With more than a dozen English language credits to her name, you may already be familiar with German actress Veronica Ferres. Perhaps you have seen her in 2015’s Pay the Ghost with Nicholas Cage and 2014’s Casanova Variations with John Malkovich. Veronica Ferres is a prolific actress with many titles to her name. She has made a name for herself in both films and on television as well as a number of theater productions. So this month, let’s learn German with the films of actress Veronica Ferres!
About Veronica Ferres
Veronica Ferres was born Veronika Maria Cäcilie Ferres in the western German city of Solingen. She is the youngest child and only daughter of a merchant father. After graduating in Solingen, she moved to Munich where she pursued German studies, theater, and psychology at Ludwig Maximilians University although she never completed her studies.
From there, Ferres began to seriously pursue acting. For much of the ’90s, she served as the muse and partner of filmmaker Helmut Dietl, appearing in a number of his films.
In 2014, Ferres married German businessman Carsten Maschmeyer. (Some may know Maschmeyer from Die Höhle der Löwen, the German version of America’s Shark Tank and Britain’s Dragons’ Den.) She has a daughter from a previous marriage.
Die Manns – Ein Jahrhundertroman (The Manns – Novel of a Century)
Author Thomas Mann is famous around the world for his novels. His works have won him a Nobel Prize in Literature. But Mann is also a member of a famous literary family dynasty. The 2001 three-part television miniseries Die Manns – Ein Jahrhundertroman explores the family history from the early-1920s through the mid-1950s. The focus is on author brothers Heinrich (portrayed by Jürgen Hentsch) and Thomas (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and the effect of the rise of fascism on their family. Ferres portrays Nelly Mann, the second wife of Heinrich whose life sees a tragic end.
Die Frau vom Checkpoint Charlie
The 2007 two-part made-for-television award-winning film Die Frau vom Checkpoint Charlie is based on a true story. Set in 1982, Ferres portrays Sara, a woman living in East Germany with her two young daughters. When Sara’s father dies unexpectedly in West Germany, she is refused permission to travel there for the funeral. Never the less, Sara is determined to be there. However, in order to avoid detection, she decides to travel through Romania to get to West Germany. But when Sara is caught by the secret police she is separated from her daughters.
Unter Bauern (Saviors in the Night)
2009’s Unter Bauern is the film version of writer and Holocaust survivor Marga Spiegel’s 1965 memoir. The film takes place in 1943 in Germany’s Münsterland. There, Spiegel (portrayed by Ferres) hides on a farm with her husband and their young daughter. However, with the Nazis in power, harboring Jews and others is a dangerous risk. The film recounts the family’s struggle to survive.
Practice practice practice! Discover other great German-language actors and actresses previously featured.
Photo by Bernd Jaworek courtesy Ferres’ official website. This post contains affiliate links.
