Date of Birth

22 June 1943, Bad Aussee, Austria

Birth Name

Klaus Georg Steng

Klaus Maria Brandauer was a music student and studied drama at Stuttgarter Hochschule. He was a true stage actor and therefore didn't like to work in movies except for two small parts in The Salzburg Connection (1972) and A Sunday in October (1979). This changed when Hungarian director István Szabó gave him a leading part in Mephisto (1981). Brandauer received the actors award in Cannes and that opened door to international films. Together with the movies Oberst Redl (1985) and Hanussen (1988), all directed by István Szabó, these three movies formed the 'German trilogy' of Brandauer. He received a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for his role of Bror Blixen in Out of Africa (1985). The first movie he directed himself was Seven Minutes (1989). He also played the leading role in this movie.

Took his acting name from his mother, whose maiden name was Maria Brandauer.

Acted in German, Hungarian, English and French language films.

Has a professorship at the Max Reinhardt Seminary in Vienna, Austria.

Honorary doctorate by the University of Tel Aviv, Israel.

Member of the Wiener Burgtheater since 1972.

Before Sean Connery was cast, was considered for the role of Marko Ramius in The Hunt for Red October (1990).

Head of jury at the Berlin International Film Festival 1987

Lives in his hometown Bad Aussee, Vienna and New York.

Studied acting at the State University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart, but abandoned his studies after one year (1963).

Member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 1989.

Has a son Christian, whose mother was the late Karin Brandauer.

When he directed Bertolt Brecht's "Die Dreigroschenoper" ("The Threepenny Opera") at the Berlin Admiralspalast, the production got a mixed reception. Nevertheless, it was watched by 70,000 people within 7 weeks (2006).

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