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Roland Emmerich is a German film director and producer of blockbuster films like The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Godzilla (1998), Independence Day (1996) and The Patriot (2000). Before fame, he originally wanted to be a production designer, but decided to be a director, after watching the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Emmerich began his career in his native Germany. In his youth, he pursued painting and sculpting. While enrolled in the director's program at film school in Munich, his student film The Noah's Ark Principle (1984) went on to open the 1984 Berlin Film Festival. The feature became a huge success and was sold to more than 20 countries. In an amazing trivia, he directed his first feature, The Noah's Ark Principle (1984), in 1984. He is openly gay and a campaigner for the LGBT community.

A director/writer/producer with a flair for special effects-driven action, German Roland Emmerich made himself at home in blockbuster-hungry 1990s Hollywood. Born and educated in West Germany, Emmerich studied production design as well as direction at the Munich Film and Television School. After his student film, The Noah's Ark Principle, debuted at the 1984 Berlin Film Festival, Emmerich formed his production company Centropolis and directed supernatural fantasies Making Contact (1986) and Ghost Chase (1987), and the straight-to-video action film Moon 44 (1990). On the latter, he met actor Dean Devlin who subsequently switched jobs to become Emmerich's writing and producing partner once Emmerich set up shop in Hollywood.

After making his solo Hollywood debut directing Jean-Claude Van Damme in the cyborg action fest Universal Soldier (1992), Emmerich and Devlin revealed a talent for conjuring A-level action spectacles out of B-movie scenarios with their first film together, Stargate (1994). A space odyssey mixing ancient Egyptiana and high-tech wizardry, Stargate became an unexpected hit. Emmerich hit his blockbuster stride with his next film, Independence Day (1996). With its eye-popping destruction of major cities and climactic annihilation of a spacecraft via portable computer, Independence Day blew away its summer movie competition on the strength of its visual flash. Geared to repeat with the endlessly- and creatively-hyped version of Godzilla (1998), Emmerich instead faced the conundrum of directing a $100 million grossing film that did not live up to box office expectations. Emmerich and Devlin next turned their epic visions to the decidedly lower-tech (but still CGI-enhanced) action of the American Revolution in the Mel Gibson summer vehicle The Patriot (2000).

Oliver Masucci, born 1968, is an award-winning German actor. He grew up in Bonn, where his father - an Italian immigrant - owned and ran several Italian restaurants. Oliver learned cooking at the age of four and regularly turns his hotel rooms into Italian-style kitchens because cooking makes him feel like home when shooting abroad for ten months per year. He has tried to teach his three children how to cook - unsuccessfully so far. He lives in Switzerland and Mallorca. At the age of 12, while still in school, Oliver was cast for theatre plays at Stadttheater Bonn. After leaving high school in 1989 he was accepted into the Berlin University of Arts' acting school. After his studies he quickly turned into a much sought-after actor on all major theatre stages in Germany, Switzerland and Austria (among them: Basel, Berlin, Bochum, Hamburg, München, Salzburger Festspiele, Zürich). Oliver Masucci has performed thousands of times on stage, for more than 20 years, and eventually was appointed ensemble member of the prestigious "Burgtheater" Vienna in 2009. In 2014 he was cast to play Adolf Hitler in the Borat-style adaption of the satirical novel "Look who's back". He has since played in various award-winning German films, among them "Herrliche Zeiten" by Oscar Roehler, "When Hitler stole pink rabbit" by Oscar-winning director Caroline Link and "The Royal Game" by Philipp Stölzl - which will be released for an international audience in 2022. Oliver has been nominated for the German Film Award for four times. He received the award for best actor in a leading role in 2021. He has also received the renowned Bayerischer Filmpreis and the Grimme Award. He portrayed artist Josef Beuys in the Florian Henckel v. Donnersmarck film "Never look away", which was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2019. Later this year he took on the lead role of film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder in the film "Enfant Terrible" by Oskar Roehler, which was chosen for the official selection of the Festival de Cannes in 2020. Internationally, he is best known for the lead role of Ulrich Nielsen in the first German Netflix series "Dark". It became one of the most-viewed series worldwide and was crowned "Greatest Netflix Original Series" by Rotten Tomatoes users in 2020. Further English-speaking international roles include Michael Verhoeven in the Soderbergh series "The Girlfriend Experience" (Season 3), Moses in the Netflix-Series "Tribes of Europa", Captain Alban in "The Swarm" by Game-of-Thrones showrunner Frank Doelger (release scheduled 2022) and Klaus - Jamie Foxx' antagonist - in the upcoming Netflix vampire movie "Day Shift" (2022). This year, Oliver will further be seen as the lead in the Amazon Prime Original Series "German Crime Stories - Bound (Gefesselt)". In "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore", which premiered in London in March 2022, Oliver stars as Anton Vogel, Head of Wizarding World. In early 2022, Roman Polanski cast him as lead actor in his film "The Palace" (2023).

