Armin Mueller-Stahl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Armin Mueller-Stahl
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Mueller-Stahl in October 2007
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| Born | 17 December 1930 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1956–2015 |
Armin Mueller-Stahl (born December 17, 1930) is a German actor who is now retired. He became famous for his roles in German films. Later, he also starred in many English-language movies starting in the 1980s. He was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his part in the movie Shine. In 2011, he received a special award called the Honorary Golden Bear for his amazing career.
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Early Life and Talents
Armin Mueller-Stahl was born in a place called Tilsit, which was then in East Prussia, Germany. Today, this place is known as Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, in Russia. His mother, Editta, came from a wealthy family and became a university professor. His father, Alfred Müller, worked at a bank. The family name was changed to "Mueller-Stahl."
During World War II, his father fought in the war. The rest of his family moved to Berlin. When Armin was a teenager, he was a very good concert violinist. In 1952, he decided to study acting at a school in East Berlin.
A Career on Screen
Armin Mueller-Stahl started his acting career in East Germany. He performed in many films and plays. Some of his well-known movies from that time include Her Third and Jacob the Liar. He also played the main character in a popular TV spy show called Das unsichtbare Visier from 1973 to 1979. This show was made to be like the James Bond films.
In 1976, Armin Mueller-Stahl spoke out against a government decision. Because of this, he faced difficulties with the government and was not allowed to work in films for a while. In 1980, he moved to West Germany. There, he quickly found many new acting jobs. He worked with famous directors like Rainer Werner Fassbinder in films such as Lola (1981) and Veronika Voss (1982). He also appeared in the movie Colonel Redl (1985), which was nominated for an Academy Award.
Becoming an International Actor
Armin Mueller-Stahl began acting in American films in the late 1980s. In 1987, he played a Soviet general in the TV show Amerika. His first big American movie role was in Music Box (1989). He played the father of Jessica Lange's character.
His performance in the 1990 film Avalon was highly praised. In this movie, he played a Jewish immigrant who moved to the United States. He then took on many interesting roles in films like Kafka (1991) by Steven Soderbergh and Night on Earth (1991) by Jim Jarmusch.
In 1992, Armin Mueller-Stahl won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival for his role in Utz. A few years later, in 1996, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie Shine. He also appeared in the 1997 remake of 12 Angry Men.
Armin Mueller-Stahl even directed his first film, Conversation with the Beast, in 1996. In 1998, he played a German scientist in The X-Files movie. He continued to take on diverse roles, including playing a criminal mastermind in Pilgrim (1999).
Later Roles and Recognition
In the early 2000s, Armin Mueller-Stahl received good reviews for playing the famous writer Thomas Mann in a German TV series called Die Manns - Ein Jahrhundertroman. In 2004, he appeared in four episodes of the American TV show The West Wing, playing the Prime Minister of Israel.
He continued to act in important films. He played a Russian artist in Local Color (2006). He also had villain roles in David Cronenberg's crime movie Eastern Promises (2007) and the thriller The International (2009). For Eastern Promises, he won the Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in 2008. In 2009, he played Cardinal Strauss in the movie Angels & Demons.
In 2011, Armin Mueller-Stahl was honored with the Honorary Golden Bear at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. This award celebrates his lifetime achievements in film. He has also supported the Freya von Moltke Stiftung, a foundation that works for peace and understanding.
Awards and Honors
Armin Mueller-Stahl has received many important awards for his acting:
- Berlin Film Festival
- Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival
- Berlinale Camera at the 47th Berlin International Film Festival
- Honorary Golden Bear at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival
- Lifetime Achievement Award of Zurich Film Festival (2015)
- Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (2007)
- Honorary citizen of Sovetsk (2011)
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; Knight Commander's Cross, Great Cross with Star (Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz mit Stern) (2008)
- Honorary Citizen of Schleswig-Holstein (as of 5. Person) (2010)
See also
In Spanish: Armin Mueller-Stahl para niños
- List of German-speaking Academy Award winners and nominees
