Christian Berkel

Christian Berkel (born 28 October 1957) is a German actor, internationally most known for Downfall, Inglourious Basterds, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Valkyrie.

Berkel was born in Berlin, Germany. His father had been a military doctor in World War II. His mother came from a Jewish German family.[1][2]

From the age of 14 he lived in Paris where he took drama lessons with Jean-Louis Barrault and Pierre Berlin. He then trained at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin and appeared on stage in Augsburg, Düsseldorf, Munich, Vienna and at the Schiller Theatre, Berlin.