Til Schweiger | |
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Born | Tilman Valentin Schweiger 19 December 1963 |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1989–present |
Spouse | |
Children | 4, including Luna, Lilli and Emma |
Website | til-schweiger |
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]
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]
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 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] .
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]
Year | Film | Role | Language | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | Manta, Manta | Bertie | German | Wolfgang Büld | First film in which he was the lead actor |
1993 | Ebbie's Bluff | Rudy | German | Claude-Oliver Rudolph | Max-Ophüls-Preis Best Actor Newcomer Award |
1994 | Der bewegte Mann | Axel Feldheim | German | Sönke Wortmann | Bambi |
1995 | Bunte Hunde | Pepe Brenner | German | Lars Becker | |
1996 | Jailbirds | Steinbock | German | Detlev Buck | Bambi; DIVA-Award |
The Superwife | Hajo Heiermann | German | Sönke Wortmann | ||
1997 | Knockin' on Heaven's Door | Martin Brest | German | Thomas Jahn | Also writer and producer 20th Moscow International Film Festival – Best Actor; [15] Jupiter Best Actor; Goldene Kamera Best Actor |
Hercules | Hercules | English | John Musker Ron Clements | Voice (German version, dubbed) | |
Bastard | Brute | English | Maciej Dejczer | Polish Film Festival [16] (Polish Oscar) Best Actor; Bravo Otto Best Actor | |
1998 | The Replacement Killers | Ryker | English | Antoine Fuqua | |
Judas Kiss | Ruben Rubenbauer | English | Sebastian Gutierrez | ||
SLC Punk! | Mark | English | James Merendino | ||
The Polar Bear | Leo | German | Til Schweiger | Also producer | |
1999 | The Devil and Ms. D | Stanislaus Nagy | German | Bernd Eichinger | |
2000 | Magicians | Max | English | James Merendino | |
2001 | Driven | Beau Brandenburg | English | Renny Harlin | |
Investigating Sex | Monty | English | Alan Rudolph | ||
What to Do in Case of Fire? | Tim | German | Gregor Schnitzler | ||
2002 | Joe and Max | Max Schmeling | English | Steve James | |
2003 | Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life | Sean | English | Jan de Bont | |
2004 | In Enemy Hands | Captain Jonas Herdt | English | Tony Giglio | |
King Arthur | Cynric | English | Antoine Fuqua | ||
Traumschiff Surprise – Periode 1 | Rock Fertig Aus | German | Michael Herbig | Bambi Best Actor | |
Les Dalton | Lucky Luke | French | Philippe Haïm | ||
2005 | Barefoot | Nick Keller | German | Til Schweiger | Also writer and producer Bambi Best Film |
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo | Heinz Hummer the Gigolo with the most below | English | Mike Bigelow | ||
2006 | Bye Bye Harry! | Gantcho | English | Robert Young | |
One Way | Eddie Schneider | English | Reto Salimbeni | Also producer | |
Where Is Fred? | Fred Krüppers | German | Anno Saul | Jupiter Best Actor | |
2007 | Body Armour | John Ridley | English | Gerry Lively | |
Rabbit Without Ears | Ludo Decker | German | Til Schweiger | Also 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] | English | Joe Otting | ||
2008 | The Red Baron | Werner Voss | English | Nikolai Müllerschön | Bravo Otto |
Far Cry | Jack Carver | English | Uwe Boll | ||
1½ Knights – In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde | Ritter Lanze | German | Til Schweiger | Also producer | |
2009 | Phantom Pain | Marc | German | Matthias 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 Ades | German | Simon Verhoeven | ||
Rabbit Without Ears 2 | Ludo Decker | German | Til Schweiger | Also writer and producer Deutscher Comedypreis Best Comedy | |
2011 | Kokowääh | Henry | German | Til Schweiger | Also writer and producer |
The Three Musketeers | Cagliostro | English | Paul W. S. Anderson | ||
Men in the City 2 | Jerome | German | Simon Verhoeven | ||
New Year's Eve | James Schwab | English | Garry Marshall | ||
2012 | This Means War | Heinrich | English | McG | |
The Courier | FBI agent | English | Hany Abu-Assad | ||
Guardians | Max | German | Til Schweiger | Also producer | |
2013 | Charlie Countryman | Darko | English | Fredrik Bond | |
Kokowääh 2 | Henry | German | Til Schweiger | Also writer and producer | |
No-Eared Bunny and Two-Eared Chick | No-Eared Bunny | German | Til Schweiger | Also writer and producer | |
2014 | Muppets Most Wanted | German Cop | English | James Bobin | |
