Johanna Wokalek, born March 3, 1975, in Freiburg im Breisgau, attended drama school at Vienna"s Max-Reinhardt-Seminar. In 1996, she made her debut at Wiener Festwochen in the play "Alma – A Show biz ans Ende", directed by Paulus Manker. The play was later adapted for television, again starring Wokalek. In 1998, Wokalek played her first leading role on the big screen in Max Färberböck"s "Aimée und Jaguar" ("Aimée & Jaguar") while she was still studying in Vienna. She also starred in the TV series "Der Laden" ("The Store", directed by Jo Baier) and in the TV movie "Die Reise" (directed by Pierre Koralnik). After finishing drama school, she became a cast member of Schauspiel Bonn for three years, before she returned to Vienna to perform at Burgtheater.

In 1999, Wokalek was named "Best young actress of the year". In 2003, she won the Bavarian film award and the Förderpreis Deutscher Film Schauspiel for the leading role of Lene in Hans Steinbichler"s unconventional regional drama "Hierankl". Furthermore, she won the Grimme award in 2006. In 2005, she became known to a larger audience in Til Schweiger"s successful love drama "Barfuss" ("Barefoot") where she played Leila, who is in psychiatric therapy, and clings to her life saver in order to stay with him.

After another leading role in a movie in the metaphorical "Social Fiction" drama "Weisse Lilien" ("Silent Resident"), Wokalek will be seen as Gudrun Ensslin in the fall of 2008 in Bernd Eichinger"s elaborate and star-studded production of Stefan Aust"s RAF history "Der Baader Meinhof Komplex", directed by Uli Edel. In Sönke Wortmann"s film version of the historical novel "Die Päpstin" ("Pope Joan"), opening in octobre 2009, Wokalek replaced Franka Potente in the leading role.

In 2010 she played one of the two sisters in Lars Kraume"s dystopic vision of the near future "Die kommenden Tage" ("The Days to Come"). As Cecilia she falls in love with the sinister Konstantin (August Diehl) and drifts into a new terroristic movement.