Urs Rechn is a German

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, most famous for his appearance in the 2015 Cannes

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

-winning

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

drama ''

Son of Saul ''Son of Saul'' ( hu, Saul fia) is a 2015 Hungarian historical drama film directed by László Nemes, in his feature directorial debut, and co-written by Nemes and Clara Royer. It is set in the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II, a ...

''.

Biography

Urs Günther Rechn was born on January 18, 1978, in

Halle an der Saale Halle (Saale), or simply Halle (; from the 15th to the 17th century: ''Hall in Sachsen''; until the beginning of the 20th century: ''Halle an der Saale'' ; from 1965 to 1995: ''Halle/Saale'') is the largest city of the German state of Saxony-An ...

, then

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, now

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

, to Günther Rechn (a renowned painter and graphic artist from East Germany) and his wife Beate Rechn, the second of their three children. From 1987 onwards, Rechn attended the Special Grammar School for Music "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" in Halle, where he excelled in violoncello, French horn, and singing. After the

Fall of the Berlin Wall The fall of the Berlin Wall (german: Mauerfall) on 9 November 1989, during the Peaceful Revolution, was a pivotal event in world history which marked the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the figurative Iron Curtain and one of the series of ...

, the family relocated to

Cottbus Cottbus (; Lower Sorbian: ''Chóśebuz'' ; Polish: Chociebuż) is a university city and the second-largest city in Brandenburg, Germany. Situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree, Cottbus is also a major railway junction with exte ...

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 square ...

, where Rechn attended the 1.

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lie ...

Academic High School for Music and Fine Arts and the Konservatorium Cottbus, where he gained an outstanding reputation as junior conductor of the youth symphony orchestra and brass band. Despite having received no formal previous training in acting, Rechn segued into an acting career, encouraged by the honoured and renowned East German director and impresario Christoph Schroth. He appeared on the stage plays ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...

'' (1995), ''The Beaver Coat'' (1996), and ''Steig'in das Traumboot der Liebe'' (1996) and as a chorister in the opera ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a '' Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inc ...

'' (1995) at the State Theater Cottbus. In 1997, owing to conscription, Rechn served with the German paratrooper corps, and later in the German special forces. In the meantime, he appeared in several TV episodes thanks to an agreement with his colonel. Upon completion of the active service in 2002, Rechn attended the University of Music and Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy,

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

, and graduated in 2004. He became then – and still is – a visiting scholar at this institution. Rechn has spent most of his acting career on stage: 2003-2005

Staatsschauspiel Dresden The Staatsschauspiel Dresden (State Playhouse Dresden) is a theatre in Dresden. It is maintained by the Free State of Saxony, hence its name. It consists of a main auditorium, the ' (play house), and a studio theatre, the '. It was created in 198 ...

, 2005-2007 Landestheater Tübingen, 2008-2013

Theater Chemnitz Theater Chemnitz is the municipal theatre organization in Chemnitz, Germany. Performances of opera, ballet, plays, symphonic concerts, and puppet theatre take place in its three main venues: the Opernhaus Chemnitz (for opera, ballet and musical t ...

, (Chemnitz Opera) e.g.: ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises ...

'' - Treblev; ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams. An adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", the play was written by him between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his p ...

'' - Brick; ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'' - Antonio; '' Julius Caesar'' - Marcus Antonius; ''

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanic ...

'' - Caligula; ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pe ...

'' - Stanley Kowalski; ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a " play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...

'' - Jonathan Peachum. Rechn attracted international attention for his role of the Jewish

Oberkapo A kapo or prisoner functionary (german: Funktionshäftling) was a prisoner in a Nazi camp who was assigned by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) guards to supervise forced labor or carry out administrative tasks. Also called "prisoner self-administrat ...

Biedermann in the film ''

'' by Hungarian director

László Nemes László Nemes (born Nemes Jeles László; ; 18 February 1977) is a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. His 2015 debut feature film, '' Son of Saul,'' was screened in the main competition at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the ...

which won the

at the

2015 Cannes Film Festival The 68th Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 May 2015. Joel and Ethan Coen were the Presidents of the Jury for the main competition. It was the first time that two people chaired the jury. Since the Coen brothers each received a separat ...

as well as several further international awards. In June 2015,

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...

announced its submission of ''Son of Saul'' as their candidate for the foreign language film

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

at the 2016

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. On February 28, ''Son of Saul'' won the Oscar.

Filmography

TV (selection)

* 1999: ''

Die Strandclique ''Die Strandclique'' is a German television series. See also *'' Gegen den Wind'' (1994 – 1997) *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * '' 4 Blocks'' ( TNT Seri ...

'' – Dir.: Wolfgang Münstermann * 2000: ''Powderpark'' – Dir.: Christian Stier * 2001: '' Klinikum Berlin Mitte'' – Dir.: Ullrich Zrenner * 2002: '' Our Charly'' – Dir.: Franz Josef Gottlieb * 2003: ''

Die Kommissarin ''Die Kommissarin'' (German for "the inspectoress") is a German police TV series which aired on Das Erste. Its 66 episodes ran from 1994 till 2006. The series, which takes place in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, is notable as being the first, and a ...

