Helena Zengel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Helena Zengel
Zengel at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival
Born	(2008-06-10) 10 June 2008 (age 17) Berlin, Germany
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2013–present

Helena Zengel is a talented actress from Germany. She was born on June 10, 2008. She is famous for her roles in movies like System Crasher (2019) and News of the World (2020). She also starred in The Legend of Ochi (2025).

Helena Zengel's Early Life

Helena grew up in Berlin, Germany. She started acting very young, at just five years old! Her first acting job was in a music video for a band called Abby.

Helena Zengel's Acting Career

First Roles in Films and TV

Helena's first main role in a movie was when she was eight years old. This was in a drama film called Die Tochter (which means The Daughter). This movie was shown at the Berlinale film festival in 2017. She also had small parts in two episodes of a German TV series called Die Spezialisten – Im Namen der Opfer.

Breakthrough in System Crasher

In 2019, Helena played the main character, Benni, in the drama film System Crasher. Benni is a nine-year-old girl who is aggressive and has been through a lot of trauma. The movie was written and directed by Nora Fingscheidt. It first showed at the Berlinale in February 2019. For her amazing performance, Helena won the German Film Prize for Best Actress in April 2020.

International Success with News of the World

After System Crasher won many awards around the world, Helena was chosen by Universal Pictures for a big role. She starred in the American Western film News of the World. This was her first international movie. The film was directed by the British film director Paul Greengrass.

In this movie, Helena played Johanna Leonberger. Johanna is a 10-year-old German orphan who was raised by the Kiowa people. She starred alongside Tom Hanks, who played Captain Jefferson Kidd. Most of Helena's lines in the movie were in the Kiowa language. Her performance earned her nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Helena also recorded her own voice for the Italian, German, French, and Spanish versions of the movie. This dubbing was only for the parts she spoke in English.

Recent Film Projects

In 2021, Helena appeared as Nina Cutter in A Christmas Number One. This was a romantic comedy about a young woman trying to help her uncle. The film was directed by Chris Cottam.

In 2024, Helena played a main role in the international film Transamazonia. This movie was directed by Pia Karais. Helena played Rebecca, the daughter of an American missionary in the Amazon rainforest. Rebecca's father claims she can heal people.

In 2025, Helena starred in the A24 fantasy adventure film The Legend of Ochi. She acted opposite Willem Dafoe in this movie.

Helena Zengel's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Music Videos

Awards and Nominations

Helena Zengel has been recognized for her acting with several awards and nominations.