Joel Basman (born 23 January 1990) is a Swiss-Israeli actor best known for having played Franz Kafka in the ARD Miniseries Kafka (2024).
Early life Basman was born in Zurich, Switzerland, to a Swiss Christian mother and an Israeli-Jewish father, both of whom were tailors in the Swiss fashion industry. He grew up in the neighborhood of Aussersihl and was raised bilingual, speaking Swiss-German and Hebrew. He has one older sister who resides in Israel.
Career In 2004, he started his career and played a bold teenager named Zizou for the weekly soap opera Lüthi und Blanc.
In 2007, director Tobias Ineichen gave the main part to Basman for his film Jimmie. There, he played an autistic boy. In February 2008, he got the prize Shooting Star for his part as a Russian teenager on the film Luftibus, written by director Dominque de Rivaz. In September 2008, Basman received the Schweizer Fernsehpreis (Swiss TV-Prize) in the category film. In October 2008, he got the prize for the best main part from Cinema Tous Ecrans.
At the Schauspielhaus Zürich, Joel Basman acted in 2003 for a youth-theatre project. In 2004 and 2005, he played with students, who were at their final project. He finished his studies at the European Film Actor School in October 2008.
In 2012, Basman got a part as Bertel in the three-part TV film Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter (Our mothers, our fathers). He also played Pascal in the Swiss TV-film Ziellos (Aimless).
Joel Basman starred as Sebastien Leclercq in a game called Late Shift in 2016.
In 2018, Basman played the lead role in The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch, which was picked up by Netflix.
Filmography Year Film Name Director 2004–2006 Lüthi und Blanc Zizou Imboden Sabine Boss and others 2004 Mein Name ist Eugen Michael Steiner 2005 Ausgrenzungen Liliane Steiner 2006 Breakout Silenzio Mike Eschmann Cannabis – Probieren geht über Regieren Remo Niklaus Hilber 2007 Mikado Silvia Zeitlinger Tausend Ozeane Eric Luki Frieden Jimmie Jimmie Tobias Ineichen Luftbusiness Liocha Dominique de Rivaz 2008 Happy New Year Oskar Christoph Schaub Tatort: Liebeswirren Werner Weißenbach Tobias Ineichen Mein Schüler, seine Mutter & ich Franz Andreas Linke 2010 Picco Tommy Sennentuntschi Albert Michael Steiner Tatort: Der letzte Patient Tim König Friedemann Fromm Rosannas Tochter Ruben 2011 Löwenzahn – Das Kinoabenteuer Ronny Peter Timm Hanna Razor Joe Wright 2012 Polizeiruf 110: Eine andere Welt Dennis Kuscinsky Nicolai Rohde 2013 Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter Bartel Philipp Kadelbach Tatort: Freunde bis in den Tod Manu Nicolai Rohde Theo Puppylove Paul Delphine Lehericey Paul Stefan Hillebrand, Oliver Paulus 2014 Dawn Elisha Romed Wyder The Monuments Men German soldier George Clooney Ziellos Pascal Niklaus Hilber Wir Sind Jung. Wir Sind Stark Robbie Burhan Qurbani 2015 Tatort: Borowski und der Himmel über Kiel Mike Nickel Christian Schwochow Land of Mine Helmut Morbach Martin Zandvliet 2017 Papillon Maturette Aaron Guzikowski 2018 Kursk Leo Thomas Vinterberg Wolkenbruch's Wondrous Journey Into the Arms of a Shiksa Mordechai WolkenbruchMichael Steiner Zauberer Marcel Sebastian Brauneis 2019 A Hidden Life Military trainee Terrence Malick 2020 Adventures of a Mathematician Edward Teller Thor Klein 2021 The King's Man Gavrilo Princip Matthew VaughnTidesPalingTim Fehlbaum2023KafkaFranz KafkaDavid SchalkoStella. A Life.PeterKilian Riedhof2026The Girl with the Leica Alina Marazzi TBA Storm Walter Storm Ivan Madeo
Audio drama 2013: Hattie Naylor: Ivan und die Hunde; Regie: Reto Ott (SRF)
Distinctions 2008: Schweizer Fernsehpreis 2008: Shooting Star
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