Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Volker Bruch

Volker Bruch
Bruch in 2014
Born1980 (age 43–44)
Munich, West Germany
NationalityGerman
OccupationActor
Years active2002–present
PartnerMiriam Stein (2009–present)
Children1

Volker Bruch (German: [ˈfɔlkɐ ˈbʁʊx]; born 1980) is a German television and film actor. He is best known internationally for his leading roles as Wilhelm Winter in the television drama Generation War (2013) and as Inspector Gereon Rath in the neo-noir series Babylon Berlin (2017–present); for the latter, he was awarded the 2018 Grimme-Preis, Germany's most prestigious television award. In film, he was part of the ensemble cast of two films nominated for Academy Awards in 2009: The Reader (Best Picture) and The Baader Meinhof Complex (Best Foreign Language Film); more recently, he appeared in the thriller The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) and Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia (2024).

Early life and education

Volker Bruch was born in 1980 in West Germany to a German father and Austrian mother.[1] He grew up in Munich with five siblings.[2]

He began acting during his years at gymnasium (high school) and was involved with student acting groups.[3] After completing his university-entrance diploma, he studied performing arts at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna, Austria.[4] Bruch made a deliberate choice while studying to commit himself to acting for television and film, as opposed to theater.[2][5] During this time, he made some of his first television appearances. He graduated in 2005.[6]

Career

Bruch spent the beginning of his career primarily playing small roles in German television and TV movie productions. His first noteworthy role was as Axi in the 2005 German television movie Rose, for which he won a German Television Award for Best Supporting Actor.[7] The year 2008 was notable for Bruch's career as he acted in a number of movies including the French film Female Agents, the English-language German biopic The Red Baron as Oberleutnant Lothar Freiherr von Richthofen, the Oscar-nominated German film The Baader Meinhof Complex as Stefan Aust, as well as the Oscar-winning American film The Reader.

Bruch had a few small supporting roles after this period before his breakout role in the popular 2013 German miniseries Generation War in which he played one of the five protagonists. Bruch was nominated for a German Television Award for his performance and received a special award for Ensemble Cast at the 2013 Bavarian TV Awards.

After Generation War, Bruch starred in a variety of film and television productions of varying scopes until 2016 when he was cast in Babylon Berlin. In Babylon Berlin, Bruch stars as the main character, police inspector Gereon Rath, who investigates a series of crimes in Weimar Republic-era Berlin. The first two series of the show were filmed over eight months beginning in May 2016 and released consecutively in the fall of 2017. Babylon Berlin has been very popular in Germany as well as with international audiences and has elevated Bruch to international prominence; Bruch is considered one of Germany's upcoming stars.[8][9] For his portrayal, Bruch received a 2018 Golden Camera Award and shares an Adolf Grimme Award with the Babylon Berlin team.

The show went on a yearlong production hiatus during which Bruch filmed two movies; in 2018, he played a role in the wide-release American film The Girl in the Spider's Web and filmed the German production Rocca Changes the World. In late 2018, Bruch began the six-month shoot for the third series of Babylon Berlin which premiered in Germany in January 2020.[10][11][12] A fourth series starring Bruch was produced mid-2021 and was released in 2022.[13]

In 2022, he was cast as German rally driver Walter Röhrl in the English-language film Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia, formerly known as 2 Win. Starring opposite Daniel BrĂŒhl and Riccardo Scamarcio, the film depicts the 1983 World Rally Championship and will be released January 2024.[14]

Personal life

Bruch lives in Berlin with his girlfriend, actress Miriam Stein. They had a child together in 2017.[15][16] Bruch met Stein in 2009 on the set of the film Young Goethe in Love.[17] Notably, they later starred together in 2013's Generation War, 2014's Tour de Force, and 2015's Das goldene Ufer.[18]

Bruch speaks English fluently,[1][19] and has acted in English.[20][21]

Advocacy

Bruch is an environmentalist and, with his partner Stein, has supported the climate action group Extinction Rebellion as well as the Joint Declaration made by the German government and media industry "for the sustainable production of films and television series."[22][23]