'' (''Lady Cop'') – Dir.: Rolf Liccini * 2007: ''

GSG 9 , formerly (), is the police tactical unit of the German Federal Police ''( Bundespolizei)''. The state police (''Landespolizei'') maintain their own tactical units known as the ''Spezialeinsatzkommando'' (SEK). The identities of GSG 9 members ...

'' (''Special Unit'') – Dir.: Florian Kern * 2003: ''

Der Ermittler ''Der Ermittler'' is a German television series. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * '' 4 Blocks'' ( TNT Serie, 2017–2019) * '' Alarm für Cobra ...

: Stadt, Land, Mord'', ZDF * 2004: ', TV movie * 2005: ''

Tatort ''Tatort'' ("Crime scene") is a German language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with some 30 feature-length episodes per year, which makes it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed by ...

– Freischwimmer'', ARD (MDR) * 2015: ''

Polizeiruf 110 ''Polizeiruf 110'' ("Police call 110") is a long-running German-language detective television series likened to Poirot. The name links to the emergency telephone number of the ''Volkspolizei''. The first episode was broadcast 27 June 1971 in the ...

– Im Schatten'', ARD (MDR) * 2016: ''

X Company ''X Company'' is a Canadian/Hungarian spy thriller television series created by '' Flashpoint's'' Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern which premiered on February 18, 2015, on CBC Television. The series takes place during World War II, and foll ...

'', "Black Flag",

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French- ...

, Dir.:

Kelly Makin Kelly Makin is a Canadian television and film director. He directed episodes of '' The Kids in the Hall'' comedy television series and also directed several episodes of ''Queer as Folk'' including the series finale. More recently, Makin has ...

* 2018: '' Dogs of Berlin'' –

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

, Dir.:

Christian Alvart Christian Alvart (born 28 May 1974 in Seeheim-Jugenheim, Jugenheim) is a German filmmaker and screenwriter. Prior to working in the film business Christian Alvart worked in various positions, most recently as a senior editor at Filmmagzin X-TRO ...

Cinema (selection)

* 2003: ''Broad Hit'', Dir.: Gennadi Poloka, RUS * 2004: ''Juraan'', Dir.: Andrej Kudinenko, RUS * 2006: ''

Eight Miles High "Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn (a.k.a. Roger McGuinn), and David Crosby. It was first released as a single on March 14, 1966. Musically influenced by sitar player Ravi Shank ...

'', Dir.: Achim Bornhak, GER * 2013: '' Run Boy Run'', Dir.: Pepe Danquart, GER * 2014: '' The King's Surrender'', Dir.: Philipp Leinemann, GER * 2015: ''

'', Dir.:

, HUN * 2019: '' Inside Man: Most Wanted'', Dir.:

Michael J. Bassett M. J. Bassett (born Michael J. Bassett) is a British film and television writer, director, and producer. She began her career directing the cult horror films '' Deathwatch'' (2002) and '' Wilderness'' (2006). She also directed the dark fanta ...

, USA * 2020: ''

Waiting for Anya ''Waiting for Anya'' is a children's novel by Michael Morpurgo, first published in Great Britain in 1990, by William Heinemann. It is set in Lescun, in a mountainous region of southern France on the border with Spain. It was shortlisted for th ...

'', Dir.: Ben Cookson, UK, BEL

Roles on stage since 2003 (selection)

, Landestheater Tübingen, Schauspiel Chemnitz

Chemnitz Opera Theater Chemnitz is the municipal theatre organization in Chemnitz, Germany. Performances of opera, ballet, plays, symphonic concerts, and puppet theatre take place in its three main venues: the Opernhaus Chemnitz (for opera, ballet and musical t ...

* ''

Man Equals Man ''Man Equals Man'' (german: Mann ist Mann), or A Man's a Man, is a play by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. One of Brecht's earlier works, it explores themes of war, human fungibility, and identity. One of the agitprop works inspir ...

'' (Galy Gay)

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a ...

, Dir.: Küf Kaufmann * ''

The Broken Jug ''The Broken Jug'' (german: Der zerbrochne Krug, link=no, , also sometimes translated ''The Broken Pitcher'') is a comedy written by the German playwright Heinrich von Kleist. Kleist first conceived the idea for the play in 1801, upon looking at a ...

'' (Adam)

Heinrich von Kleist Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (18 October 177721 November 1811) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer and journalist. His best known works are the theatre plays '' Das Käthchen von Heilbronn'', '' The Broken Jug'', ''Amph ...

