Nina Hoss | |
|---|---|
Hoss at theBerlinale 2024 | |
| Born | (1975-07-07)7 July 1975 (age 50)[1] |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | |
| Spouse | |
Nina Hoss (German:[ˈniːnahɔs]ⓘ; born 7 July 1975)[1] is a German stage, film, and television actress. She is known for her collaborations with directorChristian Petzold in films such asBarbara (2012) andPhoenix (2014). Her roles in other films includeThe White Masai (2005),Pelican Blood (2020), andTár (2022). She has also starred in the American TV seriesHomeland (2014–2017),The Defeated (2020), andJack Ryan (2022).
Hoss received theOrder of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2013) and was also appointed aChevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France (2015).
Hoss was born inStuttgart,West Germany,[2] in 1975.[3] Her father,Willi Hoss [de], was a Germantrade unionist and politician (member of theBundestag withThe Greens, which he co-founded).[4] Her mother,Heidemarie Rohweder [de], was an actress atStuttgart National Theatre and later director of theEsslingen-based Württemberg State Playhouse (Württembergische Landesbühne Esslingen).[citation needed]
Hoss acted in radio plays at the age of seven, and appeared on stage for the first time at the age of 14.[5]
In 1997, Hoss graduated from theErnst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts inBerlin, where she studied alongsideLars Eidinger,[6]Fritzi Haberlandt,Devid Striesow, andMark Waschke.[7]
Hoss' first major success was the title roleRosemarie Nitribitt ofBernd Eichinger'sA Girl Called Rosemary in 1996, a period drama (based on an actual scandal) set in the 1950s that looks back at the days of West Germany's postwarWirtschaftswunder, with what aNew York Times review calls a "curdling cynicism".[8]
In 2000, Hoss was one of theShooting Stars at theBerlinale.[3] Her close collaboration with directorChristian Petzold has been extremely successful; she won the 2003Adolf Grimme Award for her role in his filmSomething to Remind Me and two years later the Adolf Grimme Award in Gold forWolfsburg.[citation needed] Her performance ofYella, earned her theSilver Bear for Best Actress at theBerlin International Film Festival in 2007 and theGerman Film Award in 2008.[9] Another collaboration with Petzold,Barbara, in which Hoss plays a doctor exiled to an East German provincial backwater in 1980, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011 and theToronto International Film Festival in 2012.[citation needed]
She later made her name in Hollywood playing a German BND agent in three seasons of the seriesHomeland (2014–2017). Hoss starred in the 2020 miniseriesThe Defeated, and was a series regular in season three ofTom Clancy's Jack Ryan in 2022.[10]
As a stage actress, Hoss was an ensemble member at theDeutsches Theater in Berlin from 1998 to 2013, where she appeared asMedea and as Franziska inMinna von Barnhelm (2005).[citation needed] In 2013, she joined the ensemble of theSchaubühne theatre in Berlin.[citation needed] There, she starred in three productions by directorThomas Ostermeier, includingLillian Hellman's 'Little Foxes' (2014) and the world premiere ofYasmina Reza'sBella Figura (2015).[11][12] In his stage production (2017) ofDidier Eribon's bookReturning to Reims, her starring role drew autobiographically from her relationship with her father and his activist politics.[13][14]
Hoss recorded a duet with the Welsh rock bandManic Street Preachers called "Europa geht durch mich" ("Europe goes through me") for the albumFuturology, which was released on 7 July 2014.[15] Hoss features on the 2021 albumBright Magic byPublic Service Broadcasting.[16]
She stars inTodd Field’sTár alongsideCate Blanchett as Sharon Goodnow, a violin player who is the partner of conductorLydia Tár.[17] In the film, Hoss plays theconcertmaster of an orchestra.[18]

Hoss was a jury member of theGerman Film Academy's First Steps awards for young filmmakers in 2000.[19] She was a member of the juries of theLocarno International Film Festival in 2009, the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011, and the73rd Venice International Film Festival in 2016.[20]
She served as the sole judge of the 2012 Alfred Kerr Acting Prize at theBerliner Theatertreffen.[5]
In 2018, she was part of the jury that awarded the first-everWortmeldungen Prize for Literature of the Crespo Foundation.[21]
Hoss supports theMake Poverty History campaign[22] and fightsfemale genital mutilation.[23] In continuation of the work of her father she is committed as a goodwill ambassador of the state ofPará in Brazil against the destruction of the rain forest and to improve the living conditions of theindigenous people living there.[24]
In 2017, she joinedCate Blanchett,Lars von Trier, and others, in signing a petition in support of Russian directorKirill Serebrennikov and against a crackdown on artistic expression in Russia.[25]
Hoss served as anAlliance 90/The Greens delegate to theFederal Convention for the purpose of electing thePresident of Germany in 2004 and 2010.[citation needed]
Hoss has received numerous state honours, including theOrder of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2013). She was appointed aChevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France (2015).[12]
In August 2019 Hoss was invited to be a member of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[26]
She has received glowing reviews by American critics for her performances in films.[27][28]
Hoss married British music producer Alex Silva in 2015 after having been in a relationship with him for 12 years.[29][30]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | And Nobody Weeps for Me [de] | Marilli Kosemund | |
| 1996 | A Girl Called Rosemary | Rosemarie Nitribitt | Television film |
| 1998 | Rider of the Flames | Marie Rätzer | |
| 1998 | Love Your Neighbour! | Liz | |
| 1999 | The Volcano | Marion von Kammer | |
| 2000 | Die Geiseln von Costa Rica | Kiki | Television film |
| 2001 | Toter Mann | Leyla | Television film |
| 2002 | Naked | Charlotte | |
| 2002 | Epstein's Night [de] | Paula | |
| 2002 | Emilia Galotti | Countess Orsina | Television film |
| 2003 | Wolfsburg | Laura Reiser | |
