Til Schweiger

Last updated

Til Schweiger
2022 Til Schweiger (cropped).jpg
Schweiger in 2022
Born
Tilman Valentin Schweiger

(1963-12-19) 19 December 1963 (age 60)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • filmmaker
Years active1989–present
Spouse
(m. 1995;div. 2014)
Children4, including Luna, Lilli and Emma
Website til-schweiger.com

Tilman Valentin Schweiger (German pronunciation: [tɪlˈʃvaɪɡɐ] ; born 19 December 1963) is a German actor and filmmaker. He became known in the 1990s for films such as Manta, Manta , Der bewegte Mann and Knockin' on Heaven's Door . He went on to star in international film productions such as Inglourious Basterds and founded his own production company Barefoot Films. [1] Films like Rabbit Without Ears , Rabbit Without Ears 2 , Kokowääh and Head Full of Honey , in which he was director, producer and actor, drew large audiences, making Schweiger the most commercially successful German filmmaker. [2]

Contents

Early life

Schweiger was born in Freiburg, West Germany, to two teachers. [3] He grew up in Heuchelheim near Giessen in Hesse, where he went to school. Later, he took acting lessons at Der Keller in Cologne. [4]

Career

Schweiger in 1998 Schweiger Til.jpg
Schweiger in 1998

Schweiger's debut as a producer and (uncredited) director came in 1997 with Knockin' on Heaven's Door . He also directed and produced Der Eisbär (The Polar Bear) in 1998. Schweiger won a Bambi Award for Barfuss (Barefoot) in 2005, based on the original English screenplay "Barefoot" by Stephen Zotnowski, which he co-wrote, directed, and starred in. [5] He also won a Bambi for his lead role in Traumschiff Surprise – Periode 1 . In 2007, Keinohrhasen (this literally translates to "no ear rabbit" while the English title is Rabbit Without Ears), written, produced, and directed by Schweiger, became the most successful film in German theaters with a box office result of USD 62,000,000. [6] The film won a Bambi, a Bavarian Film Award, the German Comedy Award, two DIVA Awards, a Jupiter Award and the Ernst Lubitsch Award. The sequel, Zweiohrküken (Rabbit Without Ears 2, literally "two ear chicks"), was released the following year with over 4.2 million viewers and a box office collection of USD 45,000,000. Schweiger then went on to direct, produce and star in 1½ Knights – In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde , which also proved a huge cinema hit on its release in 2008.

The movie Kokowääh debuted in German cinemas in February 2011. Schweiger's daughter Emma stars beside him, and the movie is also directed, co-written and produced by him. Schweiger and Emma reprised their roles as Henry and Magdalena, respectively, in its sequel, titled Kokowääh 2 . The film was released on 7 February 2013. In 2012 Schweiger made a film alongside his daughter Luna named Schutzengel . In 2013, Schweiger also started to produce commercials with his daughters (Watchever, VHV Group). [7] [8]

Onscreen, Schweiger first appeared as an actor in 1989 in the TV series Lindenstraße . His first film role came in 1991 with Manta, Manta . [9] [10] Additional TV and film roles followed, including Der bewegte Mann (Maybe, Maybe Not), Männerpension (Jailbirds), Das Mädchen Rosemarie (A Girl Called Rosemary), Bastard (Bandyta), Der große Bagarozy (The Devil and Ms. D.), Was tun, wenn's brennt (What to Do in Case of Fire?), Les Daltons vs. Lucky Luke , The Red Baron , Wo ist Fred (Where is Fred?), Phantomschmerz (Phantom Pain), Männerherzen (Men in the City), and others.

Schweiger at the 2011 Boulevard der Stars ceremony in Berlin Boulevard-der-stars-IMG 1147x.JPG
Schweiger at the 2011 Boulevard der Stars ceremony in Berlin

Schweiger has also appeared as a supporting actor in American films, including Already Dead , King Arthur , In Enemy Hands , Magicians, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life , Driven , SLC Punk! , Investigating Sex , Joe and Max , The Replacement Killers and New Year's Eve . He wore a Nazi uniform for the first time in his career for his role in Inglourious Basterds but, as Quentin Tarantino revealed, [11] "only because his character was killing Nazis."

