Rudolf Martin (born 31 July 1967) is a German actor working mainly in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. He first appeared in off-Broadway productions and then moved on to extensive TV and film work. He has made guest appearances on numerous hit television series and recently started working in Germany as well. He currently resides in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

Early life and education

Martin was born in

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under m ...

and spent his early years traveling throughout Europe while completing his education. Because of his interest in the arts, Martin studied American and English literature in Berlin and drama in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

. He then enrolled in the

Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute (originally the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute) is an acting school founded in 1969 by actor, director, and acting teacher Lee Strasberg. The Institute is located in Union Square on East 15th Street, ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

to pursue acting. While performing in small theatre productions, Martin secured a starring role in Susan Seidelman's Academy Award-nominated short film '' The Dutch Master''. This was followed by leading roles on ABC's ''

All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2013, via Hulu, Hulu Plus, and ...

'' and Off-Broadway in Nicky Silver's critically acclaimed hit comedy '' The Food Chain''. While in New York, Martin received recognition for his work in independent films such as ''Fall'', ''

High Art High culture is a subculture that emphasizes and encompasses the cultural objects of aesthetic value, which a society collectively esteem as exemplary art, and the intellectual works of philosophy, history, art, and literature that a society co ...

'' and ''When''.

Career

After arriving in Los Angeles in 1999, he appeared in the Warner Brothers thriller ''

Swordfish Swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as broadbills in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfi ...

'' starring

John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (1 ...

Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...

, Halle Berry and

Don Cheadle Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (; born November 29, 1964) is an American actor. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including two Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also earned no ...

. In the film Martin plays Axl Torvalds, an internationally renowned

computer hacker A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means. Though the term ''hacker'' has become associated in popu ...

who leads

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

agents on the trail of a criminal mastermind. Based on his performance in ''Swordfish'', Martin was offered a role in the German thriller ''

Soundless ''Soundless'' (german: Lautlos) is a 2004 German crime film directed by Mennan Yapo. Cast * Joachim Król - Viktor * Nadja Uhl - Nina * Christian Berkel - Lang * Rudolf Martin - Der junge Polizist * Lisa Martinek - Die Ermittlerin * Peter Fit ...

''. Before ''Swordfish'' Martin played a role in the original Showtime series '' Beggars and Choosers'', an inside look at the television networks developed by Peter Lefcourt and

Brandon Tartikoff Brandon Tartikoff (January 13, 1949 – August 27, 1997) was an American television executive who was the president of NBC from 1981 to 1991. He was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with such hit series as ''Hill Str ...

that was popular within the entertainment industry. Martin played "Nikolai Krasnakov", the charming but dangerous Russian mobster whose life was to be developed into a mini-series by the fictional network. Martin played the exuberant young mobster for the entire two seasons. Martin then moved to Hollywood and has since appeared in the 20th Century Fox's comedy '' Bedazzled'', the Warner Brothers film ''

White Oleander ''White Oleander'' is a 1999 novel by American author Janet Fitch. It is a coming-of-age story about a child (Astrid) who is separated from her mother (Ingrid) and placed in a series of foster homes. It deals with themes of motherhood. The boo ...

'', Patrik Ian Polk’s edgy comedy '' Punks'' that was nominated for an

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass ...

, as well as in the independent feature '' The Scoundrel's Wife'', starring

Tatum O'Neal Tatum Beatrice O'Neal (born November 5, 1963) is an American actress. She is the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award, winning at age 10 for her performance as Addie Loggins in '' Paper Moon'' (1973) opposite her father, Ryan O'Neal. S ...

Tim Curry Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film '' The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 Londo ...

and

Julian Sands Julian Richard Morley Sands''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, ...

. Martin portrayed the title character Vlad Dracula in the USA film '' Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula''. The film was shot in 2000 on authentic locations in Romania and tells the story of Prince Vlad III Dracula, "the Impaler" (1431–1476), who inspired the name of Bram Stoker's fictional vampire count.

Peter Weller Peter Weller (born June 24, 1947) is an American film and stage actor, television director, and art historian. He has appeared in more than 70 films and television series, including '' RoboCop'' (1987) and its sequel '' RoboCop 2'' (1990), in wh ...

