Although he's not even 50 yet, Jürgen Vogel can already look back at an incredibly long and diverse career. Born in Hamburg, the actor works both for television and film productions. He can embody criminals just as convincingly as characters scarred by life. He has also shown his funny side in comedies, such as here with Nina Hoss, in the 2002 movie "Nackt" (Nude).

Born in Cologne in 1944, Udo Kier is a figure of exception. The actor starred in underground films produced by Andy Warhol in the 70s. He also worked with renowned German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder and became one of Lars von Trier's favorite actors. He is pictured above promoting the documentary "Arteholic," which explored the actor's addiction to art.

Frederick Lau, born in 1989, is one of the most remarkable discoveries among Germany's young actors. Lau adds power and a tremendous screen presence to his characters. At times, he reminds of the young Marlon Brando. He has often depicted simple guys from the streets, disadvantaged teenagers and player types, and was brilliant last year in "Victoria" (picture, center).

Tom Schilling is also undoubtedly one of Germany's most talented film actors. In 2012, he was highly praised for his interpretation of a dropout drifting through Berlin in the movie "Oh Boy." Schilling is most convincing playing sensitive, thoughtful characters, as his delicate features radiate vulnerability. But the actor has also demonstrated he can also take on nasty and devious roles.

August Diehl depicted a young hacker in the film "23" in 1998 - and it was his award-winning film debut. Born in Berlin in 1976, the actor has since convincingly portrayed a variety of different characters. In 2011, he starred in the drama "If Not Us, Who?" (picture). He was an SS major in Tarentino's "Inglourious Basterds" and starred with Angelina Jolie in the thriller "Salt."

Klaus Kinski is an actor of another generation. Born in 1926 in Zoppot (now Poland), he died in 1991. The "enfant terrible" of German cinema worked on several international productions, yet his greatest successes emerged from his collaborations with Werner Herzog. Among them was his unforgettable performance as an eccentric on the verge of insanity, the title character of "Fitzcarraldo" (1982).

Peter Lorre also belongs to a bygone era of German cinema. Born in 1904 in Austria-Hungary, the actor was sensational in Fritz Lang's first sound film "M" (1931). As a Jew, he left Germany in the 1930s and emigrated to the US, where he featured in several Hollywood productions. He also directed one movie, "Der Verlorene" (The Lost) in 1951, which is one of Germany's best postwar films.

Born in Barcelona in 1978, Daniel Brühl can already look back at an astonishing career that includes many international successes. The actor's breakthrough came in 2003 with "Good Bye Lenin!," a tragicomedy on the aftermath of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. He offered an outstanding performance in the sports drama "Rush" (2013), where he depicted the Formula 1 racer Niki Lauda.

Born in 1930, Armin Mueller-Stahl was a high profile actor in East Germany until the state blacklisted him for demonstrating against the denaturalization of the protest singer Wolf Biermann. In 1980, he emigrated to West Germany, where he worked among others with Fassbinder. He was memorable in Jim Jarmusch's "Night on Earth." He is shown here receiving an honorary award in Locarno, in 2014.

His depiction of SS officer Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" (picture) led to an incredible boost in the Austrian-German actor's career in 2009. This performance, as well as his role in another Tarentino movie, "Django Unchained," were both awarded with an Oscar. Christoph Waltz was also James Bond's nemesis in "SPECTRE."