August Diehl

August Diehl
Diehl in 2024
Born (1976-01-04) 4 January 1976 (age 49)
West Berlin, West Germany
Alma materErnst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts
OccupationActor
Years active1998–present
Spouse
Julia Malik
​
​
(m. 1999; div. 2016)​
Children2

August Diehl (German pronunciation: [aʊ̯ˈɡʊst diːl]; born 4 January 1976) is a German actor, primarily known to international audiences for playing Gestapo major Dieter Hellstrom in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Michael "Mike" Krause, Evelyn Salt's husband, in the movie Salt. He is also known for his leading roles in the films The Counterfeiters (2007), The Young Karl Marx (2017), and Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life (2019).

Life and career

Diehl was born in West Berlin. His father is actor Hans Diehl, his mother is a costume designer and his brother is a composer. His family was frequently moving around. Diehl spent his childhood in Auvergne, France and moved back to West Germany when he was nine years old.[1] The family lived in Hamburg, Vienna, and Düsseldorf.[2]

Growing up in a family of artists, at the age of 18, he played Franz Mohr in a school theatre production of Die Räuber by Friedrich Schiller.[3] After passing the Abitur exams, Diehl studied acting at the renowned Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch in Berlin.[citation needed]

In 2000, he was named one of European film's Shooting Stars by the European Film Promotion.[4]

In 2009, Diehl played Gestapo major Dieter Hellstrom in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

In 2024, he appeared in the fantasy-drama The Master and Margarita, based on the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, playing a devil-like character called Woland. And in the historical drama Bonhoeffer.

His upcoming projects are The Disappearance, in which he portrays Josef Mengele,[5] and the action film Control.

In 2025, Diehl will appear in Lucile Hadžihalilović's fantasy-drama The Ice Tower.[6]

Personal life

Diehl was married to actress Julia Malik, but the marriage ended amicably in 2016.[7] He has two children with Malik: a daughter born in May 2009 and a son born in 2012. Diehl plays the guitar and speaks German, Spanish, French, and English.[8]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1998 23 Karl Koch
1999 Entering Reality Leon Short
Die Braut [de] Fritz von Stein
Poppen Alex Short
2000 Cold Is the Evening Breeze Hugo Wimmer (young)
Der Atemkünstler — Writer
2001 Love the Hard Way Jeff
2002 Tattoo Marc Schrader
Haider lebt – 1. April 2021 A.M. Kaiser
2003 Anatomy 2 Benjamin 'Benny' Sachs
Distant Lights Philip
The Birch-Tree Meadow Oskar
2004 Love in Thoughts Günther Scheller
The Ninth Day Untersturmführer Gebhardt
2005 Mouth to Mouth Tiger
Wattläufer Robert Short
2006 Slumming Sebastian
I Am the Other Woman [de] Robert Fabry
Nothing But Ghosts [de] Felix
2007 The Counterfeiters Burger
Lichtblick Perpetrator Short
Head Under Water [de] Martin Wegner
2008 Dr. Alemán [de] Marc
Mr. Kuka's Advice Lothar
A Woman in Berlin Gerd
Buddenbrooks Christian Buddenbrook
2009 Inglourious Basterds Major Dieter Hellstrom
2010 Salt Mike Krause
The Coming Days Konstantin Richter
2011 If Not Us, Who? Bernward Vesper
2012 Confession of a Child of the Century Desgenais
Shores of Hope [de] Andreas Hornung
The Adventures of Huck Finn [de] Pap Finn
2013 Layla Fourie Eugene Pienaar
Night Train to Lisbon Young Jorge O'Kelly
The Husband Karl 'Rusty' Rost
Frau Ella Klaus
2015 Dirk Ohm – Illusjonisten som forsvant Dirk Ohm
En mai, fais ce qu'il te plait Hans
2016 Dark Inclusion Gabi Ulmann
Allied Hobar
2017 The Young Karl Marx Karl Marx
Midnight Confession Kurt Short
2018 Kursk Anton Markov
L'Empereur de Paris Nathanaël
The Bird Catcher Herman
2019 A Hidden Life Franz Jägerstätter
The Last Vermeer Alex De Klerks
2021 The King's Man Vladimir Lenin
Plan A Max
2022 Munich – The Edge of War SS-Hauptsturmführer Franz Sauer
The Perfumier
2023 Sidonie in Japan Antoine
2024 The Master and Margarita Woland
Bonhoeffer Martin Niemöller
2025 The Ice Tower Post-production
TBA The Disappearance Josef Mengele
Control Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Feuer in der Nacht Lukas Stein Television film
Intrigue and Love [de] Ferdinand von Walter Television film
2016 Close to the Enemy Dieter Koehler Miniseries; 7 episodes
2018 Parfum Moritz de Vries Series; 6 episodes
2019 Bauhaus – A New Era Walter Gropius Series
2022 Documentary Now! Dieter Daimler Series; 2 episodes

