Martina Gedeck

Martina Gedeck (German: [maʁ.ˈtiː.na ˈɡeː.dɛk] ^ⓘ; 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).^[1] 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.^[2]

Martina Gedeck
Martina Gedeck at the premiere of Die stillen Trabanten, Leipzig, 2022
Born	(1961-09-14) 14 September 1961 (age 63) Munich, Bavaria, West Germany
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1981–present
Spouse	Markus Imboden ​ (m. 2005)​
Awards	German Film Award (1997, 2002)
Website	martina-gedeck.com

Biography

Gedeck was born 14 September 1961 in Munich, Bavaria, West Germany, and grew up in Bavaria, the oldest of three girls.^[3] In 1971, her family moved to West Berlin, where the 11-year-old Martina debuted as an actress in children's television shows.^[4] There seems to be some uncertainty regarding her year of birth 1961.^[5]

After leaving school in 1981, she enrolled at the Free University of Berlin, majoring in German Literature and History.^[4] 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.^[4]

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 Hölleisengretl [de]. 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).^[4] 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 Rossini [de].^[2][4] 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.^[4]

Gedeck in 2007

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).^[6]

Gedeck at the Austrian Film Awards 2011

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.^[4] The Lives of Others won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.^[1]

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.^[7]

In 2013, Gedeck was a member of the jury at the 70th Venice International Film Festival.^[8] Since 2023, she has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^[9]

Personal life

Gedeck resides in Berlin with her partner, Swiss director Markus Imboden.^[3]

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 Krücke [de] (1993), as Bronka Das Schwein – Eine deutsche Karriere [de] (1995), as Wanda Hölleisengretl [de] (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 Single Bells [de] (1997), as Kati Treichl Der Laden [de] (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 O Palmenbaum [de] (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 Andreas Hofer [de] (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 Hunger for Life [de] (2004), as Brigitte Reimann Feuer in der Nacht (2004), as Paola Winkler Der Stich des Skorpion [de] (2004), as Anne Stein Giacomo Casanova (2004), as Madame De Roll Spiele der Macht – 11011 Berlin [de] (2005), as Prof. Sara M. Kardow Auf ewig und einen Tag [de] (2006), as Paula Schmitt Verlassen (2007), as Claudia Sisi (2009), as Erzherzogin Sophie von Habsburg Tatort (2010) as Jana Maitner Halbe Hundert (2012) Blank [de] (2013), as Judith Furmann Tannbach (2015) as Hilde Vöckler Seit du da bist (2016), as Clara The Verdict [de] (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 Harald [de] (1997), as Rica Reichmann Rossini [de] (1997), as Serafina Life is All You Get (1997), as Lilo Women Don't Lie (1998), as Hannah Mrs. Rettich, Czerni and I [de] (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 Franzj 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 Bastard [de] (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 The Limits of Patience [de] (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 Original Bliss [de] (2016), as Helene Brindel Wir töten Stella (2017), as Anna Zwei Herren im Anzug (2018), as Theres Lost in Separation [de] (2019), as Doris Lehnert Wunderschön (2022), as Frauke Abeck, Julie's Mother Dark Satellites (2022)

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Project	Result
1995	Grimme-Preis	Best Cast	Just an affair	Won
1995	Bavarian TV Awards	Best Actress	Hölleisengretl[10]	Won
1997	German Film Award	Best Supporting Actress	Rossini	Won
1997	Golden Lion	Best Actress	The Nephew	Nominated
1997	TelStar	Best Actress	The Nephew	Won
1998	Golden Lion	Best Supporting Actress	Bella Block[11]	Won
1998	Grimme-Preis	Best Actress	The Nephew, Bella Block	Won
1999	Bavarian Film Awards	Best Actress	The Green Desert[12]	Won
2000	Bavarian TV Awards	Best Actress	Best Years[10]	Won
2001	Baden-Baden TV Film Festival	Best Cast	Romeo	Won
2002	European Film Award	Best Actress	Mostly Martha	Nominated
2002	German Film Award	Best Actress	Mostly Martha	Won
2002	Grimme-Preis	Best Actress	Romeo	Won
2002	Preis der deutschen Filmkritik	Best Actress	Mostly Martha[13]	Won
2002	Mons International Festival	Best Actress	Mostly Martha	Won
2003	Goldene Kamera	Best Actress	Lost Country, The Mother[14]	Won
2004	Grimme-Preis	Best Actress	Back to Life	Nominated
2004	Deutscher Fernsehpreis	Best Actress	Hungry for Life[15]	Won
2006	European Film Award	Best Actress	The Lives of Others	Nominated
2006	German Film Award	Best Actress	The Elementary Particles	Nominated
2006	Premio Bacco, Notte delle Stelle	Best Actress	Mostly Martha[16]	Won
2006	International Filmfestival Kaluga	Best Actress	Mostly Martha	Won
2006	Diva Award	Hall of Fame	Outstanding Artistic Contribution[2][17]	Won
2007	Berlin Film Festival, Silver Bear	Best Cast	The Good Shepherd	Won
2007	Bavarian Film Awards	Best Actress	Messy Christmas[12]	Won
2007	Jupiter Award	Best Actress	The Elementary Particles	Won
2007	Nastro d'Argento Europeo	Best Actress	The Lives of Others	Won
2008	BZ Culture Award	Outstanding artistic contribution	—	Won
2013	German Film Award	Best Actress[18]	Die Wand	Nominated
2015	Goldene Kamera	Best German Actress[19]	—	Won