German actress (born 1978)
Sandra Hüller (German:
[ˈzandʁa ˈhʏlɐ] ; born 30 April 1978) is a German actress. She has appeared in German, Austrian, American, British, and French films. She has received various accolades, including two
European Film Awards , a
César Award and three
German Film Awards , along with nominations for an
Academy Award , two
BAFTA Awards and a
Golden Globe Award . She gained international recognition in 2023 for her starring roles in
Jonathan Glazer 's
Holocaust drama ,
The Zone of Interest , and
Justine Triet 's
legal drama ,
Anatomy of a Fall . Her performances in them earned her two
BAFTA Film Award nominations, while the latter won her a
European Film Award and a
César Award , in addition to nominations for an
Academy Award and a
Golden Globe Award .
Hüller has played
Anneliese Michel in
Hans-Christian Schmid 's 2006 drama
Requiem , for which she won the
Silver Bear for Best Actress , and a troubled daughter in
Maren Ade 's 2016 comedy
Toni Erdmann , for which she won her first
European Film Award for Best Actress . She portrayed
Irma Sztáray in
Frauke Finsterwalder 's 2023 historical black comedy
Sisi & I .
Early life and education
Hüller was born in
Suhl ,
Thuringia ,
[3] East Germany,
[1] and grew up in
Oberhof and
Friedrichroda , small villages in the heavily forested state of Thuringia.
[4]
[5] She is the elder of two children,
[6] with parents who were educators;
[7] her father Reiner taught at a center for apprentices, her mother Kornelia gave after-school tutoring.
[5]
Hüller cut off her hair, dyed it red,
[8] and joined a drama club as a teenager.
[9] "I took part in the theatre workshop at school and really enjoyed it, but I never thought that it could be a profession for me. It was more of a hobby", Hüller said.
[10]
In high school,
[7] Hüller had her stage debut with the 1996 production Wir Voodookinder directed by
Robert Lehniger at the
Theatertreffen der Jugend in Berlin.
[11]
From 1996, Hüller studied acting at the
Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin,
[12] graduating in 2003.
[13]
[14] After graduating, Hüller left Berlin and spent two years at a theatre southwest of Leipzig, then moved to Switzerland to join the
Theater Basel .
[7]
Hüller speaks German, English, French and Spanish.
[9]
Career
Hüller in 2023
Hüller appeared from 1998 to 2001 at the Theaterhaus
[15]
Jena ,
Thuringia and then for one year at the Schauspiel
[16]
[17]
[18] Leipzig. It was Oliver Held,
[19] a playwright from Jena, who recommended her to the Theater Basel in Switzerland, where she appeared until 2006.
[12]
In 2006, Hüller appeared as Michaela Klingler in
Hans-Christian Schmid 's film
Requiem , for which she won the
56th Berlin International Film Festival 's
Award for Best Actress and her first
German Film Award .
[20]
In 2009, Hüller appeared as
Elizabeth I , in Virgin Queen at
Prater Volksbühne theatre ,
[21] and in the music-theater-show For Love , directed by Tom Schneider, based on the works of
Kurt Cobain and
Courtney Love .
[22]
[23]
[24]
In 2012, at the
62nd Berlin International Film Festival , Hüller was – alongside
Emily Jacir and
David OReilly – part of the jury that chose
Justine Triet 's Vilaine Fille Mauvais Garçon as the festival's best short film.
[25]
From 2012 to 2015, Hüller was a member of the company
[26] at the
Munich Kammerspiele , where she worked with director
Johan Simons on several plays,
[27] notably
Elfriede Jelinek 's Die Straße. Die Stadt. Der Überfall. in 2013.
[28]
In 2014, Hüller won the
German Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Franziska Feldenhoven in
Frauke Finsterwalder 's film
Finsterworld .
[29]
In 2016, Hüller co-founded the FARN.collective theater group.
[30] She accepted the invitation to become a member of Berlin's
Academy of Arts in 2017.
[31]
In 2018, Hüller became a member of the company at the
Schauspiel Bochum , again working with Johan Simons.
[7] In 2018, she played the lead role in Simons' adaptation of
Penthesilea in Bochum and at the
Salzburg Festival .
[32]
In 2019, she appeared in Johan Simons' award-winning, gender-switched version of
Hamlet .
[33]
[5] In 2019, Hüller was part of the
69th Berlin International Film Festival 's jury, chaired by
Juliette Binoche .
