Daniel Brühl


Daniel César Martin Brühl González Domingo is a Spanish-German actor. He began his work at a young age in a German soap opera called Verbotene Liebe in 1995. In 2003, his starring role in the German film Good Bye, Lenin! received wider recognition and critical acclaim which garnered him the European Film Award for Best Actor and the German Film Award for Best Actor. Brühl has worked in both European and American productions in several different languages.
He was introduced to mainstream U.S. audiences with his breakout role of Fredrick Zoller, a German war hero in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, and appeared in such films as The Bourne Ultimatum, The Fifth Estate and A Most Wanted Man. Brühl received widespread critical acclaim and further recognition for his portrayal of former Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda in the Ron Howard biographical film Rush. In 2016, Brühl made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in , portraying Helmut Zemo. Brühl will return to portray the role in the upcoming Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He also starred in the period drama television series The Alienist in 2018.

Early life

Brühl was born in Barcelona, Spain. His father was TV director Hanno Brühl, who was born in São Paulo, Brazil, of German origin. His Spanish mother is Marisa González Domingo, a Catalan teacher. He has a brother and a sister, Oliver and Miriam. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Cologne, Germany, where he grew up and attended the Dreikönigsgymnasium. A fluent English-speaker, he grew up speaking German, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, and understands Catalan.

Career

Brühl began acting at a young age, with a debut role in 1995 as street kid Benji in the soap opera Verbotene Liebe . His international breakthrough role came in 2003 as Alex Kerner in the German Golden Globe-nominated tragicomedy Good Bye, Lenin!, which reached an estimated six million cinema-goers worldwide. In 2003, Brühl won the European Film Academy award trophies for Best Actor for the role. Brühl made his English-speaking film debut in 2004's Ladies in Lavender, starring alongside English actresses Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. The same year, he won the People's Choice trophy for Best Actor for the film Love in Thoughts while at the same time, he was nominated for Best Actor for The Edukators. Brühl featured as Lieutenant Horstmayer, a central character in the 2005 film Joyeux Noël, a trilingual World War I film based on the experiences of French, German and Scottish soldiers during the Christmas truce of 1914. The film shows Brühl's linguistic ability as he ably communicates in German, French and English throughout.
In 2006, he was invited to be part of the short film and Cinéfondation juries of the Cannes Film Festival. Brühl made a cameo appearance in 2 Days in Paris, a romantic comedy film directed by French actress Julie Delpy. In September 2006, his Cannes-nominated film Salvador premiered in Spain. In the film, he played Salvador Puig Antich, a Spanish anarchist executed during the Franco era. In 2007, he appeared in a small role in the film The Bourne Ultimatum. He was in Krabat, based on a popular German children's story, which premiered in German cinemas in October 2008.
He was introduced to mainstream U.S. audiences in the role of Frederick Zoller, a German war hero in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, starring Brad Pitt, which premiered at Cannes 2009. He and his co-stars won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In 2009, he also starred in Julie Delpy's third directorial film, The Countess.
, Berlin 2015
In May 2009, Brühl decided to become active in a different field of filmmaking by launching production company Fouronfilm together with Film1. Brühl starred in the 2010 British-Russian production In Transit, in which he played a young Nazi soldier opposite John Malkovich. He also co-starred with Clive Owen in the 2011 horror thriller Intruders, which was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.
In 2013, he co-starred in The Fifth Estate, a film based on the founding of WikiLeaks. Brühl played Daniel Domscheit-Berg, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange. In the same year, Brühl portrayed former Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda in the Ron Howard biographical film Rush. The film was a commercial and critical success, and for his role he received multiple award nominations, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Critic's Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Screen Actors Guild Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
In 2015, he starred in Colonia, a thriller by Academy Award winner Florian Gallenberger. The film was shot October to December 2014 in South America, Germany and Luxembourg. His co-stars were Emma Watson and Michael Nyqvist, and the film was produced by Academy Award nominee Benjamin Herrmann. Brühl played Helmut Zemo in , released in 2016, and is set to reprise his role in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. In Niki Caro's World War II film The Zookeeper's Wife, he played Nazi zoologist Lutz Heck, who forces Jan and Antonina Żabiński to abandon the Warsaw Zoo. The film is based on Diane Ackerman's non-fiction book.

