Claudia Michelsen (* February 4, 1969 in Dresden) is a German film and theater actress.

Life

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Claudia Michelsen is the daughter of a dentist and the composer Udo Zimmermann, who she in fact did not meet until she was 15 years old. The man her mother later married adopted her and gave her his name. At an early age, she became interested in the performing arts, but also for life in the world beyond the borders. As a young girl, she entertained the idea of becoming a radio officer with the merchant marine, but together with her friend Christine Hoppe, the daughter of actor Rolf Hoppe, opted instead for an education at the Ernst Busch Academy of Drama in Berlin. While still a student, she debuted in Rainer Simon’s Die Besteigung des Chimborazo (‘The Ascent of Chimborazo’) (1989). After graduation, she received an engagement at the Berliner Volksbühne. In 1991, she played in the Jean-Luc Godard film Deutschland Neu(n) Null (“Germany Year 90 Nine Zero”) and in 1995 was awarded the Max Ophüls Prize as best talented young actress for her role in the television drama “Das schafft die nie'“(“She’ll never make It”).

In the year 2000, she had a leading role in the film Drei Chinesen mit dem Kontrabass alongside Boris Aljinovic and Jürgen Tarrach. In 2002 she appeared as the female lead in the award winning psychological thriller Der Anwalt und sein Gast (“The Lawyer and His Guest”) alongside Heino Ferch and Götz George. In 2005 she played the foreign policy adviser to the Federal Chancellor in the television series Kanzleramt.

In 2008 she appeared alongside Devid Striesow in the role of the Stasi prisoner Bettina in the Grimmepreis nominated drama 12 heißt: Ich liebe dich (“12 means: I love you”). Alongside her colleague Samuel Finzi, she played the female leading role of Commissioner Ann Gittel in the ZDF Friday night thriller Flemming which was broadcast in 2009.

Michelsen married the director Josef Rusnak and moved to be with him in Los Angeles. Their child was born there. After their divorce in the summer of 2001, she returned again to Germany. She now lives in Berlin with the Swiss actor Anatole Taubman with whom she had her second child.

Films (Selection)

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  • 1989: Ich, Thomas Müntzer, Sichel Gottes (Director: Kurth Veith)
  • 1989: Die Besteigung des Chimborazo (Director: Rainer Simon)
  • 1989: Pause für Wanzka (Director: Vera Loebner)
  • 1991: Wer hat Angst vor rotgelbblau? (Director: Heiko Schier)
  • 1991: Deutschland Neu(n) Null (Director: Jean-Luc Godard)
  • 1992: Lenz (Director: Egon Günther)
  • 1994: Das schafft die nie (Director: Lih Jannowitz)
  • 1995: Mörderische Zwillinge (Director: Dominique Othenin-Girard)
  • 1995: Brennendes Herz (Director: Peter Patzak)
  • 1996: Zwei vom gleichen Schlag (Director: Konrad Sabrautzky)
  • 1997: Todesspiel (Director: Heinrich Breloer)
  • 1999: Der Todeszug (Director: Jörg Lühdorff)
  • 1999: Drei Chinesen mit dem Kontrabass (Director: Klaus Krämer)
  • 1999: Letzter Atem (Director: Bernd Böhlich)
  • 1999: Survivor: Das Grauen aus dem ewigen Eis (Director: Heiko Schier)
  • 2000: Falling Rocks (Director: Peter Keglevic)
  • 2001: Der Tunnel (Director: Roland Suso Richter)
  • 2001: Tatort: Der lange Arm des Zufalls (Director: Ralf Bohn)
  • 2001: Entscheidung im Eis - Eine Frau jagt einen Mörder (Director: Jörg Grünler)
  • 2002: Der Anwalt und sein Gast (Director: Torsten C. Fischer)
  • 2003: Tatort: Mutterliebe (Director: Züli Aladag)
  • 2004: Napola – Elite für den Führer (Director: Dennis Gansel)
  • 2004: Das Duo: Falsche Träume
  • 2006: Maria an Callas (Director: Petra Katharina Wagner)
  • 2006: Die Wilden Kerle 3 (Director: Joachim Masanneck)
  • 2006: Paulas Geheimnis (Director: Gernot Krää)
  • 2006: Auf ewig und einen Tag (Director: Markus Imboden)
  • 2006: Fay Grim (Director: Hal Hartley)
  • 2007: Der geheimnisvolle Schatz von Troja (Director: Dror Zahavi)
  • 2007: 42plus (Director: Sabine Derflinger)
  • 2007: Die Entführung (Director: Johannes Grieser)
  • 2007: Tatort: Nachtgeflüster (Director: Torsten C. Fischer)
  • 2007: Der Mustervater 2: Opa allein zu Haus (Director: Dagmar Hirtz)
  • 2007: Die 25. Stunde (Director: Thomas Jauch)
  • 2007: Der Kronzeuge (Director: Johannes Grieser)
  • 2007: The Reader (Director: Stephen Daldry)
  • 2008: 12 heißt: Ich liebe dich (Director: Connie Walther)
  • 2008: Mensch Kotschie (Director: Norbert Baumgarten)
  • 2009: Der Mann auf der Brücke (Director: Rolf Silber)
  • 2009: Sieben Tage (Director: Petra Katharina Wagner)
  • 2009: Flemming (TV Series) (Director: Claudia Garde, Zoltan Spirandelli)
  • 2009: Pope Joan (Director: Sönke Wortmann)
  • 2010: Das letzte Schweigen (Director: Baran Bo Odar)
  • 2011: Der Chinese (Director: Peter Keglevic)
  • 2011: Sprinter (Director: Petra Katharina Wagner)
  • 2011: Tatort: Unter Druck (Director: Herwig Fischer)
  • 2011: Tatort: Nasse Sachen (Director: Johannes Grieser)

Theater (Selection)

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Radio Play (Selection)

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  • The Chinese by Henning Mankell (Production: Hörbuch Hamburg)
  • The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen (Production: Brigitte Starke Stimmen Hörbuch Edition - Random House)
  • The Mermaid by Sue Monk Kidd (Production: Random House)
  • Pope Joan by Donna W. Cross (Production: Hörverlag)
  • Last farewell by James Patterson and Liza Marklund (Production: Random House)

Awards (Selection)

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  • 2000: Max Ophüls Acting Award for Das schafft die nie (She'll Never Make It)
  • 2008: Fipa d´Or of the Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels (FIPA) - Biarritz as Best Actress in a Drama for 12 heißt: Ich liebe dich (12 Means: I love You)
  • 2008: Noomination Deutscher Fernsehpreis as Best German Actress for 12 heißt: Ich liebe dich (12 Means: I love You)
  • 2008: Nomination Goldene Kamera as Best German Actress for 12 heißt: Ich liebe dich (12 Means: I love You)
  • 2011: Nomination Hessian Television Award as Best Actress for Und dennoch lieben wir (And Yet We Love)