Bruno Ganz
Biography
Bruno Ganz was a Swiss actor who worked in German-language stage, television and film productions for close to sixty years. Born in Zurich, he made his theater debut in 1961 and stayed chiefly on stage for nearly two decades, co-founding the Berliner Schaubühne company in 1970 and joining a Salzburg Festival production of a Thomas Bernhard play in 1972. Theater heute named him Actor of the Year in 1973. His film breakthrough came with Summerfolk in 1976, and he became known for The American Friend (1977), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) and Wings of Desire (1987) as the angel Damiel. His English-language work included The Boys from Brazil (1978), Luther (2003), The Manchurian Candidate (2004), The Reader (2008), Unknown (2011), The Counselor (2013) and Remember (2015). In 2000 he took the title part in Peter Stein's staging of Goethe's Faust, and in 2004 he played Adolf Hitler in Downfall, a performance that drew acclaim from critics.
77years old at death
- Born Zurich
- Died Au
- Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
Movie Career
- Films
- 26
- Career span
- 43 years1976 to 2019
Genres
First and latest
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First role
Ganz landed his first film role in 1960 in Der Herr mit der schwarzen Melone, but despite support from lead actor Gustav Knuth, the debut was not particularly successful and his film career only got off the ground many years later.
Big break
Ganz's breakthrough on film came with a major part in Summerfolk, released in 1976. That role launched a film career widely recognized in Europe and the United States.
Getting ready for a role
Ganz played Adolf Hitler in the 2004 film Der Untergang (Downfall), a part he took on after spending four months researching the role.
Beyond film
Ganz was a speaker in classical music works. In 1993 he took part in a recording of Luigi Nono's Il canto sospeso with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
Bruno Ganz movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Wim Wenders directed three of these films. Otto Sander appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Otto Sander's page
Peter Falk's page
Javier Bardem's page
Lena Olin's page
Alexandra Maria Lara's page
August Diehl's page
All films by Wim Wenders
Also two films together11 more actors
- David KrossAge of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas (2013) and The Reader (2008)
- Karl MarkovicsA Hidden Life (2019) and Unknown (2011)
- Martina GedeckNight Train to Lisbon (2013) and The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)
- Johannes KrischA Hidden Life (2019) and The Tobacconist (2018)
- Volker BruchThe Baader Meinhof Complex (2008) and The Reader (2008)
- Stipe ErcegUnknown (2011) and The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)
- Hannah HerzsprungThe Baader Meinhof Complex (2008) and The Reader (2008)
- Maria SimonA Hidden Life (2019) and Luther (2003)
- Rainer SellienUnknown (2011) and The Reader (2008)
- Solveig DommartinFaraway, So Close! (1993) and Wings of Desire (1987)
- Torsten MichaelisUnknown (2011) and The Reader (2008)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Bruno Ganz's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$518 million
18 of the 26 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 26 films: 18 worldwide figure; 4 us gross only; 1 never in cinemas; 3 figure not found.
- 18Worldwide figure
- 4US gross only
- 1Never in cinemas
- 3Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 95% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$131M25.3% of the total
- 2$109M21.0% of the total
- 3$96M18.6% of the total
- 4$71M13.7% of the total
- 5$29M5.7% of the total
- 6$27M5.2% of the total
- 7$19M3.7% of the total
- 8$9.7M1.9% of the total
$26.0 millionfrom the other 10 films with a worldwide figure, 5% of the total
Awards
Twelve awards and honors from 1991 to 2015, one of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin Film Festival | |||
| 2001 | Theaterpreis Berlin | Won | |
| Other honors | |||
| 2015 | Carl Zuckmayer Medal | Won | |
| 2010 | European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | |
| 2007 | Knight of the Legion of Honour | Won | |
| 2006 | Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany | Won | |
| 2005 | Austrian Decoration for Science and Art | Won | |
| 2004 | Bambi Award | Won | |
| 2001 | Cross of Merit First Class of the Lower Saxony Order of Merit | Won | |
| 1996 | Iffland-Ring | Won | |
| 1991 | Swiss Grand Prix for performing arts / Hans Reinhart Ring | Won | |
| Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres | Won | ||
| David di Donatello Award for Lifetime Achievement | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.