Ulrich Noethen
Biography
Ulrich Noethen (born Ulrich Schmid; * November 18, 1959, in Munich) is a German actor, radio drama performer, and audiobook narrator. He is considered one of Germany's most renowned film actors and gained widespread public recognition through his role in the feature film *Comedian Harmonists*. Noethen grew up as the youngest of five children in a pastor's family. After graduating from high school in Augsburg, he initially studied law before deciding to pursue acting; he subsequently completed his studies at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart. He adopted the stage name "Noethen" from his grandmother's maiden name. His theater career began in the mid-1980s at the *Städtische Bühnen Freiburg* (Freiburg Municipal Theaters). Further engagements took him to venues such as the *Schauspiel Köln* (Cologne Playhouse) and the *Staatliche Schauspielbühnen Berlin* (Berlin State Theaters), where he distinguished himself with roles in classics such as *Faust* and *A Midsummer Night's Dream*. He achieved his cinematic breakthrough in 1997 with the role of Harry Frommermann in *Comedian Harmonists*. For this performance, he received the German Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, as well as the Bavarian Film Award. Numerous other defining roles in film and television followed. Among his most well-known works are the family films *Das Sams*, *Bibi Blocksberg*, and *Das fliegende Klassenzimmer*. In *Der Untergang* (Downfall), he played Heinrich Himmler, while in *Mein Führer – Die wirklich wahrste Wahrheit über Adolf Hitler* (My Führer – The Truly Truest Truth About Adolf Hitler), he offered a satirical interpretation of the same historical figure. Other significant productions include *Gripsholm*, *Ein fliehendes Pferd*, *Hannah Arendt*, and *Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank* (The Diary of Anne Frank), in which he portrayed Otto Frank. Since 2014, Noethen has starred as the psychiatrist Dr. Jessen in the crime series *Neben der Spur*. Additionally, he appeared as Ferdinand Sauerbruch in the historical drama series *Charité*. Noethen has received numerous awards and honors, including the *Goldene Kamera* (Golden Camera), the *Adolf-Grimme-Preis*, and multiple nominations for the German Film Award. He lives in Berlin-Charlottenburg and is in a relationship with the writer Alina Bronsky.
Known For
Scene of the Crime
1970
Scene of the Crime
1970
Scene of the Crime
1970
Scene of the Crime
1970
Volle Kanne
1999
Morgenmagazin
1992
The Old Fox
1977
NDR Talk Show
1979
Wer weiß denn sowas?
2015
Polizeiruf 110
1971
A Case For Two
1981
Mein Nachmittag
2008
Filmography
Scene of the Crime
as Dr. Zimmer · 1970
Scene of the Crime
as Nat Dorsey · 1970
Scene of the Crime
as Hans Wolff · 1970
Scene of the Crime
as Staatsanwalt Jörg Reinhardt · 1970
Volle Kanne
as Self · 1999
Morgenmagazin
as Self · 1992
The Old Fox
as Prof. Simon Holter · 1977
NDR Talk Show
as Self · 1979
Wer weiß denn sowas?
as Self · 2015
Polizeiruf 110
as Alexander Beck · 1971
A Case For Two
as Dr. Jürgen Mattes · 1981
Mein Nachmittag
as Self · 2008
Im Namen des Gesetzes
as Frank Kleinert · 1994
Menschen der Woche
as Self · 2000
Babylon Berlin
as Dr. Edmund Forster · 2017
Bambi
as Self · 1948
Vienna Blood
as Graf von Triebenbach · 2019
German Film Award
as Self · 1951
Quizduell-Olymp
as Self · 2015
Grimme Award
as Self · 1964
Goldene Kamera
as Self · 1984
Der Kriminalist
as Ulli Grützke · 2006
Siska
as Albert Branner · 1998
Siska
as Erwin Schöller · 1998
Blauer Panther
as Self · 1989
Bavarian Film Awards
as Self · 1979
Thadeusz
as self · 2005
Deutscher Fernsehpreis
as Self · 1999
Deutschland
as General Wolfgang Edel · 2015
Kommissar Stolberg
as Ralf Reger · 2006
Charité
as Ferdinand Sauerbruch · 2017
Downfall
as Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler · 2004
Furia
as Brehme · 2021
Eurocops
· 1988
Stadtklinik
as Robert Wasser · 1993
Die Verbrechen des Professor Capellari
· 1998
Rosa Roth
as Ralf Vorburg · 1994
Under Suspicion
as Max Wemmer · 2002
Lesenswert
as Self · 2013
Zwei Brüder
as Ludwig Hellmann · 1994
Sperling
as Herr Krause · 1996
NSU German History X
as Helmut Roewer · 2016
Neben der Spur
as Dr. Johannes Jessen · 2015
Marie Brand
as Professor Jacobsen · 2008
The Promise
as Leo Rosenbaum · 2011
