Ulrich Noethen
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.
Known For
Credits
- 2026 · Makellos - Eine kurze Welle des Glücks as Anton Laux
- 2025 · Miss Sophie - Same Procedure as Every Year as Butler Mortimer
- 2025 · Parallel Me as Thomas
- 2024 · Josefa’s Return as Norbert Blume
- 2022 · Wendland as Jakob Stiller
- 2021 · The Wasp as Nobbe Zosch
- 2021 · Furia as Brehme
- 2021 · Ku'damm 63 as Kurt Moser
- 2020 · Louis van Beethoven as Christian Gottlob Neefe
- 2020 · Unterleuten: The Torn Village as Dr. Gerhard Fließ
- 2019 · Vienna Blood as Graf von Triebenbach
- 2019 · St. Louis as Captain Gustav Schröder
- 2019 · The German Lesson as Jens Ole Jepsen
- 2018 · Ku'damm 59 as Kurt Moser
- 2018 · 54 Hours: The Gladbeck Hostage Crisis as Einsatzleiter Recklinghausen
- 2017 · Charité as Ferdinand Sauerbruch
- 2016 · Departure as Hillas Vater
- 2016 · NSU German History X as Helmut Roewer
- 2016 · The Diary of Anne Frank as Otto Heinrich Frank
- 2016 · The General Case as Fritz Bauer
- 2015 · Quizduell-Olymp as Self
- 2015 · Wer weiß denn sowas? as Self
- 2015 · Deutschland as General Wolfgang Edel
- 2015 · Neben der Spur as Dr. Johannes Jessen
- 2014 · Unexpected as Bernd
- 2014 · Pettson and Findus: A Little Nuisance, a Great Friendship as Pettersson
- 2013 · Broken Glass Park as Volker Trebur
- 2013 · Lesenswert as Self
- 2012 · Allerleirauh as King Tobald
- 2012 · Moon Man as The Father (voice)
- 2012 · A Coffee in Berlin as Walter Fischer
- 2012 · Hannah Arendt as Hans Jonas
- 2012 · Sams im Glück as Bruno Taschenbier
- 2012 · Cracks in the Shell as Kaspar Friedmann
- 2012 · Kennen Sie Ihren Liebhaber? as Kai Stellmann
- 2011 · The Invisible Girl as Wilhelm Michel
- 2011 · The Man with the Bassoon as Rudi Bockelmann
- 2011 · The Promise as Leo Rosenbaum
- 2011 · Hindenburg: The Last Flight as Ernst Lehmann
- 2010 · Aghet as Armin Wegner
- 2010 · Henri 4 as Karl IX
- 2009 · Erntedank - Ein Allgäu-Krimi as Günter Hartmann
- 2009 · Kommissar Süden und das Geheimnis der Königin as Tabor Süden
- 2008 · Marie Brand as Professor Jacobsen
- 2008 · Was wenn der Tod uns scheidet as Joachim Hellwig
- 2008 · Ein starker Abgang as Arzt 2
- 2008 · Teufelsbraten as Vater
- 2008 · Mein Nachmittag as Self
- 2007 · Life Actually as Roland Spatz
- 2007 · My Führer as Heinrich Himmler
- 2006 · Der Kriminalist as Ulli Grützke
- 2006 · Kommissar Stolberg as Ralf Reger
- 2006 · 3satBuchzeit as Self
- 2006 · TKKG - The Secret of the Mysterious Mind Machine as Lehrer Herr Manek
- 2006 · Brecht - Die Kunst zu leben as Narrator (voice)
- 2005 · Thadeusz as self
- 2005 · Die Luftbrücke as Alexander Kielberg
- 2005 · Hitlers letzte Tage - Der Film "Der Untergang" as Self
- 2005 · Die Patriarchin as Bent Peerson
- 2004 · Bibi Blocksberg and the Secret of Blue Owls as Bernhard Blocksberg
- 2004 · Downfall as Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler
- 2004 · Off Beat as Prof. Olivari
- 2004 · Jargo as Schuldirektor
- 2003 · My Magical Friend Sams as Bruno Taschenbier
- 2003 · The Flying Classroom as Dr. Johann 'Justus' Bökh
- 2002 · I'm The Father as Nico Ellermann
- 2002 · Bibi Blocksberg as Bernhard Blocksberg