In 2019, Bruch, along with other German actors and artists like Daniel BrĂŒhl, signed a petition advocating against the election of a far-right Alternative for Germany mayoral candidate in Görlitz, Germany, an oft-used filming location in Europe.[24][25]

In June 2020, Bruch took part in the video "Was sie mitgenommen haben" for the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR).[26]

Bruch is a vocal opponent of the restrictions introduced in Germany to curb the spread of COVID-19. In May 2021, it was reported that Bruch had applied to join the Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany, an anti-lockdown fringe party.[27][28]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Vater wider Willen Sammy Episode: "Große Kinder - Kleine Kinder"
2003 SK Kölsch Bert Wunderlich Episode: "CSD"
2004 SOKO KitzbĂŒhel Julian Schweiger Episode: "Tödliches Dreieck"
2004 Inspector Rex Max König Episode: "Nina um Mitternacht"
2004 Baal (de) Johannes Television film
2004–2013 Tatort various 4 episodes
2004 Die Verbrechen des Professor Capellari Bernd Geissler Episode: "Ein Toter kehrt zurĂŒck"
2005 Leipzig Homicide Marco Hoss Episode: "Die Polizistin"
2005 Unter weißen Segeln Florian Episode: "Abschiedsvorstellung"
2005 Hengstparade (de) Markus Lex Television movie
2005 Der Untergang der Pamir (de) Bernd Russek Television movie
2007 Der Staatsanwalt Bastian Tressen Episode: "GlĂŒckskinder"
2007 Ein starkes Team Tim König Episode: "Stumme Wut"
2007 Nichts ist vergessen (de) Olaf Stahmann Television movie

Nominated – German Television Award

2008 Machen wir's auf Finnisch (de) Matti Television movie
2008 Einer bleibt sitzen (de) Michel Television movie
2011 Treasure Guards [de] Luca Television movie; English language
2013 Generation War Wilhelm Winter Miniseries; 3 episodes

Nominated – German Television Award
Won – Bavarian TV Awards

2013 MĂŒnchen Mord (de) Toni Bernlocher Television movie
2014 Die Pilgerin Otfried Willinger Miniseries; 2 episodes
2015 Das goldene Ufer Walther Fichtner Television movie
2016 Ein Teil von uns (de) Micki Television movie
2017–present Babylon Berlin Gereon Rath 28 episodes

Won – Golden Camera Award
Won – Grimme Award

2019 Jerks (de) Volker Episode: "Volker"

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Getting a Life (Raus ins Leben)
2005 Rose (de) Axi Nominated – German Television Award
2006 Life Actually (de) Charles Spatz
2007 Good Times (de) Priglmeier Toni
2008 The Best Place to Be (de) Toni
2008 Female Agents [fr; de] Lieutenant Becker French language
2008 The Red Baron [de] Oberleutnant Lothar von Richthofen
2008 Little Paris [de] Stefan
2008 The Baader Meinhof Complex [de] Stefan Aust Nominated – Undine Award (de)
2008 The Reader [de] Dieter English language
2009 The Murder Farm (de) Johann Hauer
2010 Nanga Parbat [de] Gerd Bauer
2010 Young Goethe in Love [de] Wilhelm Jerusalem
2011 Westwind [de] Nico
2012 Confession of a Child of the Century [fr; de] Henri Smith English language
2013 Radical Evil [de] Narrator
2014 Beste Chance (de) Toni
2012 Tour de Force [de] Finn
2015 Outside the Box Frederick Schopner
2015 Suck Me Shakespeer 2 [de] Hauke Wölki
2017 The Man with the Iron Heart [fr] Walter Schellenberg English language
2018 The Girl in the Spider's Web Peter Ahlgren English language
2019 Rocca Changes the World (de) Henning
2022 The Path (de) Ludwig
2024 Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia Walter Röhrl English language

