Sandra Hüller (born 30 April 1978) is a German actress.
She has appeared in German, Austrian, American, British, and French films.
She gained international recognition in 2023 for her starring roles in Jonathan Glazer's Holocaust drama, The Zone of Interest, and Justine Triet's legal drama Anatomy of a Fall.
Her performances in them earned her two BAFTA Film Award nominations, while the latter won her a European Film Award for Best Actress and a César Award for Best Actress, in addition to nominations for a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Actress.
1996
In high school, Hüller had her stage debut with the 1996 production Wir Voodookinder directed by Robert Lehniger at the Theatertreffen der Jugend in Berlin.
From 1996, Hüller studied acting at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin, graduating in 2003.
After graduating, Hüller left Berlin and spent two years at a theatre southwest of Leipzig, then moved to Switzerland to join the Theater Basel.
Hüller speaks German, English, French and Spanish.
1998
Hüller appeared from 1998 to 2001 at the Theaterhaus Jena, Thuringia and then for one year at the Schauspiel Leipzig.
2006
Hüller has played Anneliese Michel in Hans-Christian Schmid's 2006 drama Requiem, for which she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress, and a troubled daughter in Maren Ade's 2016 comedy Toni Erdmann, for which she won her first European Film Award for Best Actress.
She portrayed Irma Sztáray in Frauke Finsterwalder's 2023 historical black comedy Sisi & I.
Hüller was born in Suhl, Thuringia, East Germany, and grew up in Oberhof and Friedrichroda, small villages in the heavily forested state of Thuringia.
She is the elder of two children, with parents who were educators; her father Reiner taught at a center for apprentices, her mother Kornelia gave after-school tutoring.
Hüller cut off her hair, dyed it red, and joined a drama club as a teenager.
"I took part in the theatre workshop at school and really enjoyed it, but I never thought that it could be a profession for me. It was more of a hobby", Hüller said.
It was Oliver Held, a playwright from Jena, who recommended her to the Theater Basel in Switzerland, where she appeared until 2006.
In 2006, Hüller appeared as Michaela Klingler in Hans-Christian Schmid's film Requiem, for which she won the 56th Berlin International Film Festival's Award for Best Actress and her first German Film Award.
2009
In 2009, Hüller appeared as Elizabeth I, in Virgin Queen at Prater Volksbühne theatre, and in the music-theater-show For Love, directed by Tom Schneider, based on the works of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love.
2011
Hüller lives in Leipzig-Plagwitz, Germany, with her daughter, who was born in 2011.
Hüller is a licensed forklift operator, certified for a role in Thomas Stuber’s In the Aisles.
2012
In 2012, at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, Hüller was – alongside Emily Jacir and David OReilly – part of the jury that chose Justine Triet's Vilaine Fille Mauvais Garçon as the festival's best short film.
From 2012 to 2015, Hüller was a member of the company at the Munich Kammerspiele, where she worked with director Johan Simons on several plays, notably Elfriede Jelinek's ''Die Straße.
Die Stadt.
2013
Der Überfall.'' in 2013.
2014
In 2014, Hüller won the German Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Franziska Feldenhoven in Frauke Finsterwalder's film Finsterworld.
2016
In 2016, Hüller co-founded the FARN.collective theater group.
2017
She accepted the invitation to become a member of Berlin's Academy of Arts in 2017.
2018
In 2018, Hüller became a member of the company at the Schauspiel Bochum, again working with Johan Simons.
In 2018, she played the lead role in Simons' adaptation of Penthesilea in Bochum and at the Salzburg Festival.
2019
In 2019, she appeared in Johan Simons' award-winning, gender-switched version of Hamlet.
In 2019, Hüller was part of the 69th Berlin International Film Festival's jury, chaired by Juliette Binoche.
Later in 2019, she appeared in two French films, Justine Triet's Sibyl, where she played film director Mika, and in Alice Winocour's Proxima as the psychologist Wendy.
In 2023, Hüller portrayed Countess Irma Sztáray in Frauke Finsterwalder's historical black comedy film Sisi & I, a retelling of the later years of Empress Elisabeth of Austria from the point of view of her lady-in-waiting.
The film had its world premiere at the 73rd Berlin Film Festival on 19 February 2023, and was released in Germany on 30 March 2023.
Hüller was nominated for the German Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.
In 2023, Hüller starred in two films that premiered in main competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival; the French courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet, which won the festival's Palme d'Or, and the American-British-Polish Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer, which won the Grand Prix.
She won her second European Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Anatomy of a Fall, also being nominated for the award for her performance in The Zone of Interest.
She also earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Anatomy of a Fall, as well as BAFTA Film Award nominations for both Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest.
She also won the César Award for Best Actress for Anatomy of a Fall.
