Originally trained as an Olympic swimmer, German actor Thomas Kretschmann began his career in the theater as part of the Schiller Ensemble in Berlin. In 1989, he started working steadily in German-language theater productions, television, and film. He moved to Vienna, Austria, in 1991 and won the Max Ophül prize for Best Young Actor. He broke into international feature films with the German war drama Stalingrad and the Italian thriller The Stendhal Syndrome. At this point, he was developing a knack for playing authority figures and other tough guys in action-packed situations. In addition to his numerous other appearances in European films, he gained pivotal roles in Coppia Omicida, Tease, and the American film Total Reality. In 2000, Hollywood was introduced to Kretschmann with the submarine adventure U-571 and the action thriller Blade II. Though he relocated to Hollywood, he continued working in international features for the historical epic I cavalieri che fecero l'impresa as well as Roman Polanski’s The Pianist. Other projects for 2004 included a starring role in the romance Head in the Clouds and a return to submarine action for In Enemy Hands ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Milestones
• 1991 Made his film debut in Der Mitwisser, which earned him Germany's prestigious Max Ophüls Prize as Best Up-and-Coming Actor
• 1993 Appeared in the World War II epic "Stalingrad" as Nazi officer Hans von Witzland
• 2000 Again cast as a Nazi officer in "U-571," with Matthew McConaughey and Harvey Keitel for director Jonathan Mostow
• 2002 Earned international acclaim as Nazi officer, Wilm Hosenfeld in Roman Polasnki's Oscar-winning "The Pianist"
• 2003 Had a recurring role on the FOX drama "24"
• 2004 Co-starred in the feature films In Enemy Hands with William H. Macy and Lauren Holly
• 2004 Portrayed a Nazi officer in the drama Head in the Clouds, starring Charlize Theron, Penélope Cruz and Stuart Townsend
• 2005 Cast in Peter Jackson's "King Kong" a remake of the 1933 classic
• After three years of studying acting, he was invited to be a member of Schillertheatre, the national theatre of Berlin
• Began his acting career on stage in Germany in the late 1980s after training to be an Olympic swimmer
• Cast in Dario Argento's "The Stendahl Syndrome" (1996) and "Prince Valiant" (1997)
Next - Movie Trailer Release date April 27. 2007
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Post Production on King Kong
