Bruno Ganz

Bruno Ganz has become on of Europe's best-known actors after his scarily real performance of Adolf Hitler in 'The Downfall' ('Der Untergang', 2004). Bruno Ganz started his career in the theatre and gained there a good reputation as a solid, young actor. In 1960, at the age of 19, he landed his first unsuccessful film role. Ten years later he was co-founder of the Schaubühne, a well-know theatre in West Berlin. Ganz’s breakthrough in cinema came with a major part in the 1976 film 'Sommergäste'.

His performance launched a distinguished career that has included important roles in both European and American films, such as 'Der amerikanische Freund', 'The Boys from Brazil', Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht', 'Wings of Desire', 'Luther' and 'The Manchurian Candidate'. 'Der Untergang' was nominated for an Oscar (best foreign movie). In 1996 Ganz inherited the mysterious 200 year old Iffland-Ring for the most important actor of German speaking theatre.