Nina Hoss was born on 7 July 1975 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She is an actress, known for Phoenix (2014), Tár (2022) and A Most Wanted Man (2014). She has been married to Alex Silva since 2015.

Maja Schöne was born in 1976 in Stuttgart, Germany. She is an actress, known for The Fire (2011), Dark (2017) and Cowgirl (2004).

Born 9 November 1965 in Stuttgart, Germany, she attended well-renowned Folkwang theater school in Essen from 1986 to 1989. She made her début at famous Schaubühne theater, Berlin in 1989, then moved to Schauspielhaus Bochum until 1992, then came back to the Schaubühne until 1995. Since then, she acted in a significant number of German TV productions and had remarkable (and award-winning) appearances in cinema films.

Jasmin Gassmann was born on 6 November 1989 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She is an actress and director, known for Verbotene Liebe (1995), Antlitz des Bösen (2014) and EneMe (2018).

Robert Schwentke was born in 1968 in Stuttgart, Germany. He is a writer and director, known for The Captain (2017), RED (2010) and Eierdiebe (2003).

Reggie Watts was born on 23 March 1972 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He is an actor and composer, known for Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Creative Control (2015) and Prime (2005).

Andrea Rau was born on 31 October 1947 in Stuttgart, Germany. She is an actress and producer, known for Daughters of Darkness (1971), Beyond Erotica (1974) and Es muß nicht immer Kaviar sein (1977). She is married to Gernot Köhler. They have one child.

