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Thomas Kretschmann
Thomas Kretschmann in March 2012.jpg
Kretschmann in March 2012
Born (1962-09-08) 8 September 1962 (age 62)
Dessau, Bezirk Halle, East Germany
Occupation Actor, screenwriter, producer
Years active 1985–present
Partner(s) Brittany Rice (2011–present)
Children 3

Thomas Kretschmann (pronounced [ˈtoːmas ˈkʁɛtʃman]; born 8 September 1962) is a German actor who has appeared in many European and American films. His notable roles include Lieutenant Hans von Witzland in Stalingrad (1993), Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in The Pianist (2002), Hermann Fegelein in Downfall (2004), Captain Englehorn in King Kong (2005), Major Otto Remer in Valkyrie (2008), the voice of Professor Z in Cars 2 (2011), and as the journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter in A Taxi Driver (2017). He also portrayed Baron Wolfgang von Strucker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).

Kretschmann has twice been nominated for the Deutscher Fernsehpreis for Best Actor. He is also a European Film Award and Nika Award nominee.

Career

At the age of 25, he began acting, starring in numerous European films and television series, including Westler in 1985. Then in 1991, Kretschmann was awarded the Max Ophüls Prize for best young actor for his role in Der Mitwisser. He went on to star in his first full-length feature, the 1993 film Stalingrad. .....

Although popular in his homeland, Kretschmann did not achieve notice in Hollywood until his role as Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in Roman Polanski's 2002 film The Pianist. In the years since, Kretschmann has often portrayed military officers in films about the Third Reich. In the 2004 film Downfall, Kretschmann played Hermann Fegelein, a Waffen-SS colonel and brother-in-law to Eva Braun. In the 2008 thriller Valkyrie, Kretschmann played Major Otto Ernst Remer, a Wehrmacht officer who had a key role in stopping the 20 July Plot. Prior to the casting of Tom Cruise, Kretschmann had been considered to play Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Kretschmann also played Adolf Eichmann in a 2007 biographical film.

Kretschmann made his first appearance on American television in 2003 when he guest starred in two episodes of 24 as Max, a role he would reprise in the 2006 video game adaptation. He later also appeared in Relic Hunter. In 2004, Kretschmann played Timothy Cain, a ruthless Umbrella major, in Resident Evil: Apocalypse. In the same year, he appeared in the French film Immortal with Linda Hardy. The film was notable for its use of a digital backlot and interaction between Computer-generated characters and real actors. In 2005, Kretschmann won a role in Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong, where he worked again with Adrien Brody, with whom he had costarred in The Pianist.

The following year, Kretschmann began to win acclaim for his role in Butterfly: A Grimm Love Story (Rohtenburg in Germany). A psychological thriller, the movie co-stars Keri Russell and was inspired by the Armin Meiwes cannibalism case. It was scheduled for a March 2006 release in Germany, but its showing is under injunction after Meiwes successfully sued to have it banned on grounds of infringement of his personality rights. At the 2006 Festival de Cine de Sitges, Kretschmann shared the Best Actor award for his performance in this film with his co-star Thomas Huber. Kretschmann also shared Best Actor with Huber at the 2007 Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival.

In 2008, Kretschmann was hired to voice Johann Krauss in Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II: The Golden Army. However, after several trials del Toro decided that Kretschmann's voice and the mechanical sound FX to Johann's suit did not mesh well, so the part went to Seth MacFarlane. That same year, he appeared in the action thriller Wanted, alongside Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy.

Transsiberian-Pressekonferenz 0974
Thomas Kretschmann (far left) at a press conference for the Film Transsiberian, 2008

2009 saw Kretschmann guest star in the American science-fiction TV drama series FlashForward, as well as a major secondary part in the British biopic The Young Victoria as King Leopold I of Belgium. This film also received three Academy Awards nominations in 2010 for Best Art Direction, Makeup, and won for Costume Design.

The next year he returned to Germany, guest starring as himself in the romantic comedy Rabbit without Ears 2. Kretschmann then moved to Malaysia in the summer to shoot his scenes for the German biopic Jungle Child based on the eponymous bestseller by Sabine Kuegler. The film was released in early 2011. Walt Disney Pictures confirmed in November 2010, that Kretschmann would star as one of the voice talents in the Pixar film Cars 2. The film was released in the United States on 24 June 2011, in the United Kingdom on 22 July and in Germany on 28 July.

Kretschmann starred as Captain Kurt Brynildson in the 2011–2012 ABC original paranormal/adventure/horror television series The River about a group of people on a mission to find a missing TV explorer in the Amazon.

Kretschmann signed a multi-film contract with Marvel Studios to play Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, and first appeared as the character in a post-credits scene of the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He had a larger role as the character in the 2015 movie Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Kretschmann often re-records his own parts for the German dubs of his screen roles. Aside from acting, Kretschmann has also worked as a fashion model, including a stint as the face for a scent by Hugo Boss.

