Herbert Knaup, born March 23, 1956, in the Bavarian city of Sonthofen, attended drama school at Munich"s Otto-Falckenburg-Schule. He then became a cast member of Cologne"s Schauspielhaus where he performed, for instance, in the part of Hitler in Tabori"s production of "Mein Kampf". In 1978, Knaup made his movie debut in "Coda". He made his breakthrough performance in the thriller "Die Sieger" ("The Invincibles"), a part that also won him the Bavarian film prize as "best actor". Knaup is often seen in parts of torn characters, for instance as a corrupt police inspector in "Die Musterknaben" ("Cologne"s Finest", 1996), the main protagonist"s freaking father in "Lola rennt" ("Run Lola Run", 1998), Goethe growing weary of the world in "Die Braut" ("The Mask of Desire", 1998), Albert Speer in "Nuremberg" (1999; Canada), Marlene Dietrich"s husband in "Marlene" (2000), Professor Vester in the "Eva Blond" TV movies (from 2002 on), or the bourgeois Greens party politician in "Agnes und seine Brüder" ("Agnes and His Brothers", 2004).

He then starred in high-profile TV productions like "Augenzeugin" (2008), "Mogadischu" (2008) and "Eichmanns Ende" (2010). His memorable movie roles of that period include the archangel Michael in "Die Geschichte vom Brandner Kaspar" (2008), as well as parts in the controversial drama "This Is Love" (2009), the pulp novel adaptation "Jerry Cotton" (2010) and the comedy "Bon Appetit" (2010). In 2010, he starred opposite Benno Fürmann and Maria Schrader in the war drama "In Darkness". In 2011, he played a former manager now turned delivery man for frozen goods in the tragicomedy "Arschkalt" ("No More Mr. Ice Guy").