Gastronomy

Since 2011, Brühl has been the joint operator of a tapas bar in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin. From February to October 2017, he was also joint operator of a similar bar in Prenzlauer Berg, named Bar Gracia after Barcelona's nightlife district Gràcia, but the bar closed in October 2017 because of little economic success.

Personal life

In 2006, Brühl separated from his longtime girlfriend and later fiancée, actress Jessica Schwarz, whom he had met on the set of the 2001 film :de:Nichts bereuen|No Regrets. Since 2010, he has been in a relationship with practicing psychologist and former model Felicitas Rombold. They have a son together, Anton Hanno, and married sometime between then and early 2018. In 2020, it was annouced the couple was expecting their second child.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes and awards
1999'ChecoGerman title: Schlaraffenland
2000No More SchoolMarkusGerman title: '
2000DeeplyJay
2001:de:Nichts bereuen|No RegretsDanielBavarian Film Award for Best Young Actor
German Film Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
New Faces Award for Best Actor
2001The White SoundLukasBavarian Film Award for Best Young Actor
German Film Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
German Film Critics Award for Best Actor
2001HonoluluMarek
2002Vaya con DiosArboBavarian Film Award for Best Young Actor
German Film Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
German Film Critics Award for Best Actor
2002Elephant HeartMarkoGerman Film Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
2003Good Bye, Lenin!Alexander KernerBambi Award for Best Ensemble
European Film Award for Best Actor
European Film Audience Award for Best Actor
German Film Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role'
2004Love in Thoughts PaulEuropean Film Audience Award for Best Actor
2004Ladies in LavenderAndrea Marowski
2004FarlandFrank
2004The Edukators JanNominated – European Film Award for Best Actor
2005Merry Christmas Horstmayer
2006CargoChris
2006CarsLightning McQueenGerman version
2006Salvador Salvador Puig AntichBarcelona Film Award for Best Actor
Seattle International Film Festival, Golden Space Needle Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Goya Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Butaca Award for Best Film Actor
Nominated – Cinema Writers Circle from Spain Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Fotogramas de plata Award for Best Film Actor
Nominated – Spanish Actors Union Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
2006A Friend of Mine Karl
20072 Days in ParisLukas
2007The Bourne UltimatumMartin Kreutz
2008In Transit Klaus
2008KrabatTonda
2008A Bit of Chocolate Marcos
2009John RabeDr. Georg Rosen
2009Las madres de ElnaAmaro
2009The CountessIstván Thurzó
2009DinosaurierTobias Hardmann
2009Inglourious BasterdsFredrick ZollerScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Acting
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Acting
San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble
2009Lila, LilaDavid KernNominated – Lima International Film Festival, Audience Award for Best Actor
2010King's Road Rupert
2010The Coming Days Hans Krämer
2011EvaÁlex GarelNominated – Goya Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Cinema Writers Circle from Spain Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Gaudí Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
2011Lessons of a Dream Konrad Koch
20112 Days in New YorkThe Oak Fairy
2011All Together Dirk
2011IntrudersFather Antonio
2012Winning Streak Iván Pelayo
20127 Days in HavanaSpanish Businessman
2013RushNiki LaudaNominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – Empire Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Nominated – San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated – Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
2013The Fifth EstateDaniel Domscheit-Berg
2013A Most Wanted ManMax
2014The Face of an AngelThomas
2015Me and KaminskiSebastian Zöllner
2015Woman in GoldHubertus Czernin
2015ColoniaDaniel
2015BurntTony Balerdi
2016Alone in BerlinEscherich
2016Helmut ZemoNominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain
2016Killing for LoveJens Söring
2017The Zookeeper's WifeLutz Heck
2018–presentThe AlienistDr. Laszlo KreizlerTV series; Main role
2018The Cloverfield ParadoxErnst Schmidt
2018EntebbeWilfried Böse
2019My ZoeThomas
2020The King's ManFelix YusupovFilming
2020The Falcon and the Winter SoldierHelmut ZemoTV series; Filming

