Ulrich Noethen
Born: 1959-11-18 in Munich, Germany
Known For: Acting
Biography
Ulrich Noethen (born Ulrich Schmid; * November 18, 1959, in Munich) is a German actor, radio drama performer, and audiobook narrator. He is considered one of Germany's most renowned film actors and gained widespread public recognition through his role in the feature film *Comedian Harmonists*. Noethen grew up as the youngest of five children in a pastor's family. After graduating from high school in Augsburg, he initially studied law before deciding to pursue acting; he subsequently completed his studies at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart. He adopted the stage name "Noethen" from his grandmother's maiden name. His theater career began in the mid-1980s at the *Städtische Bühnen Freiburg* (Freiburg Municipal Theaters). Further engagements took him to venues such as the *Schauspiel Köln* (Cologne Playhouse) and the *Staatliche Schauspielbühnen Berlin* (Berlin State Theaters), where he distinguished himself with roles in classics such as *Faust* and *A Midsummer Night's Dream*. He achieved his cinematic breakthrough in 1997 with the role of Harry Frommermann in *Comedian Harmonists*. For this performance, he received the German Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, as well as the Bavarian Film Award. Numerous other defining roles in film and television followed. Among his most well-known works are the family films *Das Sams*, *Bibi Blocksberg*, and *Das fliegende Klassenzimmer*. In *Der Untergang* (Downfall), he played Heinrich Himmler, while in *Mein Führer – Die wirklich wahrste Wahrheit über Adolf Hitler* (My Führer – The Truly Truest Truth About Adolf Hitler), he offered a satirical interpretation of the same historical figure. Other significant productions include *Gripsholm*, *Ein fliehendes Pferd*, *Hannah Arendt*, and *Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank* (The Diary of Anne Frank), in which he portrayed Otto Frank. Since 2014, Noethen has starred as the psychiatrist Dr. Jessen in the crime series *Neben der Spur*. Additionally, he appeared as Ferdinand Sauerbruch in the historical drama series *Charité*. Noethen has received numerous awards and honors, including the *Goldene Kamera* (Golden Camera), the *Adolf-Grimme-Preis*, and multiple nominations for the German Film Award. He lives in Berlin-Charlottenburg and is in a relationship with the writer Alina Bronsky.
Filmography
2026
- Makellos - Eine kurze Welle des Glücks as Anton Laux
2025
- Miss Sophie - Same Procedure as Every Year as Butler Mortimer
- Parallel Me as Thomas
2024
- Josefa’s Return as Norbert Blume
2022
- Wendland as Jakob Stiller
2021
- Furia as Brehme
- The Wasp as Nobbe Zosch
- Ku'damm 63 as Kurt Moser
2020
- Unterleuten: The Torn Village as Dr. Gerhard Fließ
- Louis van Beethoven as Christian Gottlob Neefe
2019
- Vienna Blood as Graf von Triebenbach
- The German Lesson as Jens Ole Jepsen
- St. Louis as Captain Gustav Schröder
2018
- Ku'damm 59 as Kurt Moser
- 54 Hours: The Gladbeck Hostage Crisis as Einsatzleiter Recklinghausen
2017
- Babylon Berlin as Dr. Edmund Forster
- Charité as Ferdinand Sauerbruch
2016
- NSU German History X as Helmut Roewer
- The Diary of Anne Frank as Otto Heinrich Frank
- The General Case as Fritz Bauer
- Departure as Hillas Vater
2015
- Wer weiß denn sowas? as Self
- Quizduell-Olymp as Self
- Deutschland as General Wolfgang Edel
- Neben der Spur as Dr. Johannes Jessen
- Die Eisläuferin as Helmuth Wendt
2014
- Unexpected as Bernd
- Pettson and Findus: A Little Nuisance, a Great Friendship as Pettersson
2013
- Lesenswert as Self
- My Husband, An Assassin as Paul Frei
- The Inventive Lady as Gregor
- Broken Glass Park as Volker Trebur
2012
- Hannah Arendt as Hans Jonas
- A Coffee in Berlin as Walter Fischer
- Moon Man as The Father (voice)