| 2003 | Leonce und Lena | Prinzessin Lena | Television film |
| 2005 | The White Masai | Carola Mamutelil geb. Lehmann | |
| 2006 | Atomised | Jane | |
| 2006 | Hannah | Hannah Morgan | |
| 2007 | Yella | Yella Fichte | |
| 2007 | The Heart Is a Dark Forest [de] | Marie | |
| 2008 | The Anarchist's Wife | Lenin | |
| 2008 | Jerichow | Laura | |
| 2008 | A Woman in Berlin | Anonyma | |
| 2010 | We Are the Night | Louise | |
| 2011 | Summer Window [de] | Juliane Kreisler | |
| 2012 | Barbara | Barbara | |
| 2013 | Gold | Emily Meyer | |
| 2014 | A Most Wanted Man | Irna Frey | |
| 2014 | Phoenix | Nelly Lenz | |
| 2014–2017 | Homeland | Astrid | Recurring role (seasons 4–6), 13 episodes |
| 2017 | Return to Montauk | Rebecca | |
| 2019 | The Audition | Anna Bronsky | |
| 2019 | Pelican Blood | Wiebke | |
| 2019 | Criminal (Germany) | Claudia | |
| 2020 | My Little Sister | Lisa | |
| 2020 | The Defeated | Elsie Garten | Miniseries |
| 2022 | The Contractor | Katia | |
| 2022 | Tár | Sharon Goodnow | |
| 2022 | Jack Ryan | President Alena Kovac | Main role (season 3) |
| 2023 | Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World | Doris Goethe | |
| 2024 | Langue étrangère | Suzanne Schreber | It was screened in Competition at theBerlinale on 19 February 2024.[31] |
| 2025 | Cicadas | Anja | It was screened in Panorama at the75th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2025.[32] |
| 2025 | Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny | Hannah Arendt | |
| 2025 | Hedda | Eileen Lovborg |
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Hoss has won or been nominated for many awards, including:
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Results | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | A Girl Called Rosemarie | Goldene Kamera awards | Lilli Palmer Memorial Camera | Won | [3] |
| 1999 | The Volcano (Der Vulkan) | Montreal World Film Festival | Best Actress | Won | [35][3] |
| 2000 | Berlin International Film Festival | Shooting Stars Award byEuropean Film Promotion | Won | [3] | |
| 2002 | Toter Mann | German Television Awards | Best Actress in a Movie Made for Television | Nominated | |
| 2004 | Wolfsburg | German Film Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role | Nominated | |
| German Television Awards | Best Actress in a Movie Made for Television | Nominated | |||
| 2006 | The White Masai | Bavarian Film Awards | Best Actress (Darstellerpreis) | Won | [36] |
| 2007 | Yella | Bambi Awards | Best Actress - National | Nominated | |
| Berlin International Film Festival | Silver Bear for Best Actress | Won | |||
| German Film Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role | Won | |||
| 2008 | Jupiter Award | Best German Actress | Won | ||
| 2012 | Barbara | Capri Hollywood Film Festival | Best Actress | Won | |
| Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| European Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| Indiewire Critics' Poll | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| Village Voice Film Poll | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | German Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress (Beste Darstellerin) | Nominated | ||
| International Cinephile Society Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| 2014 | Fenster zum Sommer | Jupiter Awards | Best German TV Actress | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Phoenix | Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |
| German Film Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role | Nominated | |||
| Indiewire Critics' Poll | Best Lead Actress | Nominated | |||
| Jupiter Award | Best German Actress | Nominated | |||
| Mons International Festival of Love Films | Best Actress | Won | |||
| Seattle International Film Festival | Best Actress | Won | |||
| Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Won | |||
| Village Voice Film Poll | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | Chlotrudis Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| International Cinephile Society Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| Seattle Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | Won | |||
| Homeland | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | The Audition | San Sebastián International Film Festival | Silver Shell for Best Actress | Won | [37] |
| Stockholm Film Festival | Best Actress | Won | |||
| 2020 | Días de Cine Awards | Best Foreign Actress | Nominated | ||
| Pelican Blood | Guenter Rohrbach Filmpreis | Best Female Actor | Won | ||
| My Little Sister | European Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| German Screen Actors Awards | Best Leading Actress (Beste Hauptdarstellerin) | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Festival del Cinema Europeo | Best European Actor | Won | ||
| The Audition | German Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress (Beste Darstellerin) | Won | ||
| Pelican Blood | German Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress (Beste Darstellerin) | Won | ||
| 2022 | Tár | Florida Film Critics Circle | Best Supporting Actress | Won[a] | [38] |
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | Outstanding Supporting Performance | Nominated | [39] | ||
| 2023 | Dorian Awards | Supporting Film Performance of the Year | Nominated | [40] | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Performance | Nominated | [41] | ||
| London Film Critics' Circle | Supporting Actress of the Year | Nominated | [42] | ||
| Minnesota Film Critics Alliance | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [43] | ||
| National Society of Film Critics | Best Supporting Actress | Runner-up | [44] | ||
| North Dakota Film Society | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [45] | ||
| San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [46] | ||
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [47] | ||
| 2025 | Hedda | Toronto International Film Festival | TIFF Tribute Performance Award | Won | [48] |
| Middleburg Film Festival | Excellence in Acting Award | Won | [49] |
The award recognizes a select group of talent whose noteworthy performances in films which have elevated them into the national cinematic dialogue.