August Zirner
{{short description|American actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
File:August Zirner, ROMY 2010.jpg (Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna)]]
August Zirner (born 7 January 1956) is an American-Austrian actor, who starred in over 60 film productions. He is one of the most popular actors in Germany.{{cite web|url=http://www.stern.de/kultur/film/interview-mit-august-zirner-eigentlich-bin-ich-ein-komiker-633138.html|title=Interview mit August Zirner: "Eigentlich bin ich ein Komiker"|date=4 August 2008|work=stern.de|accessdate=17 September 2014}}
Biography
Zirner was born as son of Austrian Jewish immigrants in the United States in Urbana, Illinois. His father had fled from the Nazis.{{cite web|url=http://www.moviepilot.de/news/august-zirner-wollte-mit-senta-berger-drehen-102535|title=August Zirner im Interview : August Zirner wollte mit Senta Berger drehen - News - moviepilot.de|work=moviepilot.de|accessdate=17 September 2014}} In 1976 he studied drama at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna before he made his debut as an actor at the Volkstheater in Vienna. After that he was engaged in Hanover, Wiesbaden and at the Munich Kammerspiele. His breakthrough into film was in The Promise in 1994.
He has appeared in numerous films and television films, e. g. in {{Interlanguage link multi|Café Europa (1990 film)|de|3=Café Europa (1990)|lt=Café Europa}} (1990) by {{Interlanguage link multi|Franz Xaver Bogner|de}}, Voyager (1991) by Volker Schlöndorff,{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE5D9153BF932A05752C0A964958260|title=Movie Review - Voyager - Review/Film; A Variation on the Oedipus Theme - NYTimes.com|work=The New York Times |date=31 January 1992 |publisher=|accessdate=17 September 2014 |last1=Canby |first1=Vincent }} Talk of the Town (1995) by Rainer Kaufmann, {{ill|Winterkind|de}} (1997) by Margarethe von Trotta, The Pharmacist (1997) by Rainer Kaufmann and The Counterfeiters by Stefan Ruzowitzky, which was awarded with the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2008. For the film Rage, he got the 2006 Grimme-Preis.{{cite web|url=http://www.presseportal.de/story.htx?nr=955317|title=Fünf Adolf-Grimme-Preise für Colonia Media-Produktion "Wut"|publisher=|accessdate=17 September 2014}}
In 2009 Zirner played the transverse flute together with the Spardosen-Trio and the Theatre Program Diagnose: Jazz. In May 2011 Zirner acts in Blind Date, a play based on a film by Theo van Gogh at the Schauspielhaus Graz, a production of Bernadette Sonnenbichler.
Zirner is married to actress Katalin Zsigmondy and one of his four children is the actor Johannes Zirner.{{cite web|url=http://www.gq-magazin.de/star-portraits/august-zirner/0/1738.html|title=Alles zum Thema: August Zirner - GQ|author=GQ|work=GQ|accessdate=17 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001171422/http://www.gq-magazin.de/star-portraits/august-zirner/0/1738.html|archive-date=1 October 2011|url-status=dead}} Although he has lived in Europe since 1973, August Zirner has retained his U.S. citizenship.
Commitment
August Zirner supports the Austrian Service Abroad as an advisor for the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service.
Awards
2006 - "Special Recognition" by the German Academy of Performing Arts on the Film Festival Baden-Baden for the production team of Wut.