[34] Later in 2019, she appeared in two French films,
Justine Triet 's
Sibyl , where she played film director Mika,
[35] and in
Alice Winocour 's
Proxima as the psychologist Wendy.
[36]
In 2023, Hüller portrayed Countess
Irma Sztáray in Frauke Finsterwalder's historical black comedy film
Sisi & I , a retelling of the later years of
Empress Elisabeth of Austria from the point of view of her
lady-in-waiting . The film had its world premiere at the
73rd Berlin Film Festival on 19 February 2023,
[37] and was released in Germany on 30 March 2023.
[38] Hüller was nominated for the
German Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.
[39]
In 2023, Hüller starred in two films that premiered in main competition at the
2023 Cannes Film Festival ;
[40] the French courtroom drama
Anatomy of a Fall by
Justine Triet , which won the festival's
Palme d'Or ,
[41] and the American-British-Polish
Holocaust drama
The Zone of Interest by
Jonathan Glazer , which won the
Grand Prix .
[41] She won her second
European Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Anatomy of a Fall , also being nominated for the award for her performance in The Zone of Interest .
[42] She also earned
Academy Award
[43] and
Golden Globe
[44] nominations for Anatomy of a Fall , as well as
BAFTA Film Award nominations for both Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest .
[45] She also won the
César Award for Best Actress for Anatomy of a Fall.
[46]
Other activities
In 2024, Hüller appeared in the first-ever advertising campaign of
Phoebe Philo 's eponymous fashion brand.
[47]
[48]
Personal life
Hüller considers
Thuringia as home.
[8]
[49]
Hüller lives in
Leipzig-Plagwitz , Germany, with her daughter, who was born in 2011.
[50]
[51]
Hüller is a licensed forklift operator, certified for a role in Thomas Stuber’s
In the Aisles .
[13]
[52]
Filmography
Film
Television
Radio plays
2013: Paul Plamper: Der Kauf , produced by
Westdeutscher Rundfunk ,
Bayerischer Rundfunk ,
Deutschlandfunk and
Schauspiel Köln
[58]
2017: Paul Plamper: Dienstbare Geister , produced by Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Deutschlandfunk,
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk ,
Ruhrtriennale and
Maxim Gorki Theater
[59]
2016:
Franz Kafka ,
Das Schloss , produced by Bayerischer Rundfunk and Hörspiel und Medienkunst
2021: Kirsten Becken: Ihre Geister sehen , produced by Deutschlandfunk
[60]
Audio books
2013: Finn-Ole Heinrich: Die erstaunlichen Abenteuer der Maulina Schmitt – Mein kaputtes Königreich. (Hörcompany)
2014: Finn-Ole Heinrich: Die erstaunlichen Abenteuer der Maulina Schmitt – Warten auf Wunder. (Hörcompany)
2015: Finn-Ole Heinrich: Die erstaunlichen Abenteuer der Maulina Schmitt – Ende des Universums (Hörcompany)
2015:
Karen Köhler : Wir haben Raketen geangelt (tacheles!/Roof Music)
2017: Mariana Leky: Was man von hier aus sehen kann (tacheles!/Roof Music)
2018:
Wolfgang Herrndorf : Bilder deiner großen Liebe: Ein großer Monolog mit Musik (tacheles!/Roof Music)
[61]
2019: Mariana Leky: Die Herrenausstatterin (tacheles!/Roof Music)
[62]
2019: Mariana Leky: Erste Hilfe (tacheles!/Roof Music)
[62]
Awards and nominations
Besides
Julia Jentsch and
Paula Beer , Hüller is the only German actress to win both the
European Film Award and the
Silver Bear for Best Actress , top honors of the
European Film Academy and
Berlin Film Festival , in the 21st century.
[63]
[64]
For her performance in
Anatomy of a Fall (2023), Hüller became the
third German actress to be nominated for the
Academy Award for
Best Actress , and the first German actress to be nominated since
Luise Rainer in 1937.
[65]
References
^
a
b
"Sandra Hüller" . Filmstarts.de (in German).
Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2022 .
^ Shoard, Catherine (26 January 2017).
"Toni Erdmann's Sandra Hüller: 'Everybody knows the German clichés. Maybe they're true' " .
The Guardian .
Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020 .
^
https://www.german-films.de/fileadmin/mediapool/PDFs/Face_to_Face_with_German_Films/FaceToFace_2016_Press_Pack-Feb2017.pdf
^
" 'Toni Erdmann' star Sandra Huller talks nudity, comedy and Hollywood movies" . Daily News . 5 January 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^
a
b
c Roxborough, Scott (1 September 2023).
