Thomas Kretschmann
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 Thomas Kretschmann in 2005's King Kong. |
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| Born: | September 8, 1962 Dessau, German Democratic Republic |
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| Occupation: | Actor |
Thomas Kretschmann (born September 8, 1962) is a German actor who has also performed in Hollywood movies, mostly as ill-fated characters.
Kretschmann was born in Dessau, former East Germany. Before he became an actor, Kretschmann trained to become an Olympic swimmer. At the age of 19 he left East Germany and began a month-long trek to West Germany to escape Communism. During this trek he lost part of a finger, but it was surgically reattached. Kretschmann crossed four borders with nothing other than his passport and the equivalent of $100 in his possession. At the age of 25, he began acting, starring in numerous European films and television series.
In 1991, Kretschmann was awarded the Max Ophüls Prize for best young actor for his role in Der Mitwisser. Popular in his native country, Kretschmann did not achieve fame in Hollywood until his role as Capt. Wilm Hosenfeld in Roman Polanski's 2002 film The Pianist. Kretschmann has since portrayed several military officers of the Third Reich period. Kretschmann played SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein, a member of Adolf Hitler's personal entourage, in Der Untergang (Downfall) in 2004.
Perhaps alluding to his roles as a Nazi, Kretchmann also played Timothy Cain in Resident Evil: Apocalypse, as a ruthless Umbrella Major. This character was also partly inspired by Max from the television series 24
More recently, Kretchmann won a part for himself in Peter Jackson's 2005 remake of King Kong, where he worked again with Adrien Brody, with whom he costarred in The Pianist.
Kretschmann's most recent role (as of May 2006) was in Butterfly: A Grimm Love Story (Rohtenburg in Germany). A psychological thriller, the movie co-stars Keri Russell and was inspired by the Armin Meiwes cannibalism case. It was scheduled for a March 2006 release in Germany, but its showing is under injunction after Meiwes successfully sued to have it banned on grounds of infringement of his Persönlichkeitsrecht (personality rights). At the 2006 Festival de Cine de Sitges, Kretschmann shared the Best Actor award for his performance in this film with his co-star Thomas Huber.
Kretschmann currently works in Los Angeles and lives there with his long-time girlfriend Lena. The couple have three children.
[edit] Selected filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Der Mitwisser | Television film Max Ophüls Prize for Best Young Actor |
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| 1993 | Stalingrad | Lt. Hans von Witzland | |
| Die Ratte | Sven | ||
| 1996 | The Stendhal Syndrome | Alfredo Grossi | |
| 1997 | Prince Valiant | Thagnar | |
| 2000 | U-571 | Capt.-Lt. Gunther Wassner | |
| 2002 | Blade II | Eli Damaskinos | |
| The Pianist | Captain Wilm Hosenfeld | ||
| 2003 | 24 | Max | Episodes: "Day 2: 7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m." & "Day 2: 6:00 a.m.-7:00 a.m." |
| 2004 | In Enemy Hands | First Watch Officer Ludwig Cremer | |
| Immortel (Ad Vitam) | Nikopol | ||
| Der Untergang | Hermann Fegelein | ||
| Resident Evil: Apocalypse | Major Timothy Cain | ||
| Head in the Clouds | Frans Bietrich | ||
| Frankenstein | Victor Helios | Television film | |
| 2005 | Schneeland | Aron | |
| Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II | Pope John Paul II | Miniseries | |
| King Kong | Captain Englehorn | ||
| 2006 | Rohtenburg | Oliver Hartwin | Best Actor, Sitges 2006 (shared with co-star Thomas Huber) |
| The Celestine Prophecy | Wil | ||
| 24: The Game | Max | Video Game |
