Martina Gedeck (; born 14 September 1961) is a German actress. She achieved international recognition due to her roles in films such as Mostly Martha (2001), The Lives of Others (2006), and The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008). She has won several awards, including two Deutscher Filmpreis, in 1997 for Supporting Actress in Life is All You Get, and in 2002 for Actress in Mostly Martha.

Biography Gedeck was born 14 September 1961 in Munich, Bavaria, West Germany, and grew up in Bavaria, the oldest of three girls. In 1971, her family moved to West Berlin, where the 11-year-old Martina debuted as an actress in children's television shows. There seems to be some uncertainty regarding her year of birth 1961.

After leaving school in 1981, she enrolled at the Free University of Berlin, majoring in German Literature and History. From 1982 to 1986, Martina attended acting classes at the Berlin University of the Arts. During that time, she made her stage debut at the Theater am Turm in Frankfurt. Gedeck performed regularly at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, and appeared in plays in Basel, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Hamburg.

In 1994, Gedeck gained the attention of film audiences with her performance in Sönke Wortmann's hit comedy Maybe... Maybe Not (Der bewegte Mann). In 1995, Gedeck received critical praise for her award-winning performance in the television drama . In 1997, she boosted her reputation with her performance as Lilo in Wolfgang Becker's Life is All You Get (Das Leben ist eine Baustelle). In 1997, she received the German Film Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as a shy waitress in Helmut Dietl's . By the end of the 1990s, Gedeck had established herself as "one of the most prolific character actresses in Germany" with ambitious feature films such as Jew-Boy Levi (Viehjud Levi) and television dramas like Dominik Graf's Your Best Years (Deine besten Jahre). She garnered awards and nominations throughout this period of her career.

Gedeck's international breakthrough came with her performance in Sandra Nettelbeck's Mostly Martha (Bella Martha). In the film, she plays a workaholic chef who is forced to adjust to major changes in her personal and professional life that are beyond her control. The film won the Créteil International Women's Film Festival Grand Prix Award, and the Goya Award for Best European Film in 2002. It also received a German Film Award Nomination for Outstanding Feature Film. For her performance, Gedeck received a European Film Award Nomination for Best Actress (2002), the German Film Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Actress (2002), and the German Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (2003).

In 2006, Gedeck appeared in five major films: The Elementary Particles (2006) as Christiane, The Lives of Others (2006) as Christa-Maria Sieland, The Perfect Friend (2006) as Marlène, Summer '04 (2006) as Miriam Franz, and Robert De Niro's The Good Shepherd (2006) as Hanna Schiller, starring opposite Matt Damon and John Turturro. The Lives of Others won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

In 2008, Gedeck played the role of Ulrike Meinhof in The Baader Meinhof Complex. In 2010, she appeared in Jew Suss: Rise and Fall and Agnosía.

In 2012, Gedeck appeared in The Wall and The Door, and in 2013, she appeared in The Nun and Night Train to Lisbon.

Other activities In 2010, Gedeck, who is affiliated with the Green Party, served as an elector in the Federal Convention to elect the new President of Germany.

In 2013, Gedeck was a member of the jury at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. Since 2023, she has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.The Academy Invites 398 New Members for 2023: See the Full List Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, press release of 28 June 2023.

Personal life Gedeck resides in Berlin with her partner, Swiss director Markus Imboden.

Filmography

Television Der Fahnder - TV series, 1 episode (1988), as Stephanie Goldjunge (1988), as Brigitte Katzbach Die Beute (1988), as Nelly Schulz & Schulz – TV series, 5 episodes (1989–1993), as Britta Hausmänner (1991), as Helen Mutter und Söhne (1992), as Susanne Stoller Leo und Charlotte (1993), as Sylvie (1993), as Bronka (1995), as Wanda (1995), as Hölleisengretl Der Schönste Tag im Leben (1996), as Waltraut Lea Katz - Die Kriminalpsychologin: Einer von uns (1997), as Lea Katz Lea Katz - Die Kriminalpsychologin: Das wilde Kind (1997), as Lea Katz Der Neffe (1997), as Isabella Bella Block – TV series, episode "Tod eines Mädchens" (1997), as Frau Meng (1997), as Kati Treichl (1998, TV miniseries), as Elvira Die beste Party - Heimatabend 1999 (1999) Ich habe nein gesagt (1999), as Doris Wengler Your Best Years (1999), as Vera Kemp Happy Hour oder Glück und Glas (2000), as Greta Steinwender / Ladiner (2000), as Kati Treichl Romeo (2001), as Lotte Zimmermann Private Lies (Scheidung auf amerikanisch) (2001), as Sarah Jenseits der Liebe (2001), as Helen Dubbs Die Mutter (2002), as Vera Zardiss Verlorenes Land (2002), as Maria (2002), as Lebzelter-Mariandl Geheime Geschichten (2003) Unsre Mutter ist halt anders (2003), as Paula Schattenlinie (2003), as Clara Lorenz Das Blaue Wunder (2004), as Thea Eiselt (2004), as Brigitte Reimann Feuer in der Nacht (2004), as Paola Winkler (2004), as Anne Stein Giacomo Casanova (2004), as Madame De Roll (2005), as Prof. Sara M. Kardow (2006), as Paula Schmitt Verlassen (2007), as Claudia Sisi (2009), as Erzherzogin Sophie von Habsburg Tatort (2010) as Jana Maitner Halbe Hundert (2012) (2013), as Judith Furmann Tannbach (2015) as Hilde Vöckler Seit du da bist (2016), as Clara (2016), as Staatsanwältin Frau Nelson Arthurs Gesetz - TV miniseries, 6 episodes (2018), as Martha Ahnepol / Muriel Herzjagen (2019), as Caroline Binder Oktoberfest: Beer and Blood - TV miniseries, 6 episodes (2020), as Maria Hoflinger