Schweiger then appeared in the US productions The Courier with Mickey Rourke, This Means War (2012) with Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon, and in 2013 as Darko in Charlie Countryman with Shia LaBeouf among others. He also made an appearance in 2014's Muppets Most Wanted , 2017's David Leitch's Atomic Blonde , and 2024's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare .

In November 2024, Til Schweiger took part in the filming of a promotional video about drift in Minsk (Belarus) [12] .

Personal life

Schweiger married American model Dana Carlsen on 19 June 1995. They have four children: Valentin Florian Schweiger (born 1995), Luna Marie Schweiger (born 1997), Lilli Camille Schweiger (born 1998), and Emma Tiger Schweiger (born 2002). Schweiger and Carlsen separated in 2005 and were divorced in 2014. [13]

Schweiger lives in Mallorca, Spain, and his neighbour is former German cyclist Jan Ullrich. In August 2018, Ullrich was arrested for allegedly breaking onto Schweiger's property and threatening him. [14]

Filmography

Film

YearFilmRoleLanguageDirectorNotes
1991 Manta, Manta BertieGermanWolfgang BüldFirst film in which he was the lead actor
1993 Ebbie's Bluff  [ de ]RudyGerman Claude-Oliver Rudolph Max-Ophüls-Preis Best Actor Newcomer Award
1994 Der bewegte Mann Axel FeldheimGerman Sönke Wortmann Bambi
1995 Bunte Hunde  [ de ]Pepe BrennerGerman Lars Becker
1996 Jailbirds SteinbockGerman Detlev Buck Bambi; DIVA-Award
The Superwife Hajo HeiermannGermanSönke Wortmann
1997 Knockin' on Heaven's Door Martin BrestGerman Thomas Jahn Also writer and producer
20th Moscow International Film Festival – Best Actor; [15] Jupiter Best Actor; Goldene Kamera Best Actor
Hercules HerculesEnglish John Musker
Ron Clements
Voice (German version, dubbed)
Bastard BruteEnglish Maciej Dejczer Polish Film Festival [16] (Polish Oscar) Best Actor; Bravo Otto Best Actor
1998 The Replacement Killers RykerEnglish Antoine Fuqua
Judas Kiss Ruben RubenbauerEnglish Sebastian Gutierrez
SLC Punk! MarkEnglish James Merendino
The Polar Bear LeoGermanTil SchweigerAlso producer
1999 The Devil and Ms. D  [ de ]Stanislaus NagyGerman Bernd Eichinger
2000MagiciansMaxEnglishJames Merendino
2001 Driven Beau BrandenburgEnglish Renny Harlin
Investigating Sex MontyEnglish Alan Rudolph
What to Do in Case of Fire? TimGerman Gregor Schnitzler
2002 Joe and Max Max Schmeling English Steve James
2003 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life SeanEnglish Jan de Bont
2004 In Enemy Hands Captain Jonas HerdtEnglish Tony Giglio
King Arthur Cynric English Antoine Fuqua
Traumschiff Surprise – Periode 1 Rock Fertig AusGerman Michael Herbig Bambi Best Actor
