Birgit Minichmayr
Birth date3 April 1977 (age 49)
Birth placeLinz, Austria
OccupationActress

Birgit Minichmayr (born 3 April 1977)[1] is an Austrian actress. She studied drama at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna.[2] For her work in Maren Ade's film Everyone Else she won Silver Bear for Best Actress at 59th Berlin International Film Festival. She is the only Austrian actress to win this award in history of the festival and the first Austrian actress to win best actress award at a major European film festival (Cannes, Venice, Berlin) since 1956. She worked with several major European directors including Michael Haneke, Tom Tykwer and Jessica Hausner.

Career

Minichmayr had her first break with the Burgtheater in Vienna, where she appeared in numerous plays, including Der Reigen by Arthur Schnitzler (staged by Sven-Eric Bechtolf), Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare (staging by Declan Donnellan) and Der Färber und sein Zwillingsbruder by Johann Nestroy (staged by Karlheinz Hackl). She made her cinema debut in 2000 as Barbara Brecht in Jan Schütte's Abschied, playing alongside Josef Bierbichler and Monica Bleibtreu. In 2000, Minichmayr appeared in Peter Sämann's television thriller (in the Tatort series), "Böses Blut". She was awarded the Austrian Nestroy Prize for "Best Young Talent" in 2000. In 2006 she played Mizzi Kasper, one of the lovers from Crownprince Rudolf in the movie Kronprinz Rudolfs letzte Liebe. A year later, Minichmayr played the fool in Luc Bondy's acclaimed staging of Shakespeare's King Lear, always at the Burgtheater.

Minichmayr currently lives in Munich and Vienna. She speaks English and has acted in several international and English language productions. Among the directors she worked with were István Szabó, Götz Spielmann, Tom Tykwer, Oliver Hirschbiegel, Robert Dornhelm, and Doris Dörrie. She is also an accomplished vocalist, and has been recorded several times, though she has always made acting her primary focus.

At the 59th Berlin International Film Festival 2009 Minichmayr was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actress for her performance in Maren Ade's Alle Anderen (Everyone Else).

Filmography

DateFilmRoleDirectorNotes
2000AbschiedBarbara BrechtJan Schütte
2000Tatort – Böses BlutKathiPeter SämannTV film – Awarded Nestroy Prize for Best Young Talent
2001Taking SidesEmmi StraubeIstván Szabó
2001Spiel im MorgengrauenSteffiGötz SpielmannTV film
2002Learning to LieTinaHendrik Handloeghten
2004HotelPetraJessica Hausner
2004DownfallGerda ChristianOliver Hirschbiegel
2004Spiele LebenTanjaAntonin Svoboda
2004Daniel Käfer – Die Villen der Frau HürschMirz SchlömmerJulian PölsnerTV film
2005Perfume: The Story of a MurdererGrenouille's MotherTom Tykwer
2005FallenBrigitteBarbara Albert
2006Krankheit der JugendStudents of Michael Haneke
2006The Crown PrinceMizzi KasperRobert DornhelmTV film
2006Polizeiruf 110 – Kellers KindAglaiaTitus SelgeTV film
2007Midsummer MadnessMajaAlexander Hahn
2008Kirschblüten – HanamiKarolin AngermeierDoris Dörrie
2009Der KnochenmannBirgitWolfgang Murnberger
2009The White RibbonFriedaMichael Haneke
2009Everyone ElseGittiMaren Ade
2012A Deal with AdeleAdele SpitzederXaver SchwarzenbergerTV film
2012MercyMariaMatthias Glasner
2014Madame NobelBertha von SuttnerUrs EggerTV film
2015JackMarlies HaumElisabeth Scharang
2017AnimalsAnnaGreg Zglinski
2019The GoldfishMagda GrabowskiAlireza Golafshan
2020My Wonderful WandaSophieBettina Oberli
2024Andrea Gets a DivorceAndreaJosef Hader
2024Sleeping with a TigerMaria LassnigAnja Salomonowitz
2026The Blood CountessHermineUlrike Ottinger
2026EverytimeEllaSandra Wollner

Awards

References

  1. ^ "Birgit Minichmayr erhält Großen Schauspielpreis der Diagonale". Der Standard. APA. 13 February 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  2. ^ Wewer, A. (17 May 2010). ""Ich wäre gerne anders"" (in German). Süddeutsche Zeitung. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  3. ^ ""Nestroy"-Preis an Toni Slama und Birgit Minichmayr". Der Standard. 21 November 2004. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Nestroy: Birgit Minichmayr räumt doppelt ab". Die Presse. 12 October 2009. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Blow-Up film festival annual nominations and awards listing". November 2015.