Daniel Brühl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daniel Brühl
Brühl in 2020
Born	Daniel César Martín Brühl González (1978-06-16) 16 June 1978 (age 47) Barcelona, Spain
Nationality	German Spanish
Occupation	Actor film producer
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Felicitas Rombold ​ (m. 2017)​
Partner(s)	Jessica Schwarz (2001–2006)
Children	2

Daniel Brühl is a German-Spanish actor and film producer. He was born on June 16, 1978, in Barcelona, Spain. He is known for his roles in many popular films and TV shows.

Brühl has won several important awards, including the European Film Awards and German Film Awards. He has also been nominated for major awards like the Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA Award. He became famous for his role in the German film Good Bye, Lenin! (2003). Later, he gained worldwide attention for playing Fredrick Zoller in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009). He also received great praise for his role as Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda in the movie Rush (2013). In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he plays the villain Helmut Zemo.

Early Life and Family

Daniel Brühl was born in Barcelona on June 16, 1978. His father, Hanno Brühl, was a German TV director. His mother, Marisa González Domingo, was a Spanish teacher. He was born in Spain because his mother preferred Spanish doctors. Soon after he was born, his family moved to Cologne, Germany, where he grew up.

Daniel has a brother named Oliver and a sister named Miriam. They learned to speak Spanish, German, Catalan, and French at home. This helped him later in his acting career. He went to secondary school at the Dreikönigsgymnasium in Cologne.

Daniel Brühl's Acting Journey

Starting Out: 1995–2002

Daniel Brühl started acting when he was young, even without special training. He performed in school plays and began doing radio plays at age 8. Later, he worked in a studio where he dubbed voices for movies. This led to a talent agency recommending him for acting roles.

At 15, Brühl got a small part in the TV film Svens Geheimnis. He also played a street kid named Benji in the TV show Verbotene Liebe (Forbidden Love) in 1995. He continued to appear in TV series for several years. In 1999, he made his first film appearance in Paradise Mall. He also voiced a character in the German version of Le château des singes. In 2000, he got his first main role in the film Schule.

In 2001, he played important roles in films like The White Sound, Nichts Bereuen, and Honolulu. For his work in The White Sound, Brühl wanted to understand his character better. He met someone who had similar mental health challenges to make his portrayal realistic. He won the German Film Award for Best Actor in 2002 for these roles.

Becoming Famous: 2003–2008

Brühl in 2004

Brühl became internationally famous in 2003 with the German film Good Bye, Lenin!. This movie is a comedy-drama about a German family during the time Germany was reunified. The film was very successful and won many awards, including at the European Film Awards and German Film Awards. It was shown in over 65 countries. For this role, Brühl won the European Film Award for Best Actor.

In 2004, Brühl starred in The Edukators, a film about young activists. This movie was very popular and received a long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. It helped make him even more well-known.

Later that year, Brühl made his first English-speaking film, Ladies in Lavender. He acted alongside famous English actresses Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. He also played a German soldier in the 2005 World War I film Joyeux Noël. This film showed his amazing ability to speak German, French, and English.

In 2006, he was invited to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival. He also voiced Lightning McQueen in the German version of the movie Cars. In 2007, he had a small role in the action film The Bourne Ultimatum. In 2008, he played a young Nazi soldier in the film In Transit.

Global Recognition: 2009–2015

In 2009, Daniel Brühl starred in John Rabe, a film about a German businessman who saved many Chinese people during a war. He also played a German war hero named Fredrick Zoller in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. This film was a huge success and won many awards. Brühl and his co-stars won an award for their great teamwork as an acting group.

In 2011, he starred in the science fiction film Eva and played a teacher who brought football to Germany in Lessons of a Dream. He also acted alongside Jane Fonda in All Together.

Brühl at the Berlin Embassy of the United States in 2015

A big moment in his career came in 2013 when he played Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda in the movie Rush. To prepare for the role, he took racing lessons and met Niki Lauda himself. He even went to a real Formula 1 race to understand the atmosphere. He had to spend many hours each day in makeup to look like Lauda. His performance was praised by critics and earned him nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award.

In 2014, he starred in A Most Wanted Man with Philip Seymour Hoffman. In 2015, he was part of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival. He also played a journalist in Woman in Gold alongside Helen Mirren. In the film Burnt, he played a restaurant manager. To get ready for this role, he trained as a real restaurant manager in a famous London restaurant.

Marvel and Beyond: 2016–Present

In 2016, Brühl joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the supervillain Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War. He acted alongside Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.. He later returned as Zemo in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in 2021. His dancing in the series became very popular online!

In 2017, he played a Nazi zoologist in the World War II film The Zookeeper's Wife. From 2018 to 2020, he played the main character, Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, in the TV series The Alienist. To prepare, he learned about famous psychologists and even talked to criminal psychologists. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role in this series.

In 2021, Daniel Brühl directed his first film, a dark comedy called Next Door. He also acted in the film, playing a funny version of himself. The film won an award at the Taormina Film Festival, and Brühl won Best Actor. In 2022, he was an executive producer and actor in the Academy Award-nominated Netflix film All Quiet on the Western Front.

Personal Life

Brühl with his wife Felicitas Rombold at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival

Daniel Brühl was in a relationship with actress Jessica Schwarz for several years. Since 2010, he has been with Felicitas Rombold, who is a psychotherapist. They got married in 2017 and have two sons, born in 2016 and 2020.

When he's not acting, Brühl enjoys running, hiking, and playing or watching tennis. His favorite tennis player is Rafael Nadal.

Helping Others

Since 2017, Daniel Brühl has supported the World Food Programme, which helps feed people around the world. In 2019, he joined campaigns to encourage unity in Europe and to fight diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. He also supported a fund to protect the Amazon rainforest. In 2020, he donated a personal item to help refugees.

Other Projects

Daniel Brühl has also written books. His book Ein Tag in Barcelona describes a day in Barcelona. He also co-wrote Tapas!, a cookbook with recipes from a tapas bar.

Since 2011, Brühl has been a co-owner of a tapas bar called Bar Raval in Berlin. He also had another bar for a few years.

Film and Television Roles

Here are some of Daniel Brühl's most notable roles in films and TV shows:

Film

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Television

Awards and Nominations

Daniel Brühl has won many awards for his acting. Here are some of the most important ones:

Images for kids

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  Daniel Brühl in 2020

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  Brühl in 2004

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  Brühl at the Berlin Embassy of the United States in 2015

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  Brühl with his wife Felicitas Rombold at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival

See also

In Spanish: Daniel Brühl para niños