Les Dalton Lucky Luke French Philippe Haïm
2005 Barefoot Nick KellerGermanTil SchweigerAlso writer and producer
Bambi Best Film
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo Heinz Hummer the Gigolo with the most belowEnglishMike Bigelow
2006Bye Bye Harry!GantchoEnglish Robert Young
One Way Eddie SchneiderEnglish Reto Salimbeni Also producer
Where Is Fred? Fred KrüppersGerman Anno Saul Jupiter Best Actor
2007Body ArmourJohn RidleyEnglish Gerry Lively
Rabbit Without Ears Ludo DeckerGermanTil SchweigerAlso writer and producer
Ernst-Lubitsch-Preis Best Comedy ; Bambi Best Film; Deutscher Comedypreis Best Comedy; Jupiter Best Film; 2x DIVA-Award Best Film
Already Dead The Man [17] EnglishJoe Otting
2008 The Red Baron Werner Voss English Nikolai Müllerschön Bravo Otto
Far Cry Jack CarverEnglish Uwe Boll
1½ Knights – In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde Ritter LanzeGermanTil SchweigerAlso producer
2009 Phantom Pain  [ de ]MarcGermanMatthias Emcke
Inglourious Basterds Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz English
French
German
Quentin Tarantino Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Men in the City Jerome AdesGerman Simon Verhoeven
Rabbit Without Ears 2 Ludo DeckerGermanTil SchweigerAlso writer and producer
Deutscher Comedypreis Best Comedy
2011 Kokowääh HenryGermanTil SchweigerAlso writer and producer
The Three Musketeers CagliostroEnglish Paul W. S. Anderson
Men in the City 2  [ de ]JeromeGermanSimon Verhoeven
New Year's Eve James SchwabEnglish Garry Marshall
2012 This Means War HeinrichEnglish McG
The Courier FBI agentEnglish Hany Abu-Assad
Guardians MaxGermanTil SchweigerAlso producer
2013 Charlie Countryman DarkoEnglishFredrik Bond
Kokowääh 2 HenryGermanTil SchweigerAlso writer and producer
No-Eared Bunny and Two-Eared Chick No-Eared BunnyGermanTil SchweigerAlso writer and producer
2014 Muppets Most Wanted German CopEnglish James Bobin
Head Full of Honey Niko RosenbachGermanTil Schweiger
2016 Tschiller: Off Duty  [ de ]Nick TschillerGerman Christian Alvart
Vier gegen die Bank ChrisGerman Wolfgang Petersen
2017 Atomic Blonde The WatchmakerEnglish David Leitch
2018 Hot Dog  [ de ]Luke SteinerGerman Torsten Künstler  [ de ]
Klassentreffen 1.0  [ de ]ThomasGermanTil SchweigerRemake of The Reunion
Head Full of Honey London Restaurant WaiterEnglishTil SchweigerEnglish-language remake
2020Die HochzeitThomasGermanTil Schweiger
2022 Medieval Henry III of Rosenberg English Petr Jákl
2023 Manta, Manta: Legacy BertieGermanTil Schweiger
2024 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Heinrich LuhrEnglish Guy Ritchie


