Alexandra Maria Lara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alexandra Maria Lara
Lara in 2020
Born	Alexandra Maria Plătăreanu (1978-11-12) 12 November 1978 (age 46) Bucharest, Romania
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Sam Riley ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	1

Alexandra Maria Lara (born Alexandra Maria Plătăreanu on November 12, 1978) is a Romanian-German actress. She is known for her roles in popular movies like Downfall (2004), Rush (2013), and Geostorm (2017).

Early Life and Move to Germany

Lara was born in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. She is the only child of Valentin Plătăreanu, a well-known actor and director, and his wife, Doina. Her father was very successful in Romania, directing many famous plays.

In 1983, when Lara was four years old, her family decided to leave Romania, which was a socialist country at the time. They planned to move to Canada but ended up settling in West Germany. After living in the city of Freiburg, they moved to West Berlin. During this time, Lara learned to speak German fluently.

Acting Career

Starting on Television

Lara began her acting career at a young age. By the time she was sixteen, she was already playing main characters in different television shows in Germany. This experience helped her become a talented actress.

Breakthrough in Movies

Lara's big break in movies came in 2004 with the film Downfall. In this movie, she played Traudl Junge, the secretary of Adolf Hitler. The film was nominated for an Academy Award, and Lara's performance received a lot of praise.

Her role in Downfall caught the attention of famous director Francis Ford Coppola. He was so impressed that he wrote her a letter and offered her a leading role in his 2007 film, Youth Without Youth.

International Success

After her success in Downfall, Lara starred in many international films.

• In 2007, she played journalist Annik Honoré in the movie Control.
• In 2008, she was a jury member at the famous Cannes Film Festival.
• She also acted in major films like The Reader and Der Baader Meinhof Komplex. Both of these movies were nominated for Academy Awards in 2009.
• In 2013, she appeared in the popular racing movie Rush.
• In 2018, she starred with her husband, Sam Riley, in the movie Happy New Year, Colin Burstead.

In 2022, Lara became a president of the Deutsche Filmakademie (German Film Academy), an important organization for German filmmakers.

Personal Life

Lara with her husband, Sam Riley, at a film festival in 2020.

In August 2009, Lara married English actor Sam Riley. They met while working together on the movie Control. They also acted together in the films Suite Française and Happy New Year, Colin Burstead.

In January 2014, they had their first child, a son.

Selected Filmography

Here is a list of some of Alexandra Maria Lara's most well-known movies and TV shows.

• The Tunnel (2001)
• Doctor Zhivago (2002)
• Napoléon (2002)
• Downfall (2004)
• Control (2007)
• Youth Without Youth (2007)
• The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)
• The Reader (2008)
• Rush (2013)
• Suite Française (2015)
• Geostorm (2017)
• 25 km/h (2018)
• The Collini Case (2019)
• The King's Man (2021)
• The Sitting Duck (2022)

See also

In Spanish: Alexandra Maria Lara para niños