Birth Name:
Tilman Valentin Schweiger
Date and place of Birth:
19 December 1963, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Til Schweiger was born Tilman Valentin Schweiger on December 19, 1963, in Freiburg, Germany. He learned German for two years to become a teacher, but his true love for acting brought Til to showbiz industry. After three years of study, he started performing at various play houses and on radio. After a regular gig on the German television series, Lindenstraße, Til Schweiger kicked off his film career in his homeland of Germany in 1991 with a major part in the comedy Manta, Manta, and immediately scored success by nabbing a Max Oph?ls Festival for Best Young Actor in director-writer Claude-Oliver Rudolph’s Ebbies Bluff (1993). After the award-winning performance, Schweiger appeared in many German movies and television productions, including Lemgo (1994, TV), the comedy film Maybe...Maybe Not (1994, starred with Katja Riemann andJoachim Kr?l), the series “Kommissarin, Die” (1994-1996), Jailbirds (1996), Halbstarken, Die (1996, TV) and A Girl Called Rosemary (1996, TV).
Schweiger’s career entered a new phase in 1997 when he started to produce, co-write and directed films. In 1997’s Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, a road movie helmed by Thomas Jahn, the actor co-authored the screenplay and took home a Moscow International Film Festival for his the starring role of Martin Brest. The same year, Schweiger became the first non-Polish performer who won the Polish Best Actor Award for his role in director Maciej Dejczer’s Polish-German-French  drama Bandyta, opposite Polly Walker, Pete Postlethwaite and John Hurt.
The exposure and his exceptionally good looks landed him advertising gig with car manufacturer Renault, promoting the Clio.
In 1998, he decided to take a turn behind the camera and directed the film Der Eisbär. Unfortunately, the film did not fare well with viewers, so Schweiger returned to acting. Taking a trip to Hollywood, he took his first small role in an American film, the action-thriller The Replacement Killers (1998, with international star Yun-Fat Chow and actress Mira Sorvino), the crime-thriller Judas Kiss (1998, starred Carla Gugino, Simon Baker and Emma Thompson), and the Matthew Lillard comedy vehicle SLC Punk! (1998), where he famously played Mark. Still in 1998, the actor made his debut as a movie director with Der Eisb?r (The Polar Bear), an action-thriller where he also served as an actor and co-producer.
He then starred with Claire Forlani in the comedy Magicians (2000), teamed up with Dermot Mulroney, Julie Delpy, Robin Tunney and Neve Campbell in Alan Rudolph’s comedy Investigating Sex (2001), before returning to action-thriller genre with 2001’s Driven, which starred Sylvester Stallone. After a starring role in German comedy What to Do in Case of Fire (2001) and a second lead in the made-for-television film Joe and Max (2002), Schweiger appeared in Angelina Jolie vehicle Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003).
2004 found roles in such films as King Arthur, In Enemy Hands, Agnes and His Brothers, The Daltons and (T)Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1. The latter comedy/ sci-fi film, Schweiger won the 2004 Bambi Special Award and a German Comedy for Best Feature Film Comedy, awards he shared with Michael Herbig (director/writer/actor/producer), Alfons Biedermann (writer), Christian Tramitz (actor), Sky Dumont (actor), among others.
 The next year, Schweiger netted a Bambi Film National for his fine behind-the scene-efforts in the comedy film Barfuss, where he also starred as Nick Keller, a pleasure-seeking bachelor in love with an escaped mental patient. He had
supporting roles in the Rob Schneider comedy Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005, starred) and the international film Bye Bye Harry! (2006).
The 43-year-old actor will be featured as John Ridley in the upcoming action made-for-television film Body Armour (2006). On the wide screen, he is scheduled to star in such German films as the crime-thriller One Way (2006, as Eddie Shneider), the comedy Special (2006), and appear in the international action-adventure The Red Baron (2006), starring Joseph Fiennes.
Handsome German actor Til Schweiger was voted one of the Most Erotic Male Actors in a 2000 poll in Germany's Cinema magazine.
Til Schweiger could be making his Stateside directorial debut with the U.S. remake of his hit German romantic comedy "Rabbit Without Ears." Schweiger and Tom Zickler, his partner at Berlin-based Barefoot Films, sold the remake rights to Newmarket Entertainment last month. | VITAL STATS | Til Schweiger Information:
| | Eye color:Blue Gray | | Height: 5' 10" (1.78 m) | | Nickname(s): T-Dog, Tilly, Whispering-wulf, T-Bone-Til | | Notable feature(s): | | Education: Acting lessons at "Der Keller" | Family: Wife Dana Carlsen (separated), 4 children - Valentin Schweiger (born in 1995), Luna Schweiger (born in 1997), Lilli Schweiger (born in 1998) and Emma Schweiger (born in October 2002).
 From left to right: Lilli Schweiger, Luna Schweiger, Valentin Schweiger and Emma Schweiger. | | Resides in: Berlin, Germany | | Religious affiliations: | | Political affiliation: | | Personal interests/hobbies: | | Charities/Causes: | Other:
* His parents both were teachers.
* Lives in Berlin, Germany (2007).
* Attended acting lessons at "Der Keller" in Cologne and graduated in 1
* After studying German at the university for two years to become a teacher, he attended acting lessons at a drama school in Cologne.
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