Hindenburg: The Last Flight
as Ernst Lehmann · 2011
Die Patriarchin
as Bent Peerson · 2005
Parallel Me
as Thomas · 2025
Miss Sophie - Same Procedure as Every Year
as Butler Mortimer · 2025
Bibi Blocksberg
as Bernhard Blocksberg · 2002
Ku'damm 59
as Kurt Moser · 2018
Ku'damm 63
as Kurt Moser · 2021
Die Partner
as Martin Zobel · 1995
Love & Chaos
Hannah Arendt
as Hans Jonas · 2012
Gladbeck Freaks Out
as Einsatzleiter Recklinghausen · 2018
My Führer
as Heinrich Himmler · 2007
Vera Brühne
as Oberstaatsanwalt Böck · 2001
The Wasp
as Nobbe Zosch · 2021
54 Hours: The Gladbeck Hostage Crisis
as Einsatzleiter Recklinghausen · 2018
Unterleuten: The Torn Village
as Dr. Gerhard Fließ · 2020
Bibi Blocksberg and the Secret of Blue Owls
as Bernhard Blocksberg · 2004
3satBuchzeit
as Self · 2006
Teufelsbraten
as Vater · 2008
Wendland
as Jakob Stiller · 2022
A Coffee in Berlin
as Walter Fischer · 2012
The Harmonists
as Harry Frommermann · 1997
Pettson and Findus: A Little Nuisance, a Great Friendship
as Pettersson · 2014
Henri 4
as Karl IX · 2010
The German Lesson
as Jens Ole Jepsen · 2019
Makellos - Eine kurze Welle des Glücks
as Anton Laux · 2026
My Husband, An Assassin
as Paul Frei · 2013
The Green Desert
as Detlef · 1999
The Man with the Bassoon
as Rudi Bockelmann · 2011
Die Luftbrücke
as Alexander Kielberg · 2005
The Diary of Anne Frank
as Otto Heinrich Frank · 2016
I'm The Father
as Nico Ellermann · 2002
Jew-boy Levi
as Ingenieur Kohler · 1999
Moon Man
as The Father (voice) · 2012
Cracks in the Shell
as Kaspar Friedmann · 2012
Hitler's Final Days: The Movie 'Downfall'
as Self · 2005
TKKG - The Secret of the Mysterious Mind Machine
as Lehrer Herr Manek · 2006
Heirate mir!
as Eugen Schafmeyer · 2001
The Flying Classroom
as Dr. Johann 'Justus' Bökh · 2003
Louis van Beethoven
as Christian Gottlob Neefe · 2020
Das Sams in Gefahr
Bangkok - Ein Mädchen verschwindet
as Sven Arnhold · 1999
The Invisible Girl
as Wilhelm Michel · 2011
Mörderische Elite
as Klee · 2004
Kennen Sie Ihren Liebhaber?
as Kai Stellmann · 2012
Beresina
as Dr. Alfred Waldvogel · 1999
Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace
as Hans von Dohnanyi · 2000
Busenfreunde
as Bernhard Kroll · 1997
Unexpected
as Bernd · 2014
Beckmann und Markowski: Gehetzt
as Rablonski · 1999
The Red Jacket
as Vater · 2002
Jargo
as Schuldirektor · 2004
St. Louis
as Captain Gustav Schröder · 2019
Meine Tochter und der Millionär
as Moritz von Wrede · 2009
Es ist nicht vorbei
as Prof. Wolfgang Limberg · 2011
Von Mäusen und Lügen
as Dr. Arnold 'Arnie' Fischer · 2011
Busenfreunde 2 - Alles wird gut!
as Bernhard · 1998
Brecht - Die Kunst zu leben
as Narrator (voice) · 2006
Eine Hand wäscht die Andere
as Chlodwig Pullmann · 2012
The Young Schiller
as Buchhändler Schwan · 2005
Life Actually
as Roland Spatz · 2007
The Deep End
as Steffen · 1997
Erntedank - Ein Allgäu-Krimi
as Günter Hartmann · 2009
The Scorpion
as Arno Jürging · 1997
The Slurb
as Mr. Taschenbier · 2001
Aghet
as Armin Wegner · 2010
Secret Stories
as Reiner · 2004
¿De qué lado estás?
· 2002
The Inventive Lady
as Gregor · 2013
The General Case
as Fritz Bauer · 2016
Was wenn der Tod uns scheidet
as Joachim Hellwig · 2008
The Boxer and the Hairdresser
as Fränki Laue · 2004
Mein ist die Rache
as Girres · 1997
Sams im Glück
as Bruno Taschenbier · 2012
Off Beat
as Prof. Olivari · 2004
My Magical Friend Sams
as Bruno Taschenbier · 2003
Das Rätsel des blutroten Rubins
as Prof. Planitz · 2001
Kommissar Süden und der Luftgitarrist
as Tabor Süden · 2009
Trau’ niemals deinem Chef
as Oskar Moedebeck · 2010
Gripsholm
as Kurt · 2000
Kommissar Süden und das Geheimnis der Königin
as Tabor Süden · 2009
Polly Blue Eyes
as Herbert Pinn · 2005
Die Eisläuferin
as Helmuth Wendt · 2015
Lügen haben linke Hände
as Max Timmermann · 2011
Allerleirauh
as King Tobald · 2012
Ein starker Abgang
as Arzt 2 · 2008
Runaway Horse
as Helmut · 2007
Zwei übern Berg
as Paul · 2012
Rumpe und Tuli
as Therapeut · 2010
Tsunami oder: Die Maximale Mitmenschlichkeit
· 2006
Silberhochzeit
as Leo · 2006
Ausgerechnet Weihnachten
as Carl · 2005
Josefa’s Return
as Norbert Blume · 2024
Long Shadows
as Volker Widmer · 2008
Departure
as Hillas Vater · 2016
Der Parkhausmörder
as Jochen Stein · 1996
Broken Glass Park
as Volker Trebur · 2013
Lautlose Schritte
as Henry Stöver · 1996
Ett enklare liv
as Peter Hoffman · 2008