- 2002 · Under Suspicion as Max Wemmer
- 2001 · The Slurb as Mr. Taschenbier
- 2001 · Heirate mir! as Eugen Schafmeyer
- 2001 · Vera Brühne as Oberstaatsanwalt Böck
- 2000 · Gripsholm as Kurt
- 2000 · Menschen der Woche as Self
- 2000 · Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace as Hans von Dohnanyi
- 1999 · The Green Desert as Detlef
- 1999 · German Television Award as Self
- 1999 · Volle Kanne as Self
- 1999 · Beresina as Dr. Alfred Waldvogel
- 1999 · Bangkok - Ein Mädchen verschwindet as Sven Arnhold
- 1998 · Siska as Albert Branner
- 1998 · Siska as Erwin Schöller
- 1998 · Die Verbrechen des Professor Capellari as
- 1997 · The Harmonists as Harry Frommermann
- 1997 · The Scorpion as Arno Jürging
- 1996 · Lautlose Schritte as Henry Stöver
- 1996 · Sperling as Herr Krause
- 1995 · Die Partner as Martin Zobel
- 1994 · Zwei Brüder as Ludwig Hellmann
- 1994 · Rosa Roth as Ralf Vorburg
- 1994 · Im Namen des Gesetzes as Frank Kleinert
- 1993 · Stadtklinik as Robert Wasser
- 1992 · Morgenmagazin as Self
- 1989 · Blauer Panther as Self
- 1988 · Eurocops as
- 1984 · Goldene Kamera as Self
- 1981 · A Case For Two as Dr. Jürgen Mattes
- 1979 · Bavarian Film Awards as Self
- 1979 · NDR Talk Show as Self
- 1977 · The Old Fox as Prof. Simon Holter
- 1971 · Polizeiruf 110 as Alexander Beck
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Dr. Zimmer
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Nat Dorsey
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Hans Wolff
- 1970 · Scene of the Crime as Staatsanwalt Jörg Reinhardt
- 1964 · Grimme Award as Self
- 1951 · German Film Award as Self
- 1948 · Bambi as Self
- Future · Love & Chaos as
- 2015 · Die Eisläuferin as Helmuth Wendt
- 2013 · My Husband, An Assassin as Paul Frei
- 2013 · The Inventive Lady as Gregor
- 2012 · Eine Hand wäscht die Andere as Chlodwig Pullmann
- 2012 · Zwei übern Berg as Paul
- 2011 · Es ist nicht vorbei as Prof. Wolfgang Limberg
- 2011 · Von Mäusen und Lügen as Dr. Arnold 'Arnie' Fischer
- 2011 · Lügen haben linke Hände as Max Timmermann
- 2010 · Trau’ niemals deinem Chef as Oskar Moedebeck
- 2010 · Rumpe und Tuli as Therapeut
- 2009 · Meine Tochter und der Millionär as Moritz von Wrede
- 2009 · Kommissar Süden und der Luftgitarrist as Tabor Süden
- 2008 · Long Shadows as Volker Widmer
- 2008 · Ett enklare liv as Peter Hoffman
- 2007 · Runaway Horse as Helmut
- 2006 · Tsunami oder: Die Maximale Mitmenschlichkeit as
- 2006 · Silberhochzeit as Leo
- 2005 · Ausgerechnet Weihnachten as Carl
- 2005 · Berlin Airlift as Dr. Alex Kielberg
- 2005 · Polly Blue Eyes as Herbert Pinn
- 2005 · The Young Schiller as Buchhändler Schwan
- 2004 · The Boxer and the Hairdresser as Fränki Laue
- 2004 · Mörderische Elite as Klee
- 2004 · Secret Stories as Reiner
- 2002 · The Red Jacket as Vater
- 2002 · ¿De qué lado estás? as
- 2001 · Das Rätsel des blutroten Rubins as Prof. Planitz
- 1999 · Jew-boy Levi as Ingenieur Kohler
- 1999 · Beckmann und Markowski: Gehetzt as Rablonski
- 1998 · Busenfreunde 2 - Alles wird gut! as Bernhard
- 1997 · Mein ist die Rache as Girres
- 1997 · The Deep End as Steffen
- 1997 · Busenfreunde as Bernhard Kroll
- 1996 · Der Parkhausmörder as Jochen Stein