Theatre

Year Title Role Location Ref(s)
1998 Don Carlos Maxim Gorki Theater
1998–1999 Cleansed Robin Hamburg Kammerspiele [9]
1999 Life Is a Dream Theater Dortmund
2000 The Seagull Burgtheater [10]
2001 Roberto Zucco Roberto Zucco Burgtheater
2001–2003 The Jew of Malta Burgtheater
2003 Oedipus at Colonus Polyneikes Burgtheater [11]
2003–2005 Don Carlos Don Carlos Deutsches Schauspielhaus [12]
2006–2007 Zur schönen Aussicht Deutsches Schauspielhaus
2008–2010 A Moon for the Misbegotten Tyrone Nationaltheater Luxemburg
Ruhrfestspiele
Renaissance Theater
2009 Major Barbara Adolphus Cusins Schauspielhaus Zürich
2012–2015 The Prince of Homburg Burgtheater [13]
Salzburg Festival [14]
2013–2016 Hamlet Hamlet Burgtheater [15]
2013–2017 Das Geisterhaus Esteban Trueba Burgtheater [16]
2015–2018 Diese Geschichte von Ihnen Baxter Burgtheater [17]
2018–2019 Long Day's Journey Into Night Edmund Burgtheater [18]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
1999 German Film Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 23 Won
Bavarian Film Awards Best Young Actor Won
2000 Berlin International Film Festival Shooting Stars — Won
2005 German Film Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role The Ninth Day Nominated
German Film Critics Association Awards Best Actor Love in Thoughts Won
2007 Bambi Awards Best Actor Nothing But Ghosts Nominated
2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Inglourious Basterds Won
2011 German Film Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role If Not Us, Who? Nominated
German Film Critics Association Awards Best Actor The Coming Days Nominated
2012 Nestroy Theatre Prize Best Actor The Prince of Homburg Nominated
2013 German Screen Actors Awards Best Leading Actor Shores of Hope [de] Nominated
2014 Jupiter Awards Best German Actor Frau Ella Nominated
Nestroy Theatre Prize Best Actor Hamlet Won
2016 Diese Geschichte von Ihnen Nominated

References

  1. ^ "August Diehl: "Andere Kulturen sind das Allerwichtigste"". Luxemburger Wort (in German). 4 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  2. ^ "August Diehl – Porträt 500". cineastentreff.de (in German). 3 October 2005. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  3. ^ "August Diehl: "Ich habe noch nie Fernsehen gemacht"". Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (in German). 10 May 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  4. ^ "August Diehl, Germany". European Film Promotion. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  5. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (18 October 2022). "Fugitive Nazi Doctor Josef Mengele to Be Played by German Star August Diehl in Kirill Serebrennikov's 'The Disappearance' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  6. ^ "The Ice Tower". Goodfellas. 4 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Diese neue Liebe ist ganz großes Kino". Bild (in German). 9 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  8. ^ "August Diehl, Germany". European Film Promotion. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  9. ^ "Liebe oder töte mich". Spiegel Online (in German). 14 December 1998. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  10. ^ "Viel Applaus für "Möwe"- Inszenierung von Luc Bondy". swissinfo.ch (in German). 15 May 2000. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Premiere am Wiener Burgtheater: Ödipus in Kolonos". kultur-channel.at (in German). 11 May 2003. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Hier spricht der Dichter!". Spiegel Online (in German). 6 March 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Prinz Friedrich von Homburg: Kleist im Burgtheater". Die Presse (in German). 21 May 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Kampf um Macht". deutschlandfunkkultur.de (in German). 28 July 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  15. ^ "August Diehl ist ein Hamlet für sechs Stunden". Welt (in German). 29 September 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  16. ^ "In der Mitte entspringt kein Erzählfluss". Der Standard (in German). Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  17. ^ ""Diese Geschichte von Ihnen": Ein Mörder namens Johnny spielt auf". Der Standard (in German). 29 January 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  18. ^ "Burgtheater: Mit der Dramenharpune auf Menschenfang". Der Standard (in German). 15 April 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
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