Cinema Tiger, Lion, Panther (1989), as Nicoletta/Lion Hard Days, Hard Nights (1989), as Goldi Der bewegte Mann (1994), as Jutta Talk of the Town (1995), as Sabine Kirsch How I've Got Rhythm (short film, 1995), as Susanne (1997), as Rica Reichmann (1997), as Serafina Life is All You Get (1997), as Lilo Women Don't Lie (1998), as Hannah (1998), as Czerni Jew-Boy Levi (1999), as Fräulein Neuner Alles Bob! (1999), as Barbara The Green Desert (1999), as Doris Mostly Martha (2001), as Martha Klein Atomised (2006), as Christiane The Lives of Others (2006), as Christa-Maria Sieland The Perfect Friend (2006), as Marlène Summer '04 (2006), as Miriam Franz The Good Shepherd (2006), as Hanna Schiller Messy Christmas (2007), as Sara Geliebte Clara (2008), as Clara Schumann The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008), as Ulrike Meinhof Bets and Wedding Dresses (2009), as Josephine Campanella Jew Suss: Rise and Fall (2010), as Anna Marian Agnosía (2010), as Prevert (2011), as Claudia Meinert The Wall (2012), as the woman The Door (2012), as Magda The Nun (La Religieuse, 2013), as Suzanne's mother Night Train to Lisbon (2013), as Mariana Those Happy Years (2013), as Helke (2014), as Corianna Kleist The Girl King (2015), as Maria Eleonara of Brandenburg I'm Off Then (2015), as Stella Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank (2016), as Edith Frank (2016), as Helene Brindel Wir töten Stella (2017), as Anna Zwei Herren im Anzug (2018), as Theres (2019), as Doris Lehnert Wunderschön (2022), as Frauke Abeck, Julie's Mother Dark Satellites (2022) Allegro Pastell (2026)

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Project Result 1995 Grimme-Preis Best Cast Just an affair 1995 Bavarian TV Awards Best Actress Hölleisengretl 1997 German Film Award Best Supporting Actress Rossini 1997 Golden Lion Best Actress The Nephew 1997 TelStar Best Actress The Nephew 1998 Golden Lion Best Supporting Actress Bella Block 1998 Grimme-Preis Best Actress The Nephew, Bella Block 1999 Bavarian Film Awards Best Actress The Green Desert 2000 Bavarian TV Awards Best Actress Best Years 2001 Baden-Baden TV Film Festival Best Cast Romeo 2002 European Film Award Best Actress Mostly Martha 2002 German Film Award Best Actress Mostly Martha 2002 Grimme-Preis Best Actress Romeo 2002 Preis der deutschen Filmkritik Best Actress Mostly Martha 2002 Mons International Festival Best Actress Mostly Martha 2003 Goldene Kamera Best Actress Lost Country, The Mother 2004 Grimme-Preis Best Actress Back to Life 2004 Deutscher Fernsehpreis Best Actress Hungry for Life 2006 European Film Award Best Actress The Lives of Others 2006 German Film Award Best Actress The Elementary Particles 2006 Premio Bacco, Notte delle Stelle Best Actress Mostly Martha 2006 International Filmfestival Kaluga Best Actress Mostly Martha 2006 Diva Award Hall of Fame Outstanding Artistic Contribution 2007 Berlin Film Festival, Silver Bear Best Cast The Good Shepherd 2007 Bavarian Film Awards Best Actress Messy Christmas 2007 Jupiter Award Best Actress The Elementary Particles 2007 Nastro d'Argento Europeo Best Actress The Lives of Others 2008 BZ Culture Award Outstanding artistic contribution — 2013German Film AwardBest ActressDie Wand2015 Goldene Kamera Best German Actress —

References

External links