Christian Berkel
ActingAbout Christian Berkel
Christian Berkel (born October 28, 1957) is a German actor. Berkel was born in Berlin, Germany. His father was a military doctor. From the age of 14 he lived in Paris where he took drama lessons with Jean-Louis Barrault and Pierre Berlin. He then trained at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin and appeared on stage in Augsburg, Düsseldorf, Munich, Vienna and at the Schiller Theatre, Berlin. He has appeared in many German television productions and secured a major role in the Academy Award-nominated film Downfall as Doctor Ernst-Günther Schenck. He has followed this with significant roles in the Paul Verhoeven directed Dutch movie Black Book and the big budget United States movies Flightplan, Valkyrie (in which he portrayed Colonel Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim) and the Academy Award-nominated Inglourious Basterds. He lives in Berlin with the actress Andrea Sawatzki, with whom he has two sons. He is also fluent in French and English. Description above from the Wikipedia article Christian Berkel, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Career Statistics & Market Influence
Analyzing the cinematic journey of Christian Berkel reveals a career defined by diverse artistic exploration. With a total of 50 major appearances, the actor has established a significant footprint in global cinema.
Genre Dominance: Drama
The majority of Christian Berkel's filmography leans towards the Drama genre. Audience data suggests that viewers respond most favorably to this persona, though their versatility has allowed for successful crossovers into other categories.
The "Box Office" Signature
With a 32% Success Ratio (movies rated above 6.5), Christian Berkel remains a reliable draw for studios. Their peak performance was recorded in Inglourious Basterds, which continues to be the benchmark for their career rating-wise.
Best Christian Berkel Movies Ranked
Must-watch hits from Christian Berkel's career based on audience ratings.
Complete Filmography & Success Status
Tracking the career evolution and box office verdicts of Christian Berkel.
| Year | Movie | Character | Success | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Being Famous for Beginners | Gregor Basil | Hit | Similar → |
| 2024 | Entführen für Anfänger | Adam Lansky | Average | Similar → |
| 2024 | Querschuss | Andreas | Average | Similar → |
| 2023 | The Blond Boy from the Casbah | Sania | Flop | Similar → |
| 2023 | Black Box | Erik Behr | Flop | Similar → |
| 2022 | A Retribution | Simon Wiesenthal | Flop | Similar → |
| 2022 | Trügerische Sicherheit | Magnus Mittendorf | Flop | Similar → |
| 2021 | Sportabzeichen für Anfänger | Bertram Dinkler | Average | Similar → |
| 2020 | Enfant Terrible | Interviewer | Flop | Similar → |
| 2020 | The Magic Kids: Three Unlikely Heroes | Louis Ziffer | Average | Similar → |
| 2018 | What Doesn't Kill Us | Mark | Average | Similar → |
| 2018 | Scheidung für Anfänger | Christoph | Average | Similar → |
| 2016 | Elle | Robert | Hit | Similar → |
| 2016 | Ein gefährliches Angebot | Michael Dithardt | Average | Similar → |
| 2015 | Trumbo | Otto Preminger | Hit | Similar → |
| 2015 | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Udo | Hit | Similar → |
| 2015 | Anti-Social | Philip | Flop | Similar → |
| 2015 | Dreamgirls | Herr Hegemann | Average | Similar → |
| 2014 | Elly Beinhorn: Solo Flight | Ernst Udet | Flop | Similar → |
| 2013 | Buddy | Dr. Küster | Average | Similar → |
| 2011 | Das dunkle Nest | Pfarrer Dr. Gabriel Reinberg | Hit | Similar → |
| 2011 | The Last Employee | David Böttcher | Average | Similar → |
| 2009 | Inglourious Basterds | Proprietor Eric | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 2009 | Leningrad | Vinkelmeyer | Flop | Similar → |
| 2008 | Valkyrie | Albrecht Ritter Mertz von Quirnheim | Hit | Similar → |
| 2008 | Mogadischu | Bundeskanzler Helmut Schmidt | Hit | Similar → |
| 2008 | Miracle at St. Anna | Captain Eichholz | Average | Similar → |
| 2008 | Haber | Fritz Shimon Haber | Hit | Similar → |
| 2008 | Flame & Citron | Hoffmann | Hit | Similar → |
| 2007 | Der andere Junge | Jakob Wagner | Average | Similar → |
| 2006 | Black Book | General Käutner | Hit | Similar → |
| 2006 | Helen, Fred und Ted | Eduard 'Ted' Fröhlich | Flop | Similar → |
| 2005 | Flightplan | Mortuary Director | Hit | Similar → |
| 2004 | Guys & Balls | Rudolf | Average | Similar → |
| 2004 | Downfall | Prof. Dr. Ernst-Günter Schenck | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 2004 | Soundless | Lang | Average | Similar → |
| 2002 | Der Unbestechliche | Harald Kittler | Average | Similar → |
| 2002 | Safe Conduct | Alfred Greven | Average | Similar → |
| 2001 | The Experiment | Robert Steinhoff, Prisoner Nr. 38 | Hit | Similar → |
| 2000 | Blondine sucht Millionär fürs Leben | Dietrich | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 2000 | Halt mich fest! | Axel | Average | Similar → |
| 1999 | Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht | Richard | Average | Similar → |
| 1999 | Paradise Is a Trap | Rudi | Average | Similar → |
| 1999 | Your Best Years | Arzt | Flop | Similar → |
| 1999 | Sweet Little Sixteen | Thomas Reiner | Flop | Similar → |
| 1998 | Tod auf Amrum | Rolf Spiekermann | Average | Similar → |
| 1997 | Rossini | Weich | Average | Similar → |
| 1994 | Mutter, ich will nicht sterben! | Walter Gebhard | Flop | Similar → |
| 1978 | New Year's Eve | The Young Man | Hit | Similar → |
| 1977 | The Serpent's Egg | Student | Average | Similar → |
Christian Berkel - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best movie of Christian Berkel?
According to audience ratings, the best movie starring Christian Berkel is "Inglourious Basterds" with a rating of 8.2/10.
How many movies has Christian Berkel acted in?
Christian Berkel has been featured in at least 50 major films throughout their career.
What are some other popular movies by Christian Berkel?
Other notable films include "Downfall", "Blondine sucht Millionär fürs Leben", and "The Experiment".