| After three years of studying acting, he was invited to be a member of Schillertheatre, the national theatre of Berlin |
| Began his acting career on stage in Germany in the late 1980s after training to be an Olympic swimmer |
| Cast in Dario Argento's "The Stendahl Syndrome" (1996) and "Prince Valiant" (1997) |
1991 | Made his film debut in Der Mitwisser, which earned him Germany's prestigious Max Ophüls Prize as Best Up-and-Coming Actor |
1993 | Appeared in the World War II epic "Stalingrad" as Nazi officer Hans von Witzland |
2000 | Again cast as a Nazi officer in "U-571," with Matthew McConaughey and Harvey Keitel for director Jonathan Mostow |
2002 | Earned international acclaim as Nazi officer, Wilm Hosenfeld in Roman Polasnki's Oscar-winning "The Pianist" |
2003 | Had a recurring role on the FOX drama "24" |
2004 | Co-starred in the feature films In Enemy Hands with William H. Macy and Lauren Holly |
2004 | Portrayed a Nazi officer in the drama Head in the Clouds, starring Charlize Theron, Penélope Cruz and Stuart Townsend |
2005 | Cast in Peter Jackson's "King Kong" a remake of the 1933 classic |
