkowsky was born in 1988 in Bremen, West Germany. She is an actress, known for Dark (2017), Tatort (1970) and A Regular Woman (2019).

Niels Bormann was born in Bremen on April 28th, 1973. He is a theater and television actor, known for Toni Erdmann (2016), Deutschland 83 (2015) and Wenn Fliegen träumen (2018). He studied performing arts at Berlin University of the Arts (1996-2000). Prior to his television career, he appeared in theater productions in Buenos Aires, Shanghai, Accra, Lagos and Virginia.

Eddy Steinblock was born on 16 December 1955 in Bremen, Germany. He was an actor, known for Voll normaaal (1994), Die Superbullen - Sie kennen keine Gnade (2011) and André schafft sie alle (1985). He died on 8 November 2017 in Bremen, Germany.

Jan Böhmermann is a German satirist and television host whose show, "ZDF Magazin Royale," often tackles pressing sociopolitical topics with a distinctively modern sensibility. Known for his incisive humor and firm stance on progressive ideals, he has garnered attention for addressing societal issues others might shy away from-sometimes leaving audiences divided over whether his commentary enlightens or alienates. His work often walks the fine line between provocative satire and moral instruction, ensuring that his voice remains impossible to ignore, for better or for worse.

Volker Spengler was born on 16 February 1939 in Bremen, Germany. He was an actor and art director, known for Satan's Brew (1976), Chinese Roulette (1976) and In a Year with 13 Moons (1978). He died on 8 February 2020 in Berlin, Germany.

A distinguished stage and film actress Jane Baxter was one of the most glamorous performers on the London stage. Winston Churchill, an ardent fan, once described her as, "that charming lady who grace personifies all that is best in British womanhood". Her stage career spanned half a century and she is best remembered for her role in "Dial M For Murder", in which she co-starred with Michael Redgrave. Redgrave said that she was "every undergraduate's ideal of an English rose".

Born Fedora Kathleen Alice Forde in Germany, she came to London as a child and studied acting at the Italia Conti Stage School. She made her West End debut at the age of 13 in the musical comedy "Love's Prisoner". On the advice of the playwright J.M. Barrie, she changed her name to Jane Baxter and, in 1938, played the lead in the hit comedy "A Damsel in Distress".

Several other West End shows followed as well as films such as We Live Again (1934), with Fredric March and The Clairvoyant (1935), with Claude Rains and, in 1935, she joined the repertory company at the Liverpool Playhouse where the leading actor was Michael Redgrave. He viewed her arrival "with some alarm", expecting "a spoilt and temperamental film star". Instead, he found "a delightful actress". Baxter eventually became godmother to Redgrave's daughter, the future actress Vanessa Redgrave.

She had success again in London in 1937 with "George and Margaret", which ran for two years and, on Broadway, she co-starred with John Gielgud and Margaret Rutherford in "The Importance of Being Earnest", in which she played "Cicely Cardew".

She continued to make films and appear on stage throughout the 1960s and her final London stage role was in John Mortimer's "A Voyage Round My Father", in which she starred opposite Michael Redgrave. Her last stage role was at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley in 1978 in the thriller "Assault", in which she appeared with Richard Todd. In 1992, she made a guest appearance - to a standing ovation - at the London Palladium in "A Tribute to Evelyn Laye". In her will, she requested that there be no memorial service for her but just a gathering of friends at her local church in Wimbledon, South London. Film director Bryan Forbes gave the address.

Valeska Grisebach was born on 4 January 1968 in Bremen, West Germany [now Germany]. She is a director and writer, known for Western (2017), Sehnsucht (2006) and Be My Star (2001).

Julia Bremermann was born on 24 May 1967 in Bremen, West Germany. She is an actress, known for Space Island One (1998), Hamburg - Stadt in Angst (1999) and Liebe, Babys und ... (2006).