Tilman Valentin Schweiger (; born 19 December 1963) is a German actor and filmmaker. He became known in the 1990s for films such as Manta, Manta, Der bewegte Mann and Knockin' on Heaven's Door. He went on to star in international film productions such as Inglourious Basterds, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life and King Arthur. He founded his own production company Barefoot Films. Films like Rabbit Without Ears, Rabbit Without Ears 2, Kokowääh and Head Full of Honey, in which he was director, producer and actor, drew large audiences, making Schweiger the most commercially successful German filmmaker.
Early life Schweiger was born in Freiburg, West Germany, to two teachers. He grew up in Heuchelheim near Giessen in Hesse, where he went to school. Later, he took acting lessons at Der Keller in Cologne.
Career
Schweiger's debut as a producer and (uncredited) director came in 1997 with Knockin' on Heaven's Door. He also directed and produced Der Eisbär (The Polar Bear) in 1998. Schweiger won a Bambi Award for Barfuss (Barefoot) in 2005, based on the original English screenplay "Barefoot" by Stephen Zotnowski, which he co-wrote, directed, and starred in. He also won a Bambi for his lead role in Traumschiff Surprise – Periode 1. In 2007, Keinohrhasen (this literally translates to "no ear rabbit" while the English title is Rabbit Without Ears), written, produced, and directed by Schweiger, became the most successful film in German theaters with a box office result of . The film won a Bambi, a Bavarian Film Award, the German Comedy Award, two DIVA Awards, a Jupiter Award and the Ernst Lubitsch Award. The sequel, Zweiohrküken (Rabbit Without Ears 2, literally "two ear chicks"), was released the following year with over 4.2 million viewers and a box office collection of . Schweiger then went on to direct, produce and star in 1½ Knights – In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde, which also proved a huge cinema hit on its release in 2008.
The movie Kokowääh debuted in German cinemas in February 2011. Schweiger's daughter Emma stars beside him, and the movie is also directed, co-written and produced by him. Schweiger and Emma reprised their roles as Henry and Magdalena, respectively, in its sequel, titled Kokowääh 2. The film was released on 7 February 2013. In 2012 Schweiger made a film alongside his daughter Luna named Schutzengel. In 2013, Schweiger also started to produce commercials with his daughters (Watchever, VHV Group).
Onscreen, Schweiger first appeared as an actor in 1989 in the TV series Lindenstraße. His first film role came in 1991 with Manta, Manta. Additional TV and film roles followed, including Der bewegte Mann (Maybe, Maybe Not), Männerpension (Jailbirds), Das Mädchen Rosemarie (A Girl Called Rosemary), Bastard (Bandyta), Der große Bagarozy (The Devil and Ms. D.), Was tun, wenn's brennt (What to Do in Case of Fire?), Les Daltons vs. Lucky Luke, The Red Baron, Wo ist Fred (Where is Fred?), Phantomschmerz (Phantom Pain), Männerherzen (Men in the City), and others.
Schweiger has also appeared as a supporting actor in American films, including Already Dead, King Arthur, In Enemy Hands, Magicians, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, Driven, SLC Punk!, Investigating Sex, Joe and Max, The Replacement Killers and New Year's Eve. He wore a Nazi uniform for the first time in his career for his role in Inglourious Basterds but, as Quentin Tarantino revealed,Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino interview by Elvis Mitchell (at 01:29) "only because his character was killing Nazis."
Schweiger then appeared in the American productions The Courier with Mickey Rourke, This Means War (2012) with Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon, and in 2013 as Darko in Charlie Countryman with Shia LaBeouf among others. He also made an appearance in 2014's Muppets Most Wanted, 2017's David Leitch's Atomic Blonde, and 2024's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
In November 2024, Til Schweiger took part in the filming of a promotional video about drift in Minsk (Belarus).
Personal life Schweiger married American model Dana Carlsen on 19 June 1995. They have four children: Valentin Florian Schweiger (born 1995), Luna Marie Schweiger (born 1997), Lilli Camille Schweiger (born 1998), and Emma Tiger Schweiger (born 2002). Schweiger and Carlsen separated in 2005 and were divorced in 2014.
Schweiger lives in Mallorca, Spain, and his neighbour is former German cyclist Jan Ullrich. In August 2018, Ullrich was arrested for allegedly breaking onto Schweiger's property and threatening him.
