Began his acting career on stage in Germany in the late 1980s after training to be an Olympic swimmer

After three years of studying acting, he was invited to be a member of Schillertheatre, the national theatre of Berlin

Made his film debut in Der Mitwisser, which earned him Germany's prestigious Max Ophüls Prize as Best Up-and-Coming Actor

Appeared in the World War II epic "Stalingrad" as Nazi officer Hans von Witzland

Cast in Dario Argento's "The Stendahl Syndrome" (1996) and "Prince Valiant" (1997)