Austrian Actors Who Made it Big

Maximilian Schell (1930-2014)

Maximilian Schell was born in Vienna in 1930 but was taken to Zurich, Switzerland, by his parents during the Nazi occupation of Austria. Following the end of the war, the family returned to Austria. Schell became one of the first European actors to gain recognition both domestically and internationally. He was the first German-speaking actor to win an Oscar after World War II.

Schell’s father was a Swiss writer, and his mother an Austrian actress. Maximilian studied philosophy and art history at the University of Zurich, continuing his studies in Munich and Basel, where he made his stage debut at the age of 23. In the 1960s, he performed on stage in London and translated works by William Shakespeare and John Osborne. He also explored opera, performing at the Los Angeles Opera in 2001 and 2005 at the invitation of Plácido Domingo.

Schell’s sister, Maria Schell, was also a celebrated actress. He befriended Jon Voight during the filming of Little Odessa, and Voight later asked Schell to be the godfather of his daughter, Angelina Jolie. A dual citizen of Switzerland and Austria, Schell lived in both Los Angeles and Preitenegg. He died in Innsbruck in 2014 at the age of 83.

Romy Schneider (1938-1982)

Romy Schneider was born in Vienna in 1938 to a German actor father and an Austrian actress mother. Although her family moved to Germany before her first birthday, and she never held Austrian citizenship, Schneider always preferred to be recognized as an Austrian actress. She attended a design school in Cologne and landed her first acting role in 1953, appearing alongside her mother in When the Lilacs Bloom Again.

In France, she met Alain Delon in 1958 during the filming of Christine. By the following year, they were engaged, despite their initial misgivings about each other—Delon viewed Schneider as overly innocent, while Schneider found Delon too handsome, young, and impeccably groomed. Their relationship was tumultuous and marked by drama, and in 1963 they ended their engagement, turning their focus to their careers. That same year, Schneider received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in The Cardinal. In 1969, Delon persuaded her to reunite on-screen for The Swimming Pool, a film that became their most critically acclaimed collaboration.

In 1981, tragedy struck when Schneider’s 14-year-old son died in an accident—a loss from which she never recovered. She was found dead in her Paris apartment in 1982, the result of cardiac arrest.

Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz was born in Vienna in 1956 to costume designer parents, both of whose parents were actors. Although he received German citizenship shortly after his birth, he only claimed Austrian dual citizenship in 2010. Reflecting on his heritage, he has said: “I was born in Vienna, I grew up in Vienna, went to school, I began my acting career in Vienna, etc. I couldn’t be more Austrian.”

Waltz studied theater in Vienna and New York, launching his professional acting career in Vienna and Zurich before moving on to television. In addition to acting, he is an aspiring cinematographer and directed his first film in 2000. Fluent in German, French, and English, Waltz has seamlessly worked across American, British, Australian, French, Swiss, German, and Austrian productions. His international breakthrough came when Quentin Tarantino cast him in a supporting role in the 2009 film Inglourious Basterds, a performance that earned him his first Oscar.

Tarantino described Hans Landa as one of the best characters he had ever written, admitting that without Waltz, he might not have made the film. Waltz’s collaboration with Tarantino continued in Django Unchained, for which he won his second Oscar.

Waltz is a father of three and resides in Berlin, London, and Los Angeles. When asked in a television interview about the difference between Germans and Austrians, he replied: “The difference between Germans and Austrians is like the difference between a battleship and dancing a waltz.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, a small town near Graz, in 1947. Raised in a strict household, he tried various sports at a young age under his father’s encouragement. At 14, he chose bodybuilding over football, inspired by his idol Reg Park. His dedication and persistence earned him six Mr. Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia titles between 1965 and 1980, earning him the nickname “The Austrian Oak.” Reflecting on his early confidence, Schwarzenegger once said, “I knew I was a winner back in the late sixties. I knew I was destined for great things. People will say that kind of thinking is totally immodest. I agree. Modesty is not a word that applies to me in any way—I hope it never will.” At home, his achievements made him a national hero.

Acting intrigued Schwarzenegger from an early age, as he identified with the heroic characters in films. His imposing physique landed him his first role in 1969’s Hercules in New York, but his thick accent and difficult-to-pronounce last name posed challenges during his initial years in the United States. His breakthrough came with the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian, and his iconic role in 1984’s The Terminator—despite having only 17 lines of dialogue—catapulted both him and director James Cameron to stardom.