"Sandra Hüller, Actress of the Year?" .
The Hollywood Reporter .
^ Tanja Brandes and Markus Decker (8 March 2019),
Sandra Hüller: So sehr Ost wie West
Berliner Zeitung .
^
a
b
c
d Mead, Rebecca (27 November 2023).
"How Sandra Hüller Approached Playing a Nazi" . The New Yorker .
ISSN
0028-792X . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^
a
b Yupilami, Mars (5 July 2011).
" "It's not about having sex" " . Exberliner . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^
a
b Canfield, David (15 November 2023).
"Sandra Hüller Steps—Cautiously—Into the Spotlight" .
Vanity Fair . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^ Blaney, Martin (17 November 2006).
"Sandra Hueller • Actress | A Star Is Born" .
Cineuropa .
^
"Hüller" . www.adk.de (in German). Retrieved 12 December 2023 .
^
a
b Dobson, Patricia.
"How 'Anatomy Of A Fall' and 'The Zone Of Interest' affirm Sandra Hüller's elevation to the A-list" . Screen . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^
a
b Roxborough, Scott (1 September 2023).
"Sandra Hüller, Actress of the Year?" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^
"German star Sandra Hüller nominated for an Oscar – DW – 01/24/2024" . dw.com . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^
"Jena from the bird's eye view: Building of the concert hall and theater playhouse Theaterhaus Jena gGmbH with open-air arena on the street Schillergaesschen in Jena in the state Thuringia, Germany" . www.aerialphotosearch.com . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^ Leipzig, Schauspiel.
"Startseite | Schauspiel Leipzig" . www.schauspiel-leipzig.de .
^
"Schauspiel Leipzig | CCT Leipzig" .
^
"Schauspiel Leipzig ♥ Leipzig Region" . www.leipzig.travel .
^
"Oliver Held" . emuseum.duesseldorf.de . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^
"Berlinale / Archive / Annual Archives / 2006 / Prize Winners" . Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin. 2006.
Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2017 .
^
"Oscarhoffnung Sandra Hüller: Ihr Karriereweg in Bildern" . brigitte.de (in German). 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^ Höbel, Wolfgang (5 May 2013).
"(S+) Schönheit langweilt" – via www.spiegel.de.
^
https://magazin.spiegel.de/EpubDelivery/spiegel/pdf/94139354
^
"Sandra Hüller, Tom Schneider - For Love" . DER STANDARD (in Austrian German). Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^
"Say Goodbye to the Story": Leitmotif of the Berlinale Shorts
Berlin International Film Festival , press release of 19 January 2012.
^
"Sandra Hüller – Artists – Schauspielhaus Bochum" . www.schauspielhausbochum.de . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^ Buchwald, Sabine; Löffler, Clara; Niesmann, Sonja; Scherf, Martina (7 August 2022).
"Fünf für München: Film-Geflüster" . Süddeutsche.de (in German). Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^ Tholl, Egbert (20 February 2014).
"Münchner Kammerspiele: Jelinek-Stück über Maximlianstraße" . Süddeutsche.de (in German). Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^
"German Film Awards 2014 – Movies from 2013" . Filmaffinity .
Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022 .
^ Dössel, Christine (20 June 2021).
"Sandra Hüller spricht in ihrer Theater-Performance mit Pflanzen" . Süddeutsche.de (in German). Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^
"New members of the Akademie der Künste" . www.adk.de . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^ Goldmann, A. J. (2 August 2018).
"At Salzburg Festival, High Passion and Redemption Onstage" . The New York Times .
ISSN
0362-4331 . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^ Goldmann, A. J. (7 May 2020).
"An Online Theater Festival Where the Future Is Female" . The New York Times .
ISSN
0362-4331 . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^ Roxborough, Scott (29 January 2019).
"Berlin Film Festival Unveils Competition Jury" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^ Lemercier, Fabien (24 May 2019).
"Review: Sibyl" . Cineuropa .
Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022 .
^ Mintzer, Jordan (9 September 2019).
" 'Proxima': Film Review | TIFF 2019" .
The Hollywood Reporter .
Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2022 .
^
"Berlinale – Sisi & I" .
Berlinale.de .
Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023 .
^
"Sisi & I" . DCM Stories .
Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2023 .
^ Roxborough, Scott (24 March 2023).