Accolades

Year Award Category Work Result Notes
2007 German Television Awards Best Supporting Actor/Actress (de) Nichts ist vergessen / Rose Nominated
2008 Undine Awards (de) Best Young Supporting Actor - Film The Baader Meinhof Complex Nominated
2013 German Television Awards Best Actor (de) Generation War Nominated Shared with Tom Schilling
Bavarian TV Awards Special Ensemble Award (de) Won Shared with Tom Schilling, Katharina SchĂŒttler, Miriam Stein, and Ludwig Trepte
2018 Golden Camera Best German Actor (de) Babylon Berlin Won
Grimme Awards Fiction Award (de) Won Shared with Babylon Berlin production team and cast

References

  1. ^ a b "Volker Bruch - Schauspieler". www.schauspielervideos.de (in German). Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Volker Bruch - Portrait, Interview". 15 April 2008. Archived from the original on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Volker Bruch im Interview: "Viele wussten nicht, was ich auf dem roten Teppich zu suchen habe."". Planet Interview (in German). 27 May 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  4. ^ Beta Cinema presents Westwind (PDF). Germany: Beta Cinema. 2011. p. 10.
  5. ^ "Volker Bruch, ANTI-HEARTTHROB - 032c". 032c.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  6. ^ "1998 - 2017 | Max Reinhardt Seminar". www.maxreinhardtseminar.at. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Volker Bruch - Actor". Agentur Players Berlin (in German). Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  8. ^ Meza, Ed (20 February 2018). "Actor Volker Bruch on 'Babylon Berlin,' His Biggest Challenge as an Actor". Variety. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  9. ^ Mitchell, Robert (26 April 2017). "Stars of 'Babylon Berlin,' Netflix's 'Dark' Join Effort to Highlight German Cinema (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  10. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (24 July 2018). "'Babylon Berlin' Confirmed For Third Season, Plot & Shoot Details Revealed". Deadline. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  11. ^ Meza, Ed (9 April 2019). "'Babylon Berlin 3' Sells to More Than 35 Countries, Including Netflix for U.S. (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  12. ^ "Volker Bruch on Instagram: "That's a wrap! Thank you for the last 6 month! đŸ™đŸŸđŸ„‚đŸ€—đŸ˜“đŸ•șđŸ»#champagneinthemembrane #season3 #keepdancing"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  13. ^ Roxborough, Scott (17 September 2021). "'Babylon Berlin': Hit German Drama Releases First Look at Season 4 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  14. ^ Ritman, Alex (6 May 2022). "Cannes: Daniel Bruhl, Riccardo Scamarcio, Volker Bruch Team for Rally Car Drama '2 Win'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  15. ^ ""Babylon Berlin": Tom Tykwer, Liv Lisa Fries und Volker Bruch im Vogue-GesprÀch". Vogue Germany (in German). 21 September 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  16. ^ Peters, Bernd (10 March 2017). "Schauspielerin verrÀt's: Plötzlich Mama! Miriam Stein hielt ihr Baby geheim". Express.de (in German). Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  17. ^ "Traumpaar vor und hinter der Kamera". tz.de (in German). 4 April 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  18. ^ ""Unsere MĂŒtter, unsere VĂ€ter"-Stars sind ein Paar". FOCUS Online (in German). Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  19. ^ "Profile Series – Cannes 70th – One on One". YouTube.(unscripted English interview from the 2017 Cannes Film Festival)
  20. ^ "The Reader (2008): 'Dieter' (lecture theatre scene)". YouTube.
  21. ^ "IMDb: Volker Bruch in The Reader (2008)". IMDb.
  22. ^ "Offener Brief an die Regierung". Extinction Rebellion Deutschland (in German). Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  23. ^ "Deutschlands Filme werden grĂŒner". Startseite (in German). 19 February 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  24. ^ "German stars call on voters to shun far-right AfD in 'Görliwood'". www.thelocal.de. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  25. ^ "German stars lead call to shun far-right in 'Goerliwood'". France 24. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  26. ^ "Was Sie Mitgenommen Haben - UNHCR Deutschland". UNHCR (in German). Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  27. ^ Greiner, Elizabeth (4 May 2021). "'Babylon Berlin' star Volker Bruch's links to COVID skeptics polarizes". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  28. ^ Schrader, Hannes (4 May 2021). "Das steckt hinter der »Querdenker«-Partei, der Volker Bruch beitreten will". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
Quelle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volker_Bruch