Tom Schilling is an actor for the extremes. He's usually cast as the most brutal villain or the ultra-sensitive victim. Both roles seem to suit him perfectly as he always delivers a spot-on performance.
However, in real life Tom describes himself as a true introvert, who finds it difficult to come out of his shell. Funny enough, he only considered as a career due to a chance encounter: East Berlin born and raised, Tom was spotted by a talent agent on his former school's playground when aged 12!
The rest is his film history…!
Tom's Trivia:
Born: 10th of February 1982 in Berlin-Mitte (then East Germany, GDR)
Trademark: Striking blue eyes and his unique voice
When he was younger, he wanted to become… a painter! (which he eventually did when he shot the film Never Look Away in 2018).
You'll know him from: Before the Fall (Napola), Suite Française, Woman in Gold, The Baader Meinhof Complex, A Coffee in Berlin, Who am I – No system is safe, Generation War (Our Mothers, Our Fathers) and Never Look Away.
Personal: According to Wikipedia, Tom has 3 children as of 2019 – his son Oskar (*2006) with an ex girlfriend as well as one son (*2014) and a daughter (*2017) with his current girlfriend – assistant director Annie Mosebach.
Currently lives: Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin (an area especially popular with young, modern families)
See for yourself how Tom changed through the years in my “Time Travel with Tom” gallery!
Tatort: Kinder der Gewalt (1999): The first time I took notice of Tom was when he played a mean bully in German TV crime series Tatort. In the episode called “Children of violence”, Tom’s character Tucky bullied a fellow classmate so badly that the boy eventually commits suicide. Tom had my attention and I followed his journey ever since.
Photo Source: tvspielfilm.de
Schlaraffenland (1999), also known as Paradise Mall: Tom made his debut on the big screen next to the big German cinema stars such as Franka Potente (pictured here with Tom). In the film, which translates to “The land of milk and honey”, a group of adventurous youngsters lock themselves in a shopping mall for a fun party night. But then the party goes terribly wrong and creepy…
Photo Source: cinema.de
Crazy (2000): Tom was 18 when he shot the German coming-of-age drama Crazy, but looked significantly younger. Based on the bestseller autobiography of a handicapped boy who tries to fit in at his new boarding school, the film became an instant hit at the box office. For portraying cheeky Janosch, Tom received the Bavarian Film Award for Best Newcomer together with Crazy protagonist Robert Stadlober.
Photo Source: www2.cineclub.de
Herz im Kopf (2001): After Crazy, Tom did yet another coming-of-age drama. In this one he falls in love with a Polish au-pair… and rocks a rather cute young-Justin-Bieber-style hair cut, which was fashionable at the time.
Photo Source: kino.de
Egoshooter (2004): Tom alias Jokob films himself everywhere his camera takes him to. An interesting experiment, which Tom received much acclaim for.
Photo Source: kino.de
Napola (2004), also known as Before the Fall: Tom’s breakthrough role was that of the super-sensitive Albrecht in this incredibly realistic WW2 drama about two boys at an élite Nazi boarding school. Next to Max Riemelt, Tom made this one a touching drama about real friendship and true heroism.
Photo Source: kino.de
Die letzte Schlacht (2005): After Napola, Tom time-travelled to the WW2 era a bit more. The documentary-drama “The Last Battle” was aired on TV for the 60th commemoration day of the end of World War 2. Tom recreates the experiences of a young German soldier lost in the chaos of April 1945 in Berlin.
Photo Source: tvspielfilm.de
Robert Zimmermann wundert sich über die Liebe (2008): In this Hamburg-based comedy, which translates to “Robert Zimmermann wonders about love” and plays on the fact that Robert Zimmermann is the real name of US musician Bob Dylan, Tom falls head over heels in love with a woman 20 years his senior. In this hilarious comedy, Tom proved that he can do funny as well!
Photo Source: freundederkünste.de © NDR/Gordon Photographie
Mein Kampf (2009): Tom’s next project was a bit controversial: He portrays the young Adolf Hitler who tries to make it as a painter in Vienna, but actually leads a rather miserable existence in an overcrowded men’s shelter. Even though it’s weird to see a film about Hitler as a person, I think that Tom did a great job at impersonating Hitler's famous outbursts with an authentic Austrian accent.
Photo Source: kinokalender.com / cinema.de
Oh Boy! (2012), also known as A Coffee in Berlin: In this drama shot entirely in black and white, Tom is playing a frustrated boy (or rather young man) in Berlin who has dropped out of university and doesn't really know what to do next. This film is not my personal favourite (I found it a bit boring to be honest), but it received various important awards. Among them the German Film Award “Best male actor in a leading role” for Tom.
Photo Source: kino.de
Ludwig II (2012): Next up was a crazy person! In yet another challenging performance, Tom made a fantastic effort to prove that the mentally instable, younger brother of Bavarian King Ludwig II. (the one that built Bavaria's fairy tale castle Neuschwanstein) was definitely not fit to rule!
Photo Source: critic.de
Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter (2013), also known as Our Mothers, Our Fathers or Generation War: The WW2 experience from a German perspective was a huge success abroad. Tom Schilling played Friedhelm, a young soldier and one of four close friends who were later separated by the events of the war. Spot-on acting – as usual!
Photo Source: welt.de © David Slama / ZDF
Who am I – Kein System ist sicher (2014): In an interview for “Who am I – No system is safe”, Tom admitted to being rather old-fashioned about computers. So in preparation for his role as a brilliant computer hacker, he took a course in ten finger keyboard writing. “It wouldn't have looked very realsitic if a computer hacker was sitting there for ages, searching for one letter at a time,” he joked.
Photo Source: Sony Pictures
Suite Française (2014) andWoman in Gold (2015): It seems as if it’s back to the roots for a manlier looking Tom these days. Just like in 1999’s Tatort, he is playing the mean bully again. The only difference to 1999 is that in these two period dramas, he is wearing a Nazi uniform. I personally like him better as the fragile “victim” because he is so incredibly good at being sad. But then he also proved that he has a real talent for comedies. Let’s just agree that he can do EVERYTHING, shall we?
Photo Source: filmweb.pl
Photo: © 2018 BUENA VISTA INTERNATIONAL/Pergamon Film/Wiedemann & Berg Film
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