Selected filmography
{{Div col}}
- 1984: {{Interlanguage link multi|Knock on the Wrong Door|de|Tapetenwechsel (1984)}} (directed by {{ill|Gabriela Zerhau|de}}) .... Wolfgang
- 1986: {{ill|Now or Never (1986 film)|de|3=Auf immer und ewig (1986)|lt=Now or Never}} .... Paul
- 1988: {{ill|Felix (1988 film)|it|3=Essere donne|lt=Felix}} .... Luci's Husband
- 1989: {{Interlanguage link multi|Money (1989 film)|de|3=Geld (Film)|lt=Money}} .... Lothar Fuchs
- 1990: {{Interlanguage link multi|Café Europa (1990 film)|de|3=Café Europa (1990)|lt=Café Europa}} .... Yobo
- 1991: {{Ill|No Mention of Violence|de|Von Gewalt keine Rede}} (TV Movie, directed by {{Interlanguage link multi|Theodor Kotulla|de}}) .... Frank Götz
- 1991: Voyager .... Joachim Hencke
- 1991: Forever Young (TV Movie) .... Tomy
- 1994: Du bringst mich noch um (directed by Wolfram Paulus) .... Simon Halm
- 1995: The Promise{{Cite web |last=Kehr |first=Dave |date=1995-09-08 |title=Broken 'promise' Berlin Wall Saga Fails To Deliver On Its Premise |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/1995/09/08/broken-promise-berlin-wall-saga-fails-to-deliver-on-its-premise/ |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=New York Daily News |language=en-US}} .... Konrad
- 1995: Talk of the Town .... Erik Kirsch
- 1996: Hannah (directed by Reinhard Schwabenitzky) .... Wolfgang Heck
- 1997: Der rote Schakal (TV Movie) .... Werner Leiser
- 1997: Der Wald (TV Movie, based on a novel by {{Interlanguage link multi|Werner Kopacka|de}}) .... Karl Fürst
- 1997: The Pharmacist .... Pawel Siebert
- 1997: {{ill|Winterkind|de}} (TV Movie, directed by Margarethe von Trotta) .... Michael
- 1998: Suzie Washington (directed by {{Interlanguage link multi|Florian Flicker|de}}) .... Herbert Korn
- 1999: Annaluise & Anton .... Richard Pogge
- 2000: Kissing My Sister .... Jan Lomberg
- 2001: Mostly Martha{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE5D9173DF935A2575BC0A9649C8B63|title=Movie Review - Mostly Martha - FILM REVIEW; A Single-Minded Cook Who Wakes Up to Life - NYTimes.com|work=The New York Times |date=16 August 2002 |publisher=|accessdate=17 September 2014 |last1=Mitchell |first1=Elvis }} .... Martha's Therapist
- 2001: Taking Sides (directed by István Szabó) .... Captain Ed Martin
- 2001: {{Interlanguage link multi|Das Sams (film)|de|3=Das Sams (Film)|lt=Das Sams}} .... Herr Oberstein
- 2002: Amen. (directed by Costa-Gavras) .... Von Weizsäcker
- 2002: Joe and Max (TV Movie) .... David Lewin
- 2002: Gebürtig .... Danny Demant
- 2002: {{Ill|Trenck (2002 film)|de|3=Trenck – Zwei Herzen gegen die Krone|lt=Trenck}} (TV Movie, directed by Gernot Roll) .... König Friedrich II.
- 2003: {{ill|Novaks Ultimatum|de}} (TV Movie) .... Dr. Günther Erhardt
- 2004: {{ill|Queen of Cherries|de|Die Kirschenkönigin}} (TV Mini-Series, directed by Rainer Kaufmann) .... Samuel Goldfisch
- 2004: Sergeant Pepper .... Dr. Theobald
- 2005: Speer und Er (TV Mini-Series) .... Dr. Gilbert
- 2005: Liebe nach dem Tod (TV Movie) .... Paul Markwart
- 2005: A Sound of Thunder .... Clay Derris
- 2005: Tara Road .... Greg Vine
- 2005: Der Todestunnel (TV Movie) .... Manfred Grabowski
- 2005: Mutig in die neuen Zeiten (TV Movie, directed by Harald Sicheritz) .... Paul Berkowitz
