Corinna Harfouch
Corinna Harfouch (born 16 October 1954) is a German actress. Widely regarded as one of the most important performers in German film and theatre, she is known for her portrayals of complex, often emotionally layered characters across more than four decades on stage and screen. Among her most beloved and unexpected performances is her turn as Rabia in Bibi Blocksberg, in which her scene-stealing energy has since been embraced by audiences as camp and iconic, earning her a cult following and status as an unlikely queer icon. For this performance, she received the German Film Award (Lola) for Best Supporting Actress in 2003. Trained at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst “Ernst Busch” in Berlin, Harfouch began her career in theatre before transitioning to film and television, where she has appeared in over 80 productions. Her early breakthrough came with Die Schauspielerin (1988), followed by roles in films such as Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997), Der Untergang (2004), Das Parfum: Die Geschichte eines Mörders (2006), Finsterworld (2013), and Lara (2019). She has also been part of the long-running crime series Tatort since 2023. Among her numerous accolades, Harfouch has received the Bavarian Film Award, the Adolf Grimme Award, the German Television Award, and the German Film Award. She won Best Actress at the Shanghai International Film Festival for Frei nach Plan (2007) and received the German Film Award for Best Actress in 2024 for Sterben. In addition to her screen work, Harfouch is an acclaimed stage actress, performing at major theatres including the Deutsches Theater Berlin, the Berliner Ensemble, and the Volksbühne. In 1997, she was named Actress of the Year by Theater heute and awarded the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring for her performance in Des Teufels General. Born in Suhl, East Germany, Harfouch initially trained as a nurse before studying acting. She has three children, including actor Robert Gwisdek.
Known For
Credits
- 2026 · In My Mother's Mirror as Ursula Scheuer
- 2026 · 23000 Lives as
- 2025 · Kundschafter des Friedens 2 as Helene
- 2024 · Dying as Lissy Lunies
- 2022 · What You Can See from Here as Selma
- 2022 · Zwischen uns as Child psychologist
- 2022 · Mostly Minimalistic as Marlen
- 2022 · Bloodsuckers as Tante Erkentrud
- 2022 · The Girl With the Golden Hands as Gudrun
- 2021 · Immer der Nase nach as Imke
- 2020 · 2 Minuten as Dr. Vogel
- 2020 · Schlingensief – A Voice That Shook the Silence as Self (archive footage)
- 2019 · Holiday Secrets as
- 2019 · Lara as Lara
- 2019 · Kranke Geschäfte as
- 2019 · Persona as Schwester Alma
- 2018 · Berlin - Schicksalsjahre einer Stadt as Sprecherin
- 2018 · Right Here Right Now as Innensenatorin
- 2018 · Cloud Whispers as Charlotte
- 2017 · Suck Me Shakespeer 3 as Kerstin BIZ
- 2017 · Too Close as Caro
- 2016 · The Missing Woman as Karen
- 2016 · Emma nach Mitternacht - Frau Hölle as Katharina Holl
- 2015 · Blochin – Die Lebenden und die Toten as Tilda
- 2015 · Jack as Susanne Sönnmann
- 2014 · Der Fall Bruckner as Katharina Bruckner
- 2013 · Finsterworld as Inga Sandberg
- 2012 · Moon Man as Conquistadora (voice)
- 2012 · Ihr Brief zur Hochzeit as Hannah
- 2012 · Move as Mutter
- 2012 · Home for the Weekend as Gitte Heidtmann
- 2012 · Cracks in the Shell as Nina
- 2011 · Kein Sex ist auch keine Lösung as Theresa
- 2011 · Faust Sonnengesang as (voice)
- 2010 · Tod einer Schülerin as Susanne Berger
- 2010 · Deutscher Hörbuchpreis as Self
- 2009 · Julia's Disappearance as Giulia
- 2009 · This Is Love as Maggie
- 2009 · Whiskey with Vodka as Bettina Moll
- 2008 · A Year Ago in Winter as Eliane Richter
- 2008 · Berlin Calling as Prof. Dr. Petra Paul
- 2008 · Meine Mutter, mein Bruder und ich! as Susanne
- 2008 · Teufelsbraten as Wachtel
- 2007 · An die Grenze as Frau Dobbs
- 2007 · According to Plan as Iris
- 2007 · Free to Leave as Hanni Hudetz
- 2006 · Perfume: The Story of a Murderer as Madame Arnulfi
- 2006 · Helen, Fred und Ted as Biggie Schwarz
- 2006 · Helen, Fred und Ted as Biggie Schwarz