, Dir.: Rudolf Donath * ''

'' (Treblev) Anton Tchechov, Dir.: Tom Quaas * ''

'' (Antonio)

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, Dir: Holk Freitag * ''

'' (Caligula) Albert Camus, Dir: Rudolf Donath * '' Draussen vor der Tür'' (Beckmann)

Wolfgang Borchert Wolfgang Borchert (; 20 May 1921 – 20 November 1947) was a German author and playwright whose work was strongly influenced by his experience of dictatorship and his service in the ''Wehrmacht'' during the Second World War. His work is among t ...

, Dir: Mario Grünewald * ''

Downfall of the Egotist Johann Fatzer ''Downfall of the Egotist Johann Fatzer'' is an unfinished play by Bertolt Brecht, written between 1926 and 1930. ''Der Untergang des Egoisten Johnann Fatzer'', is translated as ''Downfall of the Egotist Johann Fatzer'' or ''Demise of the Egotist ...

'' (Koch) Bertolt Brecht/Heiner Müller, Dir.: Tim Grobe * ''

'' (Brick)

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

, Dir.. Holk Freitag * '' Julius Caesar'' (Marcus Antonius) William Shakespeare, Dir.: Rainer Flath * ''Mamma Medea'' (Jason)

Tom Lanoye Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

, Dir.: Simone Sterr * ''

The Good Person of Szechwan ''The Good Person of Szechwan'' (german: Der gute Mensch von Sezuan, first translated less literally as ''The Good Man of Setzuan'') is a play written by the German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with Margarete Steffin and Ruth Ber ...

'' (Yang Ssun) Bertolt Brecht, Dir.: Ralf Siebelt * ''

A Report to an Academy "A Report to an Academy" (German: "Ein Bericht für eine Akademie") is a short story by Franz Kafka, written and published in 1917. In the story, an ape named Red Peter, who has learned to behave like a human, presents to an academy the story of ho ...

'' (Red Peter)

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It ty ...

, Dir.: Urs Rechn * '' The Prisoner's Dilemma'', David Edgar, Dir.: Clemens Bechtel * ''

Iphigenie auf Tauris ''Iphigenia in Tauris'' (german: Iphigenie auf Tauris, links=no) is a reworking by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe of the ancient Greek tragedy Ἰφιγένεια ἐν Ταύροις ('' Iphigeneia en Taurois'') by Euripides. Euripides' title means ...

'' (Orest) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Dir.: Alexander Nerlich * ''Innocence'' (Elisio) von

Dea Loher Dea Loher (born 1964) is a German playwright and author. Biography Dea Loher was born Andrea Beate Loher in 1964 in Traunstein, Bavaria, Germany. She initially used the first name Dea as a pen name, but eventually changed her name officially to ...

, Dir: Tomas Krupa * ''

'' (Stanley Kowalski), Tennessee Williams, Dir.: Enrico Lübbe * ''

'' (Red Peter)

, Dir.: Mario Grünewald, Urs Rechn * ''The Snow Queen'' (Märchenerzähler / Rabe / Räuber),

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consist ...

Jewgenij Schwarz Evgeny Lvovich Schwartz (russian: Евге́ний Льво́вич Шва́рц; , Kazan, Russian Empire – January 15, 1958, Leningrad, Soviet Union) was a Soviet writer and playwright, whose works include twenty-five plays, and screenplay ...

* ''

Amphitryon Amphitryon (; Ancient Greek: Ἀμφιτρύων, ''gen''.: Ἀμφιτρύωνος; usually interpreted as "harassing either side", Latin: Amphitruo), in Greek mythology, was a son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns in Argolis. His mother was named e ...

'' (Amphitryon), Heinrich von Kleist, Dir.: Kay Neumann * ''

'' (Peachum), Bertolt Brecht, Dir.: Philip Tiedemann

Awards

* 2016

at the

for ''Son of Saul'' * 2015

Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival) The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or, and it replaced the Jury Prize (Cannes ...

2015 for ''Son of Saul'' * 2015

International Federation of Film Critics The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for Fédération Internationale de la PRESse CInématographique) is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world fo ...

FIPRESCI Prize 2015 for ''Son of Saul'' * 2015 Prix Vulcain de l’Artiste Technicien/

Vulcan Award The Vulcan Award of the Technical Artist (french: Prix Vulcain de l’Artiste Technicien) is an independent film award created in 2003. It rewards the work of a technician for his or her collaboration in the creation of a film from the official se ...

for ''Son of Saul'' * 2015 Prix François Chalais /

François Chalais Prize The François Chalais Prize (French: ''Prix François Chalais'') is awarded at two main events, the Cannes Film Festival (since 1997) and the Young Reporters' Awards (since 1999). It was created to pay tribute to French journalist and film histori ...

for ''Son of Saul'' * 2013 Brüder-Grimm-Preis des Landes Berlin for ''Reiher'', Schauspiel Chemnitz

References

External links

Website of Urs Rechn
*
"Son of Saul" on indiewire.com

Portrait of Urs Rechn (German

Portrait of Urs Rechn (German)

Portrait of Urs Rechn (German)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rechn, Urs 1978 births Living people 20th-century German male actors 21st-century German male actors German male film actors People from Halle (Saale)