Suzanne von Borsody

Biography

Suzanne von Borsody was born in Munich on September 23 1957. The daughter of actors Rosemarie Fendel und Hans von Borsody hails from a film dynasty: Her grandfather was director Eduard von Borsody, her great uncle Julius von Borsody was a film architect and set designer and her half sister Cosima is an actor as well. Already as a child, Suzanne von Borsody appeared alongside her mother in one episode of the TV series "Das Kriminalmuseum" (1964) and in the made-for-TV feature film "Der Mann aus dem Bootshaus" (1967). She had her first major role in the 1978 TV movie "Adoptionen". She next gained significant popularity with her turn in the miniseries "Beate S." (1978), which won her a Goldene Kamera.

From 1980 until 1982, Borsody was part of the stage ensemble of the Schauspiel Frankfurt. During that time, her sporadic screen credits included "Das eine Glück und das andere" (1980), which garnered her a Grimme Award and the newcomer Award at the Munich Film Festival. On stage, she starred in productions at the Schauspielhaus Bremen (1982-84), the Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf (1984-87) and the Schillertheater Berlin (1987-93). She also starred in Alexander Kluge's "Die Macht der Gefühle" ("The Power of Emotion", 1981-83, TV), Peter Timm's comedy "Fifty Fifty" (1988) and Michael Klier's acclaimed mother-daughter-drama "Ostkreuz" (1991).

After the Schillertheater was shut down in 1993, Suzanne von Borsody focused more on her TV and film career: She played the prostitute Daphne in the screen adaptation of Dürrenmatt's "Justiz" ("Justice", DE/CH 1993), appeared in the romance "Der Flug des Albatros" ("Flight of the Albatross", NZ/DE 1995) as well as the post-war drama "Deutschlandlied" (1995, TV), and was the female lead of the TV series "Vater wider Willen" (1995/1998). On the big screen, she had memorable roles in Tom Tykwer's "Lola rennt" ("Run Lola Run", 1998) and Doris Dörrie's "Bin ich schön?" ("Am I Beautiful?", 1998). Her portrayals of an alcoholic in Margarethe von Trotta's "Dunkle Tage" (1999, TV) and of a convicted murderer in "Die Mörderin" (1999, TV) garnered her both the Bavarian and the German Television Award. Between 1998 and 2000, she also had a recurring role in the popular TV series "Schimanksi".

In 2001, Borsody played a woman who falls in love with a Jewish man during the Nazi years in the drama "Leo und Claire" ("Leo & Claire"). The same year, she joined the stage ensemble of the Renaissancetheater in Berlin. Her performance in the 2007 staging of "Verdammt lange her" won her the Berlin theatre award "Goldener Vorhang". Also in 2007, the compilation film "GG 19" (2005-2007) was released, for which Borsody contributed a segment as director.

Apart from supporting roles in theatrical releases like "Planet B: Mask Under Mask" (2003) and "Joy Division" (GB/HU/DE 2006), she predominately appeared on TV in the 2000s. During that time, she had memorable roles in "Der zweite Blick" (2005), "Eine Liebe in Königsberg" (2006), "Ein geheimnisvoller Sommer", "Entführt" (2009) and in "Bis nichts mehr bleibt" ("Until Nothing Remains", 2010).

In 2010, Borsody played a strict school principal in the children's film "Hanni & Nanni", and she reprised the part for two sequels. Her turn as the wife of a cynical newspaper publisher in Hermine Huntgeburth's "Männertreu" (2014), won her a Grimme Award as well as two German Television Awards (for Best Female Actor and for Best Ensemble).

Following her notable performances in "Die Informantin" (2016) and "Die letzte Reise" (2017), she played an evil CEO in the children's film "Die Pfefferkörner und der Fluch des schwarzen Königs" (2017) and the daughter of a WWII veteran in "Leanders letzte Reise" ("The Last Journey", 2017).

In addition to her acting career, Suzanne von Borsody is also an avid painter, has recorded numerous audio books and goes on tour with literary and musical programs.