Television

YearTV ShowRoleDirectorNotes
1989–1992 Lindenstraße Jo Zenker37 episodes
1994LemgoJan Peters Jörg Grünler  [ de ]
1994–1996 Die Kommissarin Nick Siegel26 episodes
1996AdrenalinStefan Renner Dominique Othenin-Girard
A Girl Called Rosemary Nadler Bernd Eichinger
Teenage Wolfpack  [ de ]Freddy Urs Egger
2002 Joe and Max Max Schmeling Steve James
2013–2016 Tatort Nick Tschiller Christian Alvart Tatort in Hamburg (4 episodes)
2020Tatort: Tschill OutNick TschillerEoin Moore Tatort
2022 Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin Pickle Host #1Richie KeenEpisode: "Verschlimmbessern"

Awards

Related Research Articles

<i>Barefoot</i> (2005 film) 2005 film

Barefoot is a 2005 romantic comedy film by German actor and director Til Schweiger. It tells the story of Nick (Schweiger), a hedonistic bachelor, who helps and eventually falls in love with Leila, an escaped psychiatric patient portrayed by Johanna Wokalek. Schweiger also co-wrote the screenplay, which is based on American screenwriter Stephen Zotnowski's original screenplay and story "Barefoot".

<i>Der bewegte Mann</i> 1994 German comedy film

Der bewegte Mann is a 1994 German comedy film directed by Sönke Wortmann and starring Til Schweiger, Rufus Beck, Joachim Król and Katja Riemann.

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<i>Rabbit Without Ears</i> 2007 film by Til Schweiger

Rabbit Without Ears 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, the plot revolves around yellow press reporter Ludo and his ex-classmate Anna, who reconnect after many years when he is sentenced to 300 hours of community service at her day-care facility.

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Rabbit Without Ears 2 is a 2009 German romantic comedy film, written, produced and directed by Til Schweiger. A sequel to 2007's Rabbit Without Ears (Keinohrhasen), it was co-written by Anika Decker and Schweiger, starring Schweiger and Nora Tschirner as former yellow press reporter Ludo and his girlfriend Anna.

<i>Kokowääh</i> 2011 German film

Kokowääh is a 2011 German film directed by Til Schweiger. It was released in German-speaking countries on 3 February 2011. The film stars Til Schweiger, his daughter Emma Schweiger, Jasmin Gerat and Samuel Finzi. Another of Schweiger's daughters, Luna Schweiger, makes a small appearance in the film. Kokowääh is an onomatopoetic depiction of the French pronunciation of coq au vin. A sequel, Kokowääh 2, was released on 7 February 2013 with Schweiger having returned as director, co-writer and producer.

Emma Tiger Schweiger is a German actress. She is known for playing the role of Cheyenne Blue in the 2007 film Keinohrhasen and its 2009 sequel Zweiohrküken and the role of Magdalena in Kokowääh and its 2013 sequel Kokowääh 2, all directed by her father Til Schweiger.

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Luna Marie Schweiger is a German actress. She is best known for her role in the 2007 film Keinohrhasen and its 2009 sequel Zweiohrküken, directed by her father Til Schweiger.

Lilli Camille Schweiger is a German actress. She is best known for her performance in the 2007 film Keinohrhasen and its 2009 sequel Zweiohrküken, both of which were directed by her father Til Schweiger.

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Kokowääh 2 is a 2013 German film directed by Til Schweiger. It is a sequel to the 2011 film Kokowääh. It was released in German-speaking countries on 7 February 2013. The film stars Til Schweiger, his daughter Emma Schweiger, Jasmin Gerat and Samuel Finzi reprising their roles from the first film.

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References

  1. "Barefoot Films". barefootfilms.de.
  2. Freisinger, Gisela Maria (28 May 2017). "Til Schweiger: Seine Vertragsdetails mit Warner Bros". Manager Magazin (in German). Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  3. Redaktion (27 March 2019). "Til Schweiger sinniert darüber, wie es wäre, Lehrer zu sein". News4teachers (in German). Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  4. "Schauspielschule / Theater der Keller". theater-der-keller.de. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  5. "Barfuss: Bambi für Til Schweiger! - Filmnews - Filmmag.de". Archived from the original on 30 July 2012.
  6. "Keinohrhasen (2007) – Financial Information". The-numbers.com. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  7. "Til Schweigers Freundin: Hat er jemanden an seiner Seite?". 18 August 2023.
  8. "VHV Versicherungen: Neue TV-Spot Premiere mit Til Schweiger". 23 June 2015.
  9. "Til Schweiger biography and filmography". tribute.ca. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  10. "Til Schweiger movies". listal.com. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  11. Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino interview by Elvis Mitchell (at 01:29)
  12. "В Минске завершились съемки проморолика про дрифт". БелТА.
  13. ${time} (21 May 2014). "Til und Dana Schweiger geschieden: Tatort-Kommissar offiziell solo" (in German). N24.de. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  14. "Jan Ullrich arrested for jumping Til Schweiger's fence in Mallorca". Deutsche Welle. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  15. "20th Moscow International Film Festival (1997)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 22 March 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  16. Internet Movie Database: Bandyta – Awards
  17. Internet Movie Database: Already Dead
  18. "CIVIS Medienstiftung – Startseite". www.civismedia.eu.