Head Full of Honey | Niko Rosenbach | German | Til Schweiger | ||
2016 | Tschiller: Off Duty | Nick Tschiller | German | Christian Alvart | |
Vier gegen die Bank | Chris | German | Wolfgang Petersen | ||
2017 | Atomic Blonde | The Watchmaker | English | David Leitch | |
2018 | Hot Dog | Luke Steiner | German | Torsten Künstler | |
Klassentreffen 1.0 | Thomas | German | Til Schweiger | Remake of The Reunion | |
Head Full of Honey | London Restaurant Waiter | English | Til Schweiger | English-language remake | |
2020 | Die Hochzeit | Thomas | German | Til Schweiger | |
2022 | Medieval | Henry III of Rosenberg | English | Petr Jákl | |
2023 | Manta, Manta: Legacy | Bertie | German | Til Schweiger | |
2024 | The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare | Heinrich Luhr | English | Guy Ritchie |
Year | TV Show | Role | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1989–1992 | Lindenstraße | Jo Zenker | 37 episodes | |
1994 | Lemgo | Jan Peters | Jörg Grünler | |
1994–1996 | Die Kommissarin | Nick Siegel | 26 episodes | |
1996 | Adrenalin | Stefan Renner | Dominique Othenin-Girard | |
A Girl Called Rosemary | Nadler | Bernd Eichinger | ||
Teenage Wolfpack | Freddy | Urs Egger | ||
2002 | Joe and Max | Max Schmeling | Steve James | |
2013–2016 | Tatort | Nick Tschiller | Christian Alvart | Tatort in Hamburg (4 episodes) |
2020 | Tatort: Tschill Out | Nick Tschiller | Eoin Moore | Tatort |
2022 | Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin | Pickle Host #1 | Richie Keen | Episode: "Verschlimmbessern" |
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".
Der bewegte Mann is a 1994 German comedy film directed by Sönke Wortmann and starring Til Schweiger, Rufus Beck, Joachim Król and Katja Riemann.
Matthias Schweighöfer is a German actor and filmmaker known for his work in several German and American film productions. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Franz Herber in the 2008 film Valkyrie. In 2021, Schweighöfer appeared in the Netflix film Army of the Dead, directed by Zack Snyder, as Ludwig Dieter. He reprised his role in the prequel film, Army of Thieves, which he also directed.
Christoph Maria Herbst is a German actor and comedian.
Nora Marie Tschirner is a German film actress, musician and former television and radio presenter.
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.
Johanna Wokalek is a German stage and film actress. A student of Klaus Maria Brandauer, she received critical recognition and three newcomer awards for her performance in the play Rose Bernd. Wokalek is best known for her award-winning appearances in the German films Hierankl, Barfuss, and The Baader Meinhof Complex. She received the Bambi award for her portrayal of the Red Army Faction member Gudrun Ensslin in 2008. She played the lead role in the film Pope Joan in 2009.
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.
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.
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.
Oliver Michael Dittrich is a German television personality, comedian, actor, and musician.
The Deutscher Comedypreis is awarded by Brainpool TV. Because Brainpool's in-house productions have received extensive awards, the designation as the German Comedy Award is controversial. The awards ceremony takes place annually in Cologne.
Martina Hill is a German actress and comedian. She has been awarded the German Comedy Award, the German TV Award, as well as the Adolf-Grimme-Preis and the Bambi Award.
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.
Head Full of Honey is a 2014 German drama film directed by Til Schweiger. It was one of eight films shortlisted by Germany to be their submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, but it lost out to Labyrinth of Lies.
Michael Haubold, better known by his stage name Olaf Schubert is a German comedian and musician.
The Jupiter Award is a German annual cinema award. It is Germany's biggest audience award for cinema and TV and is awarded annually by Cinema magazine and TV Spielfilm in eleven categories. The Jupiter awards began in 1979.
Manta, Manta: Legacy is a 2023 German action comedy film directed by Til Schweiger, who starred in the original movie. The film is a sequel to the 1991 film Manta, Manta. Til Schweiger, Tina Ruland, Michael Kessler and Martin Armknecht reprise their roles from the original movie. Also starring are Tim Oliver Schultz and Luna Schweiger, Til Schweiger's daughter. It was released in Germany on 30 March 2023.