- Cracks in the Shell as Kaspar Friedmann
- Zwei übern Berg as Paul
- Kennen Sie Ihren Liebhaber? as Kai Stellmann
- Allerleirauh as King Tobald
- Sams im Glück as Bruno Taschenbier
- Eine Hand wäscht die Andere as Chlodwig Pullmann
2011
- The Promise as Leo Rosenbaum
- Hindenburg: The Last Flight as Ernst Lehmann
- The Man with the Bassoon as Rudi Bockelmann
- The Invisible Girl as Wilhelm Michel
- Von Mäusen und Lügen as Dr. Arnold 'Arnie' Fischer
- Es ist nicht vorbei as Prof. Wolfgang Limberg
- Lügen haben linke Hände as Max Timmermann
2010
- Henri 4 as Karl IX
- Aghet as Armin Wegner
- Trau’ niemals deinem Chef as Oskar Moedebeck
- Rumpe und Tuli as Therapeut
2009
- Kommissar Süden und das Geheimnis der Königin as Tabor Süden
- Erntedank - Ein Allgäu-Krimi as Günter Hartmann
- Meine Tochter und der Millionär as Moritz von Wrede
- Kommissar Süden und der Luftgitarrist as Tabor Süden
2008
- Mein Nachmittag as Self
- Marie Brand as Professor Jacobsen
- Teufelsbraten as Vater
- Was wenn der Tod uns scheidet as Joachim Hellwig
- Ein starker Abgang as Arzt 2
- Long Shadows as Volker Widmer
- Ett enklare liv as Peter Hoffman
2007
- My Führer as Heinrich Himmler
- Runaway Horse as Helmut
- Life Actually as Roland Spatz
2006
- Der Kriminalist as Ulli Grützke
- Kommissar Stolberg as Ralf Reger
- 3satBuchzeit as Self
- Brecht - Die Kunst zu leben as Narrator (voice)
- TKKG - The Secret of the Mysterious Mind Machine as Lehrer Herr Manek
- Tsunami oder: Die Maximale Mitmenschlichkeit
- Silberhochzeit as Leo
2005
- Thadeusz as self
- Die Patriarchin as Bent Peerson
- Die Luftbrücke as Alexander Kielberg
- Hitler's Final Days: The Movie 'Downfall' as Self
- The Young Schiller as Buchhändler Schwan
- Ausgerechnet Weihnachten as Carl
- Polly Blue Eyes as Herbert Pinn
2004
- Downfall as Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler
- Bibi Blocksberg and the Secret of Blue Owls as Bernhard Blocksberg
- Jargo as Schuldirektor
- The Boxer and the Hairdresser as Fränki Laue
- Mörderische Elite as Klee
- Secret Stories as Reiner
- Off Beat as Prof. Olivari
2003
- The Flying Classroom as Dr. Johann 'Justus' Bökh
- My Magical Friend Sams as Bruno Taschenbier
2002
- Under Suspicion as Max Wemmer
- Bibi Blocksberg as Bernhard Blocksberg
- I'm The Father as Nico Ellermann
- ¿De qué lado estás?
- The Red Jacket as Vater
2001
- Vera Brühne as Oberstaatsanwalt Böck
- The Slurb as Mr. Taschenbier
- Heirate mir! as Eugen Schafmeyer
- Das Rätsel des blutroten Rubins as Prof. Planitz
2000
- Menschen der Woche as Self
- Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace as Hans von Dohnanyi
- Gripsholm as Kurt
1999
- Volle Kanne as Self
- Deutscher Fernsehpreis as Self
- The Green Desert as Detlef
- Beresina as Dr. Alfred Waldvogel
- Beckmann und Markowski: Gehetzt as Rablonski
- Bangkok - Ein Mädchen verschwindet as Sven Arnhold
- Jew-boy Levi as Ingenieur Kohler
1998
- Siska as Albert Branner
- Die Verbrechen des Professor Capellari
- Busenfreunde 2 - Alles wird gut! as Bernhard
1997
- The Harmonists as Harry Frommermann
- Busenfreunde as Bernhard Kroll
- The Scorpion as Arno Jürging
- Mein ist die Rache as Girres
- The Deep End as Steffen
1996
- Sperling as Herr Krause
- Lautlose Schritte as Henry Stöver
- Der Parkhausmörder as Jochen Stein
1995
- Die Partner as Martin Zobel
1994
- Im Namen des Gesetzes as Frank Kleinert
- Rosa Roth as Ralf Vorburg
- Zwei Brüder as Ludwig Hellmann
1993
- Stadtklinik as Robert Wasser
1992
- Morgenmagazin as Self
1989
- Blauer Panther as Self
1988
1984
- Goldene Kamera as Self
1981
- A Case For Two as Dr. Jürgen Mattes
1979
- NDR Talk Show as Self
- Bavarian Film Awards as Self
1977
- The Old Fox as Prof. Simon Holter
1971
- Polizeiruf 110 as Alexander Beck
1970
- Scene of the Crime as Dr. Zimmer
1964
- Grimme Award as Self
1951
- German Film Award as Self
1948
- Bambi as Self