- 2006: Helen, Ted und Fred (TV Movie, directed by Sherry Hormann) .... Peter Kowalski
- 2006: Rage (TV Movie) .... Simon Laub
- 2007: The Counterfeiters .... Dr. Klinger
- 2007: Herr Bello .... Herr Sternheim / Traugott Sternheim
- 2007: Meine böse Freundin (TV Movie) .... Robert Mahrtaler
- 2007: {{Ill|Contergan (film)|de|3=Contergan (Film)|lt=Contergan}} (TV Movie) .... Dr. Gerd Naumann
- 2008: {{ill|Come In and Burn Out|de|Selbstgespräche}} .... Richard Harms
- 2008: Ein starker Abgang (TV Movie) .... Dr. Kübler
- 2009: {{Ill|Sleepless (2009 film)|de|3=Schlaflos (Film)|lt=Sleepless}} (TV Movie) .... Dr. Borchert
- 2009: {{ill|Thanksgiving (2009 film)|de|3=Erntedank. Ein Allgäu-Krimi|lt=Thanksgiving}} (TV Movie) .... Dr. Martin Langhammer
- 2009: {{ill|Dr. Hope|fr|Le Combat d'une femme (téléfilm, 2009)}} (TV Movie) .... Ludwig von Arnstetten
- 2009: Berlin 36 .... Edwin Bergmann
- 2009: Ein Dorf sieht Mord (TV Movie) .... Martin Selig
- 2009: {{Ill|Oh, What a Mess|de|So ein Schlamassel}} (TV Movie) .... Ludwig Norderstedt
- 2009: Meine Familie bringt mich um (TV Movie) .... Peter
- 2010: Klimawechsel (TV Series) .... Dr. Dieter Dumont
- 2010: The Last 30 Years (TV Movie) .... Oskar Landrock
- 2010: {{ill|An Intern for Life|de|Ein Praktikant fürs Leben}} (TV Movie) .... Ulf Kamprath
- 2011: Der Kardinal (TV Movie) .... Franz König
- 2012: Sams im Glück .... Herr Oberstein
- 2012: {{Ill|Milk Money (2012 film)|de|3=Milchgeld. Ein Kluftingerkrimi|lt=Milk Money}} (TV Movie) .... Dr. Martin Langhammer
- 2012: {{Interlanguage link multi|Homecoming (2012 film)|de|3=Die Heimkehr (2012)|lt=Homecoming}} (TV Movie) .... August Staudenmeyer
- 2012: {{Ill|The Dead and the Living (2012 film)|de|3=Die Lebenden|lt=The Dead and the Living}} .... Lenzi Weiss
- 2013: {{ill|The Blind Spot (2013 film)|de|Der blinde Fleck (2013)|lt=The Blind Spot}} .... Meier
- 2014: {{ill|High Tide Is Dead on Time|de|Die Flut ist pünktlich}} (TV Movie) .... Alexander Halbach
- 2014: {{ill|Clara Immerwahr (film)|de|3=Clara Immerwahr (Fernsehfilm)|lt=Clara Immerwahr}} (TV Movie) .... Philipp Immerwahr
- 2014: Coming In .... Salvatore
- 2015: {{ill|The Misplaced World|de|3=Die abhandene Welt|lt=The Misplaced World}} .... Georg
- 2015: {{ill|Master of Death (film)|de|Meister des Todes|lt=Master of Death}} (TV Movie) .... Andreas Niethammer
- 2015: Colonia Dignidad .... German Ambassador
- 2017: Euphoria .... Frank
- 2018: Wackersdorf .... Innenminister
- 2018: {{ill|What Doesn't Kill Us (film)|de|3=Was uns nicht umbringt|lt=What Doesn't Kill Us}} .... Maximilian
- 2018: Das Wunder von Wörgl .... Direktor Nationalbank
- 2018: {{ill|Die Affäre Borgward|de}} (TV Movie) .... Wilhelm Nolting-Hauff
- 2019: Das Ende der Wahrheit .... Dr. Grünhagen
- 2022: The Silent Forest .... Gustav Dallmann
{{div col end}}
References
{{Commons category|August Zirner}}
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0957178}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zirner, August}}
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:20th-century Austrian male actors
Category:21st-century Austrian male actors
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American people of Austrian-Jewish descent
Category:Austrian male film actors
Category:Austrian male television actors
Category:Austrian people of American descent