Born in Stuttgart, Germany, Natalia Wörner studied acting at the Lee Strasberg's Actors' Studio in New York and began her stage career in Hamburg upon her return to Germany, She made her film debut in 1992, appearing in the feature film LENI as a young Jewish woman escaping Germany during the Second World War. That same year, she also starred in Sherry Hormann's 'Frauen sind etwas Wunderbares' (Women are wonderful) and 'Die Sieger' (The Invincibles.), a police thriller by Dominik Graf along with other TV productions. Fluent in several languages, Natalia effortlessly played alongside Gerard Depardieu in the 1994 French suspense thriller, François Dupeyron's 'La Machine'. She again caught the attention of the international audience for her French speaking role in the international cinematic production '20 Nuits et un Jour du Pluie' (20 Nights and One Rainy Day), which premiered in Cannes in 2000. However, it was her exceptional role in the 1995 popular TV series 'Um die Dreißig' (About 30) that won the hearts of the critics and the nation and catapulted her to become the critically acclaimed actress she is today having played leading roles in more than 50 national and international films. Natalia received her first award, the GOLDEN GONG, in 1996 for her outstanding performance in the episode 'Perfect Mind' of the long-standing crime series Tatort (Crime Scene). That same year she played in the romantic comedy 'Irren ist Männlich' (Father's Day), again directed by Sherry Hormann. Moving seamlessly between drama and comedy, in 2000 she was again honored twice for Best Leading Actress for her performances in 'Bella Block' episode 'Blinde Liebe' (Blind Love), to which she had also written the screenplay, and in the TV movie 'Frauen lügen besser' (Women Lie Better), an adaptation of Annemarie Schoenle's novel. Natalia's passion and commitment to the art of acting was never more evident than in her theatrical stage appearances. In 2001, at the Hamburger Kammerspiele she played in both David Hare's 'The Blue Room' and David Auburn's 'Proof'. She later returned to grace the stage in 2005, where she was part of the world premiere of Ulrich Waller's 'Ein Stück vom Himmel' (A Piece of Heaven) at the Deutsches Theater Berlin, and again in 2009 to the Renaissance Theatre in Berlin, for Patrick Marbers' successful play 'Hautnah' (Closer) directed by Ulrike Jackwerth. In addition to numerous appearances in television productions throughout the years, in 2006 Natalia played a compelling role as an investigator in the TV crime series 'Unter anderen Umständen' (Under Different Circumstances), directed by Judith Kennel. Natalia has since appeared in the numerous subsequent annual films. In addition to this, she also starred in the German adaptation 'Das Kindermädchen' by Carlo Rola and played the evil stepmother in the the international film series 'Cinderella' by Christian Duguay. The year 2009, saw Natalia flourish in the international film industry. Firstly, she appeared in the English/German co production 'Four Seasons', starring alongside Senta Berger, Tom Conti and Michael York. Later that year, she ventured to Hungary for the shooting of the monumental 'Ridley Scott' and the Tandem Communications adaptation of Ken Follett's world-wide bestselling novel, 'The Pillars of the Earth'. Here, Natalia played a dramatic and romantic lead, Ellen, the wild forest woman. The eight-hour series was broadcast world-wide in 2010 and received international critical acclaim. As such, the film was awarded several international honors including the Austrian ROMY, nominations for the American Golden Globes and receiving the German BAMBI. Natalia completed another German cinematic wonder in 2012 with the project 'Die Kirche bleibt im Dorf' (The church stays in the village) by Ulrike Grothe. Her hilarious portrayal of the Swabian western-styled dialect showdown was seen and loved by more than half a million people. She also finished the next sequel feature film of 'Unter anderen Umständen' (Under Different Circumstances) and the superb culture clash comedy 'Kückückskind'. Subsequent projects were leading roles in the film adaption of the world famous Goethe-Drama 'Götz von Berlichingen' (2013), the eagerly awaited sequel of 'Die Kirche bleibt im Dorf' (The church stays in the village II), Carlo Rola's thriller "Die Mutter des Mörders" (Mother of the murderer, 2014), "Der gute Göhring" and a newly developed political TV series "Die Diplomatin" (The Diplomat), which received its premiere in 2016. For the preparation of her role, Karla Lorenz, Natalia Wörner accompanied Germany's former Secretary of State Frank-Walter Steinmeier during official trips to Indonesia and South Korea, and she took over the leading role in a new adaption of "Mata Hari" (2016) as well as a role in the internationally cast of "Berlin Station" (2017), a successful American series produced by Studio Babelsberg. Natalia's profile would not be complete without mentioning her remarkable effort in numerous charity projects, particularly those that are of personal significance in her life. Having directly experienced the devastating 2004 tsunami in Thailand, she responded with immediate effect and founded the Tsunami Direkthilfe e.V., the function of which is to help re-establish the coastal fishing communities. In 2006, she became an ambassador for the international children's aid organization Kindernothilfe e.V. and supports many national and international projects that strive for the protection, health, safety, education and love of children. For her ongoing dedication to the cause she was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in 2016.

Pia Wurtzbach was born on 24 September 1989 in Stuttgart, Germany. She is an actress, known for Gandarrapiddo: The Revenger Squad (2017), My Perfect You (2018) and All My Life (2004). She has been married to Jeremy Jauncey since 24 March 2023.

Jerri Manthey was born on 5 September 1970 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She is an actress, known for Widowmaker (2005), Mr. Lucke (2002) and Komodo vs. Cobra (2005).

Johannes Heinrichs was born on 17 March 1990 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He is an actor, known for Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. (2024), Senna (2024) and Harley Quinn - Blazing Shadows (2020).

