Katharina Thalbach, born January 19, 1954, in Berlin, is the daughter of an actress and a director. She made her TV debut already at the age of four and starred in several children"s parts. From 1969 on, Thalbach performed at Berliner Ensemble and from 1972 on at Volksbühne Berlin. During the mid-1970s, Thalbach starred in two films by Egon Günther. In the role of Ottilie, she outplayed leading actress Lilli Palmer in "Lotte in Weimar" and starred in her first leading role as Lotte in "Die Leiden des jungen Werther" (The Sorrows of Young Werther) in 1976. Thalbach also left East Germany in that year and went to West Berlin together with Thomas Brasch.

Besides her success at the theatre, Thalbach became known for her innocent, yet sexy and experienced air in several important films: In Margarethe von Trotta"s "Das zweite Erwachen der Christa Klages" (The Second Awakening of Christa Klages), Thalbach played a bank accountant who pursues a bank robber on her own account. She also starred as little Oskar"s young stepmother and lover Maria in Volker Schlöndorff"s "Die Blechtrommel" (The Tin Drum). Thalbach played her most important parts in films by Thomas Brasch. In Brasch"s debut film "Engel aus Eisen" (Angels of Iron), Thalbach starred in the leading part of Lisa Gabler who was a member of the – authentic – Gladow gang that utilised the unstable conditions in the early post war years for a series of robberies in the politically divided Berlin.

To this day, Katharina Thalbach is still seen regularly in films and TV productions. She for instance starred in Doris Dörrie"s "Paradies" (Paradise, 1986), in Mika Kaurismäki"s "Helsinki Napoli" (Helsinki-Naples All Night Long, 1987), in Thomas Brasch"s "Der Passagier – Welcome to Germany" (The Passenger - Welcome to Germany, 1987/88), in Thomas Mitscherlich"s "Die Denunziantin" (The Denunciation, 1992/93), in Leander Haussmann"s "Sonnenallee" (Sun Alley, 1998/99), or in Heinrich Breloer"s TV movie "Die Manns – Ein Jahrhundertroman" (2000/01).

Between 2004 and 2008 in particular, Thalbach (partly in supporting roles) starred in a series of top-class and ambitious movie productions, including Leander Haußmann"s comedy "NVA" as well as his Schiller adaptation "Kabale und Liebe", Didi Danquart"s "Offset", and Detlev Buck"s highly praised children"s film "Hände weg von Mississippi" ("Hands Off Mississippi").

Thalbach played one of her most important parts under "Blechtrommel" director Volker Schlöndorff: In "Strajk – Die Heldin von Danzig" ("Strike", 2006), Thalbach portrayed the legendary Polish trade unionist Agnieszka. She was also critically praised for her performance in the social comedy "Du bist nicht allein" (2007), directed by Bernd Böhlich – with whom Thalbach collaborated again one year later for the romantic comedy "Der Mond und andere Liebhaber".

The following year, she played alongside Henry Hübchen in the TV crime drama "Commissario Laurenti - Der Tod wirft lange Schatten". She also appeared in Jo Baier"s period piece "Henri 4" (2010), the children"s film "Hanni & Nanni" (2010), Til Schweiger"s box office hit "Kokowääh" (2011 and the drama "Almanya – Willkommen in Deutschland", which premiered in the competition of the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival.

Thalbach"s daughter Anna (born 1973) is also a film and TV actress.