Helena Zengel (; born 10 June 2008) is a German actress. She is best known for her roles in the films System Crasher (2019), News of the World (2020), Transamazonia (2024), and The Legend of Ochi (2025).
Early life Zengel was born and raised in Berlin, Germany, and began her acting career at the age of five in a music video for the Berlin Alternative rock band Abby.
Career Her first main role in a film, at the age of eight, was in a drama film, Die Tochter (The Daughter AKA Dark Blue Girl), which was shown at the Berlinale 2017. She also had small parts in two episodes of a German TV series, Die Spezialisten – Im Namen der Opfer.
In the drama film System Crasher, written and directed by Nora Fingscheidt, which premiered in February 2019 at the Berlinale, Zengel plays the leading role of "Benni", an aggressive and traumatised nine-year old. In April 2020 she won the German Film Prize for Best Actress.
After System Crasher won a number of international awards, Zengel was cast by Universal Pictures to play a leading role in the American Western film News of the World directed by the British film director Paul Greengrass, which was her first international film. In this adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Canadian-American writer Paulette Jiles, which starred Tom Hanks as Captain Jefferson Kidd, Zengel stars as a 10-year-old German orphan named Johanna Leonberger who was raised by the Kiowa; most of her performance is in the Kiowa language For her performance, Zengel received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Zengel also dubbed herself in the Italian, German, French and Spanish versions; the dubbing is limited to the lines she spoke in English.
In 2021, Zengel appeared as Nina Cutter in A Christmas Number One alongside Freida Pinto and Iwan Rheon, a heartfelt romantic comedy about a young woman trying to save her uncle from himself before she succumbs to a terminal illness. The film was directed by Chris Cottam and written by Robert Chandler, Keiron Self and Giles New, and features performances by the fictitious artists, 5 Together, Scurve and Ranelle Spear.
In 2024, Zengel played a leading role in the international film production Transamazonia directed by Pia Marais. She plays the role of Rebecca, the daughter of an American missionary in the Amazon rainforest, who claims that his daughter is a faith healer.
In 2025, Zengel starred in the A24 fantasy adventure film The Legend of Ochi acting opposite of Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson, and Willem Dafoe.
Filmography Film
Year Title Role Notes 2014 Spreewaldkrimi: Mörderische Hitze Johanna TV film 2016 Looping Lilly 2017Dark Blue Girl Luca 2019 System Crasher Bernadette "Benni" Klaaß 2020 News of the World Johanna Leonberger 2021 A Christmas Number One Nina Cutter 2024 Transamazonia Rebecca 2025 The Legend of Ochi Yuri
Television Year Title Role Notes 2016 Anja Rothmann Episode: "Flowerpower" 2017 Lily Weyer Episode: "Sommermärchen" 2017 Fabienne Television film 2019 Inga Lindström: Familienfest in Sommerby Mila Television film
Music video Year Title Artist 2013 Streets 2022 Ich hasse es hier Tocotronic
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef Chicago Film Critics Association Most Promising Performer News of the World Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Women's Breakthrough Performance Austin Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Young Performer Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Georgia Film Critics Association Breakthrough Award Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Hawaii Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actress Online Film and Television Association Best Youth Performance Phoenix Critics Circle Best Supporting Actress Phoenix Film Critics Society Best Performance by a Youth Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role Seattle Film Critics Society Best Youth Performance Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Youth Performance
References
External links
Helena Zengel German film database with photos Helena.Zengel.Official Instagram account Youtube Interview 2020 Q&A in English