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult
2002Bavarian Film AwardsBest Young ActorDas Weisse Rauschen
2002Deutscher FilmpreisBest Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleDas Weisse Rauschen
2002New Faces AwardsBest ActorNichts bereuen
2003Bambi AwardsBest Film - NationalGood Bye, Lenin!
2003Shooting Stars AwardTop Young ActorGood Bye, Lenin!
2003European Film AwardsEuropean Film Award for Best ActorGood Bye, Lenin!
2003European Film AwardsJameson People's Choice Award for Best ActorGood Bye, Lenin!
2003Deutscher FilmpreisBest Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleGood Bye, Lenin!
2003Deutscher FilmpreisAudience Award for Best German ActorGood Bye, Lenin!
2003Preis der deutschen FilmkritikBest ActorDas Weisse Rauschen
2004European Film AwardsEuropean Film Award for Best ActorDie fetten Jahre sind vorbei
2004European Film AwardsJameson People's Choice Award for Best ActorWas nützt die Liebe in Gedanken
2006Barcelona Film AwardsBest ActorSalvador
2007Butaca AwardsBest Catalan Film ActorSalvador
2007Cinema Writers Circle AwardsBest ActorSalvador
2007Fotogramas de PlataBest Movie ActorSalvador
2007Goya AwardsBest Lead ActorSalvador
2007Mestre Mateo AwardsBest ActorCargo
2007Seattle International Film FestivalBest ActorSalvador
2007Spanish Actors UnionBest Male Lead PerformanceSalvador
2009Awards Circuit Community AwardsBest Cast EnsembleInglourious Basterds
2009Phoenix Film Critics Society AwardsBest Acting EnsembleInglourious Basterds
2009San Diego Film Critics Society AwardsBest Ensemble PerformanceInglourious Basterds
2010Central Ohio Film Critics Association AwardsBest EnsembleInglourious Basterds
2010Gold Derby AwardsBest Ensemble CastInglourious Basterds
2010Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureInglourious Basterds
2012Cinema Writers Circle AwardsBest ActorEva
2012Gaudí AwardsBest Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleEva
2012Goya AwardsBest ActorEva
2013Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association AwardsBest Supporting ActorRush
2013Dublin Film Critics Circle AwardsBest ActorRush
2013San Diego Film Critics Society AwardsBest Supporting ActorRush
2013Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association AwardsBest Supporting ActorRush
2014Golden Globe AwardBest Supporting Actor in a Motion PictureRush
2014British Academy Film AwardsBest Supporting ActorRush
2014Saturn AwardBest Supporting ActorRush
2014Critics' Choice Movie AwardsBest Supporting ActorRush
2014Empire AwardsBest Supporting ActorRush
2014International Online Cinema AwardsBest ActorRush
2014Jupiter AwardBest German ActorRush
2014Online Film & Television Association AwardsBest Supporting ActorRush
2014Online Film & Television Association AwardsBest Breakthrough Performance: MaleRush
2014Romy GalaFavorite ActorRush
2014Santa Barbara International Film FestivalVirtuoso AwardRush
2014Screen Actors Guild AwardBest Supporting ActorRush
2014Seattle Film Critics AwardsBest Supporting ActorRush
2016Jupiter AwardBest German ActorIch und Kaminski
2016Teen Choice AwardsChoice Movie: Villain
2019Golden Globe AwardsBest Actor – Miniseries or Television FilmThe Alienist