Filmography
Film Year Film Role Language DirectorNotes1991Manta, Manta Bertie German Wolfgang Büld First film in which he was the lead actor1993 Rudy German Claude-Oliver RudolphMax-Ophüls-Preis Best Actor Newcomer Award1994Der bewegte Mann Axel Feldheim German Sönke Wortmann Bambi1995 Pepe Brenner German Lars Becker1996Jailbirds Steinbock German Detlev Buck Bambi; DIVA-Award The Superwife Hajo Heiermann German Sönke Wortmann1997Knockin' on Heaven's Door Martin Brest German Thomas Jahn Also writer and producer20th Moscow International Film Festival – Best Actor; Jupiter Best Actor; Goldene Kamera Best ActorHerculesHerculesEnglishJohn MuskerRon ClementsVoice (German version, dubbed)Bastard Brute English Maciej DejczerPolish Film Festival Internet Movie Database: Bandyta – Awards (Polish Oscar) Best Actor; Bravo Otto Best Actor1998The Replacement Killers Ryker English Antoine FuquaJudas Kiss Ruben Rubenbauer English Sebastian GutierrezSLC Punk! Mark English James MerendinoThe Polar Bear Leo German Til Schweiger Also producer1999 Stanislaus Nagy German Bernd Eichinger2000Magicians Max English James Merendino2001Driven Beau Brandenburg English Renny HarlinInvestigating Sex Monty English Alan RudolphWhat to Do in Case of Fire? Tim German Gregor Schnitzler 2002Joe and Max Max Schmeling English Steve James 2003Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life Sean English Jan de Bont2004In Enemy Hands Captain Jonas Herdt English Tony GiglioKing Arthur Cynric English Antoine FuquaTraumschiff Surprise – Periode 1 Rock Fertig Aus German Michael Herbig Bambi Best ActorLes Dalton Lucky Luke French Philippe Haïm2005Barefoot Nick Keller German Til Schweiger Also writer and producerBambi Best FilmDeuce Bigalow: European Gigolo Heinz Hummer the Gigolo with the most below English Mike Bigelow2006Bye Bye Harry! Gantcho EnglishRobert YoungThe Trip to Panama Kleiner Tiger German Martin Otevrel VoiceOne Way Eddie Schneider English Reto Salimbeni Also producerWhere Is Fred? Fred Krüppers German Anno Saul Jupiter Best Actor2007Body Armour John Ridley English Gerry LivelyRabbit Without Ears Ludo Decker German Til Schweiger Also writer and producerErnst-Lubitsch-Preis Best Comedy; Bambi Best Film; Deutscher Comedypreis Best Comedy; Jupiter Best Film; 2x DIVA-Award Best FilmAlready Dead The Man Internet Movie Database: Already Dead English Joe Otting2008The Red Baron Werner Voss English Nikolai MüllerschönBravo OttoFar Cry Jack Carver English Uwe Boll1½ Knights – In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde Ritter Lanze German Til Schweiger Also producer2009Phantom Pain Marc German Inglourious Basterds Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz EnglishFrenchGerman Quentin Tarantino Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureMen in the City Jerome Ades German Simon VerhoevenRabbit Without Ears 2 Ludo Decker German Til Schweiger Also writer and producerDeutscher Comedypreis Best Comedy2011Kokowääh Henry German Til Schweiger Also writer and producerThe Three Musketeers Cagliostro English Paul W. S. Anderson Jerome German Simon VerhoevenNew Year's Eve James Schwab English Garry Marshall2012This Means War Heinrich English McGThe Courier FBI agent English Hany Abu-AssadGuardiansMax German Til Schweiger Also producer2013Charlie Countryman Darko English Fredrik BondKokowääh 2 Henry German Til Schweiger Also writer and producerNo-Eared Bunny and Two-Eared Chick No-Eared Bunny German Til Schweiger Also writer and producer2014Muppets Most WantedGerman Cop English James BobinHead Full of HoneyNiko Rosenbach German Til Schweiger2016Tschiller: Off DutyNick Tschiller German Christian AlvartVier gegen die BankChris German Wolfgang Petersen2017Atomic BlondeThe Watchmaker English David Leitch2018Hot Dog Luke Steiner German Klassentreffen 1.0 Thomas German Til Schweiger Remake of The ReunionHead Full of Honey London Restaurant Waiter English Til Schweiger English-language remake 2020 The Wedding Thomas German Til Schweiger Also writer and producer 2021 The Salvation of The World as We Know It Hardy German Til Schweiger Also writer and producer 2022 Medieval Henry III of Rosenberg English Petr Jákl2023Manta, Manta: Legacy Bertie German Til SchweigerDas Beste Kommt Noch! Felix German Til Schweiger 2024 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Heinrich Luhr English Guy Ritchie
Television Year TV Show Role Director Notes1989–1992Lindenstraße Jo Zenker 37 episodes1994Lemgo Jan Peters 1994–1996Die Kommissarin Nick Siegel 26 episodes1996Adrenalin Stefan Renner Dominique Othenin-GirardA Girl Called Rosemary Nadler Bernd Eichinger Freddy Urs Egger2002Joe and Max Max Schmeling Steve James 2013–2016Tatort Nick Tschiller Christian Alvart Tatort in Hamburg (4 episodes) 2020Tatort: Tschill Out Nick Tschiller Eoin Moore Tatort 2022 Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin Pickle Host #1 Richie Keen Episode: "Verschlimmbessern"
Awards
1994: Bambi for Der bewegte Mann 1995: Bambi for Jailbirds 1997: Preis des Gdynia Film Festival for Bastard as Best Actor 1998: Bravo Otto as Best Actor 1998: Goldene Kamera for Knockin' on Heaven's Door as Best Actor 2003: Hessischer Kulturpreis 2008: Jupiter for Wo ist Fred? as Best German Actor 2008: Ehren-Bravo Otto 2008: Bambi for Keinohrhasen as Best National Film 2008: Deutscher Comedypreis for Keinohrhasen as Best Theatrical Comedy Film 2009: Jupiter for Keinohrhasen 2009: 2x DIVA-Award for Keinohrhasen 2010: Deutscher Comedypreis for Zweiohrküken as Best Theatrical Comedy Film 2011: Deutscher Comedypreis for the Most Successful German Comedy Film: Kokowääh 2011: Querdenker-Award 2012: Jupiter for Kokowääh as Best Actor 2013: Deutscher Comedypreis for the Most Successful German Comedy Film: Kokowääh 2 2015: Romy in the categories Best Direction and Best Production in a Theatrical Film for Honig im Kopf 2015: Deutscher Filmpreis in the category Most Popular Film for Honig im Kopf 2015: CIVIS-Publikumspreis for Honig im Kopf 2015: Deutscher Comedypreis for the Most Successful German Comedy Film: Honig im Kopf 2015: Bambi for Honig im Kopf in the category Ehrenpreis der Jury 2020: Golden Eye Award of the Zurich Film Festival
References
External links
Official website
Photographs and bibliography Til Schweiger in the German Dubbing Card Index