Klaus Maria Brandauer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Klaus Maria Brandauer
Brandauer at the Vienna International Film Festival 2012
Born	Klaus Georg Steng (1943-06-22) 22 June 1943 (age 81) Bad Aussee, Styria, Nazi Germany
Occupation	Actor, director
Years active	1962–present
Spouse(s)	Karin Mueller ​ ​ (m. 1963; died 1992)​ (1 child) Natalie Krenn ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	1

Klaus Maria Brandauer (born Klaus Georg Steng on June 22, 1943) is a famous actor and director from Austria. He is also a teacher at the Max Reinhardt Seminar, a well-known acting school.

Brandauer is famous around the world for his roles in many movies. Some of his best-known films include Mephisto (1981), Never Say Never Again (1983), Out of Africa (1985), and White Fang (1991).

He was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe Award for his role in Out of Africa. Klaus Maria Brandauer can act in at least five languages, including German, Italian, Hungarian, English, and French.

About Klaus Maria Brandauer

Brandauer was born as Klaus Georg Steng in Bad Aussee, Austria. At that time, Austria was part of Nazi Germany. His mother was Maria Brandauer, and his father was Georg Steng, who worked for the government. Klaus later decided to use his mother's last name as part of his professional name, becoming Klaus Maria Brandauer.

He married Karin Katharina Müller in 1963. She was a film director and writer. They were both teenagers when they got married. They had one son named Christian. Karin passed away in 1992 when she was 47 years old. Brandauer married Natalie Krenn in 2007.

His Acting Career

Klaus Maria Brandauer started acting on stage in 1962. After working in plays and on television in his home country, he made his first English-language movie in 1972 called The Salzburg Connection.

Rising to Fame

His big break came with the movie Mephisto (1981). In this film, he played an actor who was very focused on himself. This role helped him become famous around the world. He later worked with the same director, István Szabó, in the 1985 movie Oberst Redl.

Brandauer in 1982

James Bond and Other Big Roles

After Mephisto, Brandauer played the villain Maximillian Largo in Never Say Never Again (1983). This movie was a remake of the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball. Film critic Roger Ebert praised his acting, saying that Brandauer made the villain more human and charming.

He also starred in Out of Africa (1985) alongside famous actors Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. For this role, Brandauer was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe. In 1987, he was the head of the jury at the 37th Berlin International Film Festival, which is a big film event.

Directing Films

Brandauer has also directed two movies. In 1989, he directed Seven Minutes [de], where he also played the main character, Georg Elser. Elser was a real person who tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

In 1994, Brandauer directed Mario and the Magician. This movie was based on a story by Thomas Mann. In it, Brandauer played Cipolla, a magician with special powers to hypnotize people.

Later Work

His other film roles include The Lightship (1986), Streets of Gold (1986), Burning Secret (1988), and White Fang (1991). He also played Georges Danton in the historical TV miniseries La Révolution française (1989). In 1998, he played King Nebuchadnezzar II in the TV film Jeremiah.

In 2006, Brandauer directed a new production of The Threepenny Opera, a famous musical play. His version stuck closely to the original story and avoided current political topics.

Filmography

Awards

• 1982: BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles – Mephisto (nominated)
• 1985: Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor – Out of Africa (won)
• 1985: National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor – Out of Africa (won)
• 1985: NYFCC Award for Best Supporting Actor – Out of Africa (won)
• 1986: Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture – Out of Africa (won)
• 1986: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor – Out of Africa (nominated)
• 1987: BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Out of Africa (nominated)
• 1988: European Film Award for Best Actor – Hanussen (nominated)
• 1988: Golden Ciak for Best Actor – Hanussen (won)
• 1989: Bavarian Film Awards for Best Actor – Burning Secret (won)
• 1995: Andrei Tarkovsky Award for Mario and the Magician (won)
• 1995: Golden St. George for Mario and the Magician (nominated)
• 2000: Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film – Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (nominated)
• 2000: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie – Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (nominated)

See also

In Spanish: Klaus Maria Brandauer para niños

• List of German-speaking Academy Award winners and nominees