A legendary actor who starts his career in a German soap opera? It may sound like a fairy tale, but this exceptional actor made it: from ZDF directly to Hollywood’s dream factory.
The actor in the picture started his career in a kitschy soap opera 30 years ago. But then things went steeply uphill: the first movies followed, and soon Hollywood was knocking on the door.
Do you already have an idea who it is? A little tip before we tell you the solution: he received international acclaim for his impressive role in Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece Inglourious Basterds. Later, he was even nominated for several Golden Globe Awards.
Today he is a Hollywood star: Daniel Brühl made it to the top
Actor Daniel Brühl (46) has achieved what many German actors can only dream of: a real career as a Hollywood star. The son of a German father and a Spanish mother speaks five languages fluently – an advantage that has benefited his international career.
After initial German-language successes, Brühl appeared as sniper Fredrick Zoller in the Oscar-nominated Tarantino film Inglourious Basterds (2009), inspiring an audience of millions.
Further dream roles followed, including his portrayal of Formula 1 legend Niki Lauda in Rush (2014). Brühl’s performance was so convincing that he even received a Golden Globe nomination for his role. He was nominated again for the prestigious award in 2019 for his performance in the Netflix series The Alienist. In 2021, he made the leap into the Marvel cosmos with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Everyone starts small – Daniel Brühl got his start in Verbotene Liebe
Today, Daniel Brühl is a Hollywood star who can be seen in expensive mega-productions. But it wasn’t always like that: Brühl started his career in the gloriously kitschy soap opera Verbotene Liebe (Forbidden Love, ZDF). In 1995, he played Benji Kirchner, a teenager who lives in the orphanage Cuckoo Land and struggles with his difficult past. With his 90s-style mullet hairdo and tattered leather jacket, he proved even as a teenager how much talent he had.
In an interview with BZ, Brühl revealed that he is quite embarrassed about the role today:
I was only 15 and my name was Benji in the movie. I wore a leather jacket and had a white rat that constantly shat on my jacket. I hope this is never repeated!
Only eight years later, Brühl made his breakthrough on the big screen: with the tragicomedy Good Bye, Lenin! (2003), the young actor not only thrilled German audiences, but also won over international fans. The rest, as they say, is history.