Andres Veiel was born on 16 October 1959 in Stuttgart, Germany. He is a writer and director, known for If Not Us, Who? (2011), Riefenstahl (2024) and Die Spielwütigen (2004).

Odine Johne was born on 21 March 1987 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She is an actress and writer, known for The Wave (2008), Agnes (2016) and Nordland (2014).

Fuchsberger grew up in Heidelberg, attended secondary school and was conscripted into the Reich Labor Service. Towards the end of the war he received training as a parachutist at the jumper school in Wittstock. After the war, Fuchsberger initially worked as a miner and fitter. In 1949 he became advertising manager for the German Building Exhibition in Nuremberg. In 1950, Fuchsberger started his media career as a speaker for Bayerischer Rundfunk and soon appeared in front of the camera as an actor. In 1951 he married the pop singer Gitta Lind. After two and a half years the marriage ended in divorce. In 1954 he became known as "Private Asch" in the "08/15" films. In the same year he married the actress Gundula Korte. Their son Thomas was born on August 5, 1957.

From 1959 to 1972, Fuchsberger, who was also called "Blacky" Fuchsberger by his fans, appeared in twelve Edgar Wallace film adaptations, with which he enjoyed great success. By this point he had already appeared in 85 feature films. Blacky didn't just limit himself to acting, but was also the songwriter and show host of shows such as "Just Don't Get Nervous", "Glücksspirale", "The Hot Wire" and "Let's Go". In addition, he published his first book, "Unplanned Adventures," in 1972. In the same year he was chief spokesman at the Summer Olympics in Munich. In 1973, Fuchsberger appeared in front of the camera as an actor for the last time when he appeared in the Erich Kästner film adaptation "The Flying Classroom". Fuchsberger celebrated success with his celebrity show "Heut Abend" from 1980 onward. In total it was broadcast 300 times by 1991. In 1984, Fuchsberger became ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund "UNICEF". He was the first German to be appointed to this office.

In the 1980s he discovered his love for Australia, where he lived alternately on the island of Tasmania and in Sydney. In 1987 his book "Good Morning, Australia" came out and since 1988 he has been making films for his TV series "Terra Australis". From 1990 to 1994, Fuchsberger was the presenter of the guessing show "Yes or No" and in 1995 he returned to acting as an actor for the first time in 22 years. He played Count "Alessio Capilupi" in the three-part television series "Flames of Love". Towards the end of the 1990s he appeared in other TV films. In 1998 he appeared in front of the camera for "The Four Kings" and "Tristan and Isolde - A Love for Eternity". Fuchsberger received numerous awards in his long career, including the "Bambi" in 1969 and 1982, the "Bavarian Order of Merit" in 1979, the "Golden Camera" in 1981, the Federal Cross of Merit in 1983, the "Golden Europe" in 1986 and the Grand Federal Cross of Merit in 1994, 2005 the Bavarian Television Prize and in 2006 the Bavarian State Medal for Social Services. In Australia in 1999 he received a certificate of thanks from Tasmania's Prime Minister Jim Bacon for his "extraordinary commitment and services to the state".

In 2000 he completed his 17th film in the series "Terra Australis". Joachim "Blacky" Fuchsberger continued to play theater even in his old age: from 2001 he appeared with Ralf Bauer in the play "The Priest Maker". In the role of the aging priest, he probably showed one of his best acting performances in the confrontation with the non-conformist student priest. The actor was awarded the honorary Bavarian Television Prize on June 3, 2005. As an ambassador for UNICEF, he received the Bavarian State Medal for Social Services in Munich on November 13, 2006. After many years of absence from the screen, Fuchsberger starred in the satire "News from the Wixxer" in 2007, based on his Edgar Wallace successes. In 2009 he became a member of the board of trustees of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and patron of the volunteer program for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. On October 14, 2010, his son Thomas drowned in the Kulmbach mill stream. In 2011 he received the television award for his life's work. On June 4, 2013, he suffered his second stroke after 2003.

Joachim Fuchsberger died on September 11, 2014, at the age of 87, in Grünwald near Munich.

