Gabriele Scharnitzky, born September 8, 1960, in Amberg, completed an apprenticeship as a travel agent after finishing school. She then moved to Berlin to start attending drama school. After her first theatre performances in Berlin and at New York"s St. Marks Theatre, Scharnitzly from the mid-1990s on mainly appeared in TV movies like "Nur mein Sohn war Zeuge" ("The Hunted Child") and in TV series like "Wolffs Revier". She then became popular in 2005 with the Sat1 telenovela "Verliebt in Berlin" ("That"s Life") where she played the role of Sophie von Bamberg for two years.

From 2004 on, Scharnitzky more often appeared in movie productions after playing a key supporting role in Detlef Bothe"s comedy "Meine Frau, meine Freunde und ich" ("My Wife, My Friends and Me"). In 2008, she played a dramatic leading role in the relationship drama "Neben der Spur" ("Tour Exzess"), again directed by Detlef Bothe.