"Oscar Winner 'All Quiet on the Western Front' Leads German Film Awards Nominations With 12" .
The Hollywood Reporter .
Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023 .
^ Tartaglione, Nancy (13 April 2023).
"Cannes Film Festival Lineup: Haynes, Anderson, Glazer, Kore-Eda, Wenders In Competition – Full List" .
Deadline Hollywood .
Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023 .
^
a
b Debruge, Peter (27 May 2023).
"Cannes Awards: 'Anatomy of a Fall' Takes Palme d'Or, 'The Zone of Interest' and 'The Pot au Feu' Among Winners" .
Variety .
^
Oltermann, Philip (9 December 2023).
"Justine Triet's Anatomy of a Fall wins best film at European Film Awards" . The Guardian . Retrieved 11 December 2023 .
^
"96TH OSCARS® NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Retrieved 24 February 2024 .
^ Hipes, Patrick; Andreeva, Nellie (11 December 2023).
"Golden Globe Nominations: 'Barbie', 'Oppenheimer' Top Movie List; 'Succession' Leads Way In TV" . Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 12 December 2023 .
^
"Nominations Announced for the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards" (Press release).
BAFTA . 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024 .
^
"César 2024 : le palmarès complet de la 49e cérémonie" . Vogue France (in French). 24 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024 .
^ Miles Socha (7 March 2024),
Phoebe Philo Casts Sandra Hüller in New Campaign
Women's Wear Daily .
^
Vanessa Friedman (17 March 2024)
Phoebe Philo Breaks Her Silence
New York Times .
^
Sandra Hüller on Oscar Nomination for Anatomy of a Fall, Growing Up in Germany & American TV Shows , retrieved 23 February 2024
^ Dürr, Anke (12 November 2018).
"Schauspielerin Sandra Hüller: "Man guckt jetzt schon, wer am Nebentisch sitzt" " .
Der Spiegel (in German).
Archived from the original on 17 February 2023.
^ Mottram, James (31 January 2017).
"Toni Erdmann's Maren Ade interview: 'I don't compare myself to Tarantino, but he always makes long films and people go' " .
The Independent . Hüller has a young daughter, Ruby.
^
"Oscarhoffnung Sandra Hüller: Ihr Karriereweg in Bildern" . brigitte.de (in German). 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024 .
^ Martin Blaney (7 October 2019),
Global Screen picks up Sandra Hüller drama ‘Sleep’ (exclusive)
Screen Daily .
^ Leo Barraclough (23 February 2020),
Picture Tree Intl. Picks Up Comedy ‘The Black Square,’ Starring ‘Toni Erdmann’s’ Sandra Hueller (EXCLUSIVE)
Variety
^ Elsa Keslassy (16 December 2021),
Films Boutique Nabs Berlinale-Bound Debut ‘Talking About The Weather’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Variety
^ Tim Dams (1 June 2023),
Sandra Hüller to star in Markus Schleinzer's period drama ‘Rose’; The Match Factory boards sales (exclusive)
Screen International .
^ Martin Blaney (20 July 2023),
‘Rose’ starring Sandra Huller, among buzzy Euro co-pros to receive German fund backing
Screen International .
^ Claude Pierre Salmony (14 December 2013),
«Der Kauf» von Paul Plamper
Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen .
^ Britta Bürger (2 September 2017), [Hörspiel von Paul Plamper: „Dienstbare Geister“ erweckt den Poltergeist des Kolonialismus]
Deutschlandfunk .
^ Matthias Grass (7 October 2023),
Klever Fotografin Kirsten Becken: „Sandra Hüller betört mich“
Rheinische Post .
^ Georg Gruber (27 March 2018),
Sandra Hüller singt und spricht Wolfgang Herrndorf: Eine Road Novel als rauschartige Performance
Deutschlandfunk .
^
a
b Elena Witzeck (27 September 2019),
Hüller liest Mariana Leky: Einfach mal die Welt reinlassen
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung .
^
"European Film Awards (EFA) – Best Actress: All winners" .
FilmAffinity . Retrieved 13 June 2023 .
^
"Berlin International Film Festival – Silver Bear – Best Actress: All winners" .
FilmAffinity . Retrieved 13 June 2023 .
^ Roxborough, Scott (23 January 2024).
"Oscars: Sandra Hüller Breaks Through With Best Actress Nomination" .
The Hollywood Reporter .
External links
Media related to
Sandra Hüller at Wikimedia Commons
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