Jane March Jane March Horwood (born 20 March 1973) is an English film actress and former model. Early life and education March was born Jane March Horwood in Edgware, London. Her father, Bernard Horwood, was a design and technology secondary school teac ...

and

Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the Rock music, rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Ge ...

co-starred in ''Dark Prince'', which premiered in October 2000. Martin then guest-starred as the fictional

Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some ...

on the fifth season premiere of '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' ("

Buffy vs. Dracula "Buffy vs. Dracula" is the season 5 premiere of the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. Buffy faces the infamous Count Dracula, who has come to Sunnydale to make her one of his brides. In the process, he turns Xander into a Renfield ...

") alongside his previous ''

'' co-star

Sarah Michelle Gellar Sarah Michelle Prinze ( ; born April 14, 1977) is an American actress. After being spotted at the age of four in New York City, she made her screen acting debut in the television film ''An Invasion of Privacy'' (1983). A leading role on the te ...

. Rudolf Martin proceeded to guest-star in five episodes of the Fox thriller '' 24'' in which he played two different characters, one of them impersonating the other. He has also guest starred in other television dramas, notably ''

Judging Amy ''Judging Amy'' is an American legal drama television series that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character (Brenneman) is a judge who serves in a ...

'', ''

Crossing Jordan ''Crossing Jordan'' is an American crime drama television series created by Tim Kring, that aired on NBC from September 24, 2001, to May 16, 2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed i ...

'' and in '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' as a serial killer motivated by Shakespearean sonnets, as well as Mossad agent Ari Haswari, the antagonist to

Mark Harmon Thomas Mark Harmon (born September 2, 1951) is an American actor. He is most famous for playing the lead role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in ''NCIS''. He also appeared in a wide variety of roles since the early 1970s. After spending the majority of th ...

on the hit show ''

NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...

'' for seasons 1–2 until that character's violent death. Also released is the independent feature film ''River's End'', shot on location in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. Martin's main focus remains on working in film; as a European actor he continues to appear in European productions as well. He had his second lead performance in the film: ''Bloodlines'', the story of a young man coming to terms with his newly discovered family in

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

. ''Bloodlines'' was shot in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

and Slovakia in 2003. He is cast member in ''

Hoboken Hollow ''Hoboken Hollow'' is a 2006 American horror film directed by Glen Stephens, and starring Jason Connery, Rudolf Martin, C. Thomas Howell, Dedee Pfeiffer, Greg Evigan, Randy Spelling, Matt Cedeño, Robert Carradine, Dennis Hopper, and Michael ...

'', an independent feature with

C. Thomas Howell Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966) is an American actor. He has starred in the films '' Soul Man'', '' The Hitcher'', '' Grandview U.S.A.'', ''Red Dawn'', '' Secret Admirer'' and '' The Outsiders''. He has also appeared in '' Get ...

Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in '' Giant'' (1956). In the next ten year ...

and

Michael Madsen Michael Søren Madsen (born September 25, 1957) is an American actor. He has starred in many films and television series, frequently collaborating with director Quentin Tarantino, most famously in the latter's debut film ''Reservoir Dogs'' (19 ...

and in another German feature, ''

Paparazzo Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...

'' shooting in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. In ''

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is ...

'' he had a guest appearance in the episode " Company of Thieves" in Season 10 as Anateo of the Lucian Alliance. He also has a guest appearance in three episodes of ''

Dexter Dexter may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Dexter, the main character of the American animated series ''Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003 * Dexter, a fictional character in the British web series ''Diary of a Bad Man'' * Dexte ...

'' as drug lord Carlos Guerrero. Currently (as of 2006) completed is ''Last Exit'' and ''

Hyenas Hyenas, or hyaenas (from Ancient Greek , ), are feliformia, feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family (taxonomy), family in the Carnivora and ...

'' and the short movie ''Sunrise''. In 2011 he played the character of Tormento Lancie in the video interludes for

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

Femme Fatale Tour The Femme Fatale Tour was the eighth concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. It was launched in support of her seventh studio album, '' Femme Fatale'' (2011). It was officially announced in March 2011, with dates for North American ...

. Martin's character is a stalker set out to eliminate Spears as the Femme Fatale.

Filmography

Film

* '' The Dutch Master'' (1993, Short) (

Susan Seidelman Susan Seidelman (Born December 11, 1952) is an American film director, producer, and writer. She first came to notice with '' Smithereens'' (1982), the earliest American independent feature to be screened in Competition at the Cannes Film Festiva ...