Filmography

Year Title Role Language Other notes
1989 Der Mitwisser Paul German Television film
Max Ophüls Prize for Best Young Actor
1992 Shining Through Man At Zurich Station English  
The Warrior's Heart Lieutenant Maximillian Luedt Norwegian
1993 Stalingrad Leutnant Hans Von Witzland German  
Die Ratte Sven German  
1994 La Reine Margot Nançay French  
1995 Derrick The Husband of The Murderess German Television series; Season 22, Episode 4: "Teestunde mit einer Mörderin"
I Love My Daughter's Husband [it] Michael German Television film
1996 The Stendhal Syndrome Alfredo Grossi Italian  
Marching in Darkness (Marciando nel buio) Gianni Tricarico Italian  
1997 Refuge Santos German Television film
Prince Valiant Thagnar English  
1998 Ms. Diamond Tim Kaiser German Television film
1999 Esther: The Bible King Ahasuerus of Persia English Television film
Der Solist Philip Lanart German Television series, 4 episodes 1999–2003
2000 U-571 Kapitänleutnant Günther Wassner English  
2001 Hostile Takeover Robert Fernau German  
The Knights of the Quest Vanni Delle Rondini English  
2002 Blade II Eli Damaskinos English  
The Pianist Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld English  
2003 24 Max English Episodes: "Day 2: 6:00 a.m.–7:00 a.m." & "Day 2: 7:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m."
2004 In Enemy Hands First Watch Officer Ludwig Cremer English  
Immortal Nikopol French
English
 
Downfall SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein German  
Resident Evil: Apocalypse Major Timothy Cain English  
The Karate Dog Gerber English Television film
Head in the Clouds Major Franz Bietrich English  
Frankenstein Dr. Victor Helios English Television film
2005 Schneeland Aron German  
Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II English Television film
King Kong Captain Englehorn English  
King Kong: The Video Game Captain Englehorn English Video game
2006 Grimm Love Oliver Hartwin English Best Actor, Sitges 2006 (shared with co-star Thomas Huber)  
Best Actor, PiFan 2007 (shared with co-star Thomas Huber)  
The Celestine Prophecy Wil English  
24: The Game Max English Video game
2007 Next Mr. Smith English
In Transit Max English
Eichmann Adolf Eichmann English
Bionic Woman The Man English Television series (episode one)
Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps Paul German
2008 Wanted Cross English  
Transsiberian Kolzak English
Mogadischu Captain Jürgen Schumann German Television film
The Sea Wolf [de] Captain Wolf Larsen German Television film
Valkyrie Otto Ernst Remer English
2009 The Young Victoria King Leopold I of Belgium English
King Conqueror Archbishop of Tarragona English
Wanted: Weapons of Fate Cross English Video game
FlashForward Stefan Krieger English Television series
2010 The Frontier [de] Maximilian Schnell German Television film
2011 Cars 2 Professor Z English
German
Voice
The Sinking of the Laconia Admiral Dönitz English
German
Television film – BBC Productions
Jungle Child Klaus Kuegler German
The Cape Gregor The Great English Television series
Hostel: Part III Flemming English Direct-to-DVD
What a Man Jens German
2012 Dracula 3D Dracula English
The River Captain Kurt Brynildson English Television series
2013 Dracula Abraham Van Helsing English Television series
Stalingrad Peter Kahn Russian, German
Open Grave Lukas English
The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden Friedrich Ritter English Narration/voice
2014 Plastic Marcel English
United Passions Horst Dassler English
Captain America: The Winter Soldier Baron Wolfgang von Strucker English Uncredited cameo; mid-credits scene
2015 Avengers: Age of Ultron English
Hitman: Agent 47 Le Clerq English
Spectre Hannes Oberhauser English Photograph only
2016 Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Airplane Passenger English
Central Intelligence The Buyer English
Stratton Grigory Barovsky English
2017 The Blue Mauritius Holtz English
The Saint Rayt Marius English
Jungle Karl English
A Taxi Driver Jürgen Hinzpeter / Peter Korean German
Berlin Station Otto Ganz English TV series
2018 Dragged Across Concrete Lorentz Vogelmann English
Balloon Oberstleutnant Seidel German
Lore Inspector Georg Reingruber English TV series
Discarnate Dr. Andre Mason English
2019 Project Blue Book Wernher von Braun English TV series
2020 Waiting for Anya Nazi Corporal German
Westworld Gerald English TV series
Das Boot Friedrich Berger German TV series
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels Hoss English TV series
Greyhound Captain of The U-Boat Grey Wolf English
2021 American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally Joseph Goebbels English
Biohackers Baron Von Fürstenberg German TV series, season 2
2023 Infinity Pool Detective Thresh English
Last Sentinel Sergeant Hendrich English
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Colonel Weber English
Gran Turismo Patrice Capa English
Deliver Us Father Saul English
2024 American Star English
Upgraded English

Awards

  • Best Young Actor (Der Mitwisser), Max Ophüls Festival, 1991
  • Best Actor (Rohtenburg), Sitges – Catalan International Film Festival, 2006
  • Best Actor (Rohtenburg), Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, 2007

See also

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