- 2006 · The Elementary Particles as Dr. Schäfer
- 2005 · Hitlers letzte Tage - Der Film "Der Untergang" as Self
- 2005 · Through This Night as Bozena Nemcová
- 2005 · Rose as Rose Steher
- 2004 · C(r)ook as Maria
- 2004 · Bibi Blocksberg and the Secret of Blue Owls as Rabia von Katzenstein
- 2004 · Downfall as Magda Goebbels
- 2004 · Die fremde Frau as Helen Berg
- 2003 · Hamlet_X as Gertrude
- 2002 · Blond: Eva Blond! as Eva Blond
- 2002 · Bibi Blocksberg as Rabia
- 2002 · Verrückt nach Paris as Frau Hermann
- 2002 · Erkan & Stefan 2 as Frau Schmächtig
- 2002 · Gebürtig as Else Sachs
- 2002 · Das Duo as Anna Mundorf
- 2001 · Vera Brühne as Vera Brühne
- 2000 · Fandango - Members Only as Duke
- 2000 · Now or Never as Flora
- 1999 · The Green Desert as Krankenschwester
- 1999 · The Devil and Ms. D as Cora Dulz
- 1999 · German Television Award as Self
- 1998 · Solo for Clarinet as Anna Weller
- 1998 · The Big Mambo as Maria
- 1998 · Der letzte Zeuge as Malia Reh
- 1997 · Geisterstunde - Fahrstuhl ins Jenseits as Lisa Mosdi
- 1997 · Knockin' on Heaven's Door as Ward B Nurse
- 1996 · Gates of Fire as Stromberg
- 1996 · Irren ist männlich as Bettina
- 1996 · Sexy Sadie as Lucy / Sadie
- 1995 · Kulturzeit as self
- 1995 · The Promise as Sophie II
- 1994 · Stockholm Marathon as Monica Lundin
- 1994 · Charlie & Louise - Das doppelte Lottchen as Sabine Kröger
- 1994 · Ärzte as Vera Haeusler
- 1993 · Bella Block as Bianca Kling
- 1993 · Goldstaub as Kerstin
- 1992 · Die Spur des Bernsteinzimmers as Lisa Mohrbrink
- 1992 · Unser Lehrer Doktor Specht as Dr. Lilo von Barnim
- 1991 · The Tango Player as Elke
- 1989 · Reunion in Travers as Therese Forster
- 1989 · Blauer Panther as Self
- 1988 · The Actress as Maria Rheine
- 1988 · Yasemin as Frau Rathjens
- 1984 · Goldene Kamera as Self
- 1983 · Verzeihung, sehen Sie Fußball? as Michaela
- 1981 · Wetten, dass..? as Self
- 1979 · Bavarian Film Awards as Self
- 1971 · Polizeiruf 110 as Sonja
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Dr. Lore Ewers
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Anna Cordes
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Valerie
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Conny Seegmeister
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Sabine Korsack
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Martha Kandis
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Susanne Bonard
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Barbara
- 1964 · Grimme Award as Self
- 1951 · German Film Award as Self
- Future · Brennende Themen as Ms. Platek
- 2026 · Let Sleeping Dogs Lie as Marianne
- 2024 · Die Ironie des Lebens as Eva
- 2024 · The Boy Who Owns the World as Edna
- 2023 · The Boyfriend as Henriette
- 2021 · Ruhe! Hier stirbt Lothar as Rosa
- 2013 · Puppe as Geena
- 2012 · Schmidt & Schwarz as Carolin Schwarz
- 2011 · Looking for Simon as Valerie
- 2009 · Ein Dorf sieht Mord as Maria Bonk
- 2009 · Hand in Hand as Heike Laurens
- 2006 · Rage as Christa Laub
- 2006 · My Father The Turk as Sprecherin
- 2006 · Silberhochzeit as Alexandra
- 2001 · Das Monstrum as Helene
- 2000 · Stunde des Wolfs as Gisela Grosche
- 1999 · Bis zum Horizont und weiter as Beate Nelken
- 1997 · Des Teufels General as Fliegergeneral Harras
- 1996 · Gefährliche Freundin as Bibi Bratseth
- 1996 · Verdammt, er liebt mich as Paula
- 1996 · Wer anhält stirbt as Heike
- 1996 · 5 Stunden Angst – Geiselnahme im Kindergarten as Viviane Sperling
- 1994 · Farewell to Agnes as Agnes
- 1993 · Inge, April und Mai as
- 1992 · Thea und Nat as Thea Friedberg
- 1991 · Zwischen Pankow und Zehlendorf as Isolde Wünsche
- 1991 · Hüpf, Häschen, hüpf as Ms. Daniels
- 1989 · Pestalozzi's Mountain as Juliette Benoit
- 1988 · Fallada: The Last Chapter as Else-Marie Bukonje
- 1987 · Wengler & Sons as Jenny Weinhold
- 1987 · Der kleine Staatsanwalt as Frau Meffert
- 1986 · The House on the River as Emmi Voß
- 1981 · Die lange Ankunft des Alois Fingerlein as
- 1979 · Verlobung in Hullerbusch as Schwester Erika
- Future · Manchmal sehe ich ihn nachts as Corinna