) - Dutch Man with Pipe * '' Run for Cover'' (1995) - Mr. Spengel * '' Café Babel'' (1995, Short) - Lover (he) * ''Tales of Erotica'' (1996) - (segment "The Dutch Master") * '' Fall'' (1997) - Phillipe * ''

'' (1998) - Dieter * '' When'' (1999) - Alain * '' Watershed'' (1999) - Richard Petrovic * '' Punks'' (2000) - Gilbert * '' Bedazzled'' (2000) - Raoul * ''

'' (2001) - Axl Torvalds * '' The Scoundrel's Wife'' (a.k.a. ''Home Front'') (2002) - Neg Picou * ''

'' (2004, German Movie) - Der junge Polizist * '' Bloodlines'' (2004) - Martin * ''River's End'' (2005) - Alejandro * ''

'' (2006) - Howie Beale * '' Two Nights'' (2007, Short) - Frank * '' Last Exit'' (2008) * ''The Hitchhiking Game'' (2008, Short) - Man * ''

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology ...

'' (2008) * ''

Raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned ...

'' (2009) - Lazar * ''

Pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus ''Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

'' (2011) - Man * ''

'' (2011) - Sheriff Manfred * ''The Stand-In'' (2011, Short) - Jan De Groot * ''

The Collector ''The Collector'' is a 1963 thriller novel by English author John Fowles, in his literary debut. Its plot follows a lonely, psychotic young man who kidnaps a female art student in London and holds her captive in the cellar of his rural farmhous ...

'' (2012, Short) - Francis * ''Taking Capellera'' (2012) - Volden * '' Bela Kiss'' (2012) - Bela Kiss * '' 3 Holes and a Smoking Gun'' (2014) - Junkie * '' Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story'' (2016) - Himself * '' Fucking Berlin'' (2016) - Dr. Carl Brenner * ''Crossing'' (2019) - Andrei * ''

Ford v Ferrari ''Ford v Ferrari'' (titled ''Le Mans '66'' in some European countries) is a 2019 American sports drama film directed by James Mangold and written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller. It stars Matt Damon and Christia ...

'' (2019) - Dieter Voss

Television

* ''

'' (1994-1995) - Anton Lang * '' Sliders'' (1999) - Kurtz * '' Beggars and Choosers'' (1999-2001) - Nicky Krasnakov * '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (2000) - Dracula * '' Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula'' (2000, TV Movie) - Vlad Dracula the Impaler * '' 24'' (2001-2002) - Jonathan Matijevich / Martin Belkin * '' Star Trek: Enterprise'' (2002, Episode: "

Two Days and Two Nights "Two Days and Two Nights" is the twenty-fifth episode (production #125) of the television series '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. The episode won the 2002 Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling For A Series. The television show episode first aired on ...

") - Ravis * ''

'' (2003) - Cell Phone Imbecile * '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' (2003) - Cameron Klinefeld * '' CSI: Miami'' (2004) - Rudy * ''

'' (2004-2012) - Ari Haswari * ''

'' (2005) - Albie Samson * ''

'' (2006) - Anateo * ''

'' (2006) - Carlos Guerrero * ''

'' (2007, German TV movie) - Raoul * ''

Moonlight Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes. Illumination The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ...

'' (2007) - Christian Ellis * ''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its ...

'' (2008) - Christian * '' Heisse Spur'' (''Cry No More'') (2009, German TV Movie) - True Gallagher * '' Die Jagd nach der heiligen Lanze'' (''Spear of Destiny'') (2010, German TV Movie) - Johannes Erlanger * ''

Nikita Nikita may refer to: * Nikita (given name) * Nikita, Crimea, a town in Crimea * Nikita the Tanner, a character in East Slavic folklore Film and television *''Little Nikita'', a 1988 film * ''La Femme Nikita'' (film), also known as ''Nikita'', a 19 ...

'' (2011) - Gustav * ''

Borgia The House of Borgia ( , ; Spanish and an, Borja ; ca-valencia, Borja ) was an Italian-Aragonese Spanish noble family, which rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance. They were from Valencia, the surname being a toponymic from the tow ...

'' (2011) - Francheschetto Cibo * ''

The Mentalist ''The Mentalist'' is an American drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, the show f ...

'' (2012) - Brox Marck * '' S.W.A.T'' (2017) - Jürgen Richter

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Rudolf 1967 births Male actors from Berlin German expatriates in the United States Living people German expatriate male actors in the United States German male stage actors German male film actors German male television actors