Christina Hecke was born on 22 February 1979 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She is an actress and director, known for Barbara (2012), Collide (2016) and Karma Is a Hitch (2024). She has been married to Stefanie Henn since April 2018.

Stephan Luca was born on 3 July 1974 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He is an actor, known for Eva - ganz mein Fall (2002), Held der Gladiatoren (2003) and S.O.S. Barracuda (1997). He has been married to Julia Jüngling since 12 September 2006.

Jerry Zaks was born on 7 September 1946 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He is a director and actor, known for Marvin's Room (1996), Who Do You Love (2008) and Everybody Loves Raymond (1996). He has been married to Jill Rose since 14 January 1979. They have two children.

Daniela Holtz was born in 1977 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She is an actress and writer, known for Victoria (2016), Heart Bargain (2015) and De man uit Rome (2023).

Christoph Schrewe was born in Stuttgart, Germany. Christoph is a director and producer, known for Mayor of Kingstown (2021), Snowpiercer (2020) and Mr. Robot (2015).

Christopher Kouros is a classically trained and highly versatile and accomplished actor. He was awarded a classical scholarship and trained at the London Academy of Performing Arts. He has since taken part in numerous theatre productions, including London's West End, and has appeared in the feature films Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) , The Run (2008) , and on TV in The Marlow Murder Club (2024) , Kanneda and World's Most Evil Killers (2017) among others and will soon be seen in God & Country. He performs in English, Greek and German.

Anita Höfer was born on 27 February 1944 in Stuttgart, Germany. She is an actress, known for Residencia para espías (1966), Bel Ami (1968) and Lost Horizon (2010).

Emmy-award winning Frederik Wiedmann is one of the most diverse and cultivated composers working in motion pictures today. With over 150 titles to his name in all realms and genres, Wiedmann has established himself as an insightful artist with an enduring passion for storytelling.

Recently, Wiedmann composed music for Star Trek: Picard (Season 3) for Paramount+, Women is Losers starring Simu Liu, which premiered at SXSW in early 2021. Some of his other recent credits include the thriller Alone (starring Donald Sutherland and Tyler Posey), Hangman (directed by Johnny Martin, starring Al Pacino, Karl Urban, Brittany Snow), Millennium Films' Acts of Vengeance (featuring Antonio Banderas, Paz Vega and Karl Urban), and Day of the Dead: Bloodline (starring Sophie Skelton and Jonahon Schaech).His credits also include Universal's Doom - Annihilation as well as the epic civil war drama Field of Lost Shoes (directed by Sean McNamara), Paul Schrader's feature Dying of the Light, The Damned, Blumhouse's hit horror anthology Into the Dark (for Hulu), and the Australian Sci-Fi hit Occupation: Rainfall (2021).

His next upcoming project will be for Amazon Prime Video's highly anticipated animated series Batman: Caped Crusader which will follow the hero's mission against criminals in Gotham City. The series boasts a star studded cast with J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves, and Bruce Timm set to executive Produce. Wiedmann promises to have multiple music genres featured in each episode hearkening to a dark and mysterious score for the title character.

Wiedmann is the composer behind the hit Nickelodeon show Big Nate, as well as the critically acclaimed Netflix animated fantasy series The Dragon Prince, which is from the writers of the popular series Avatar: The Last Airbender, for which he earned an Emmy nomination in the original score category. In 2016, he won a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of "Outstanding Original Song" alongside lyricist Mitch Watson, for the song "True Bromance" from Dreamworks Animation's Madagascar spin-off All Hail King Julien.

Wiedmann has been a mainstay in the DC cinematic universe, starting with his work on Green Lantern: The Animated Series, for which he earned two consecutive Annie Awards nominations. His success on the series led to further popular Warner Bros' DC projects such as, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Son of Batman, Death of Superman, Justice League: Gods and Monsters, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight among others.

Paul Leni was born on 8 July 1885 in Stuttgart, Germany. He was an art director and director, known for The Man Who Laughs (1928), Das Rätsel von Bangalor (1918) and The Last Warning (1928). He died on 2 September 1929 in Los Angeles, California, USA.