Veronica Maria Cäcilia Ferres (; born 10 June 1965) is a German actress. Her 2007 portrayal of Sara Bender in Die Frau vom Checkpoint Charlie, based on the true story of Jutta Fleck, earned her the award for Best Actress at the Deutscher Fernsehpreis (German Television Awards).
Early life Ferres was born in Solingen. She grew up as the youngest child and only daughter of Peter Ferres, a coal and potato merchant, and his wife Katharina.
She completed her Abitur at the Gymnasium Schwertstraße in Solingen, and then completed a German, theatre studies and psychology degree at LMU Munich.
Career In Germany, Ferres's breakthrough came with the title role in the 1996 comedy film The Superwife, followed by starring roles in films such as the Schtonk!, , Klimt (alongside John Malkovich) and Saviors in the Night, making her a household name in Germany. Her TV productions include The Manns, , , , , and , among others.
Her awards include the Grimme-Preis, the German Television Award, the Bavarian TV Award, the Golden Camera Award, and the Bambi Award. She played the female lead in Jedermann (Everyman), the traditional opening play of the Salzburg Festival, considered the highest honor in German stagecraft.
In 2013, Ferres shot the international feature Hector and the Search for Happiness with Simon Pegg and Jean Reno, and played the main role in the feature film Casanova Variations, again with John Malkovich. Her 13th international production, The Devil's Violinist, was released theatrically in late 2013. In 2015, she starred opposite Nicolas Cage in the thriller Pay the Ghost, directed by Uli Edel. In 2016, she had the leading role in Werner Herzog's film Salt and Fire, co-starring Michael Shannon and Gael García Bernal. Ferres also co-starred in The Comedian, her 17th English feature film, along with Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, and Danny DeVito. She was able to display her comedic talent in the cinema comedies “DER NANNY” written and starring by Matthias Schweighöfer, Unter Deutschen Bettern and an episode of the hit series Jerks, among others.
The ARD feature film Meister Des Todes by Daniel Harrich even gathered political attention. The film, based on Harrich’s journalistic research into illegal arms exports, prompted several investigations against arms manufacturers in Germany. The second part Meister Des Todes 2 followed in 2020. The short film Malou by director Adi Wojaczek and producer Patrick Mölleken, premiered at the 23rd L.A. Shorts International Film Festival in Los Angeles. At the 22nd Manhattan Short Film Festival, it was on the Academy Award shortlist for 2020. In 2019 her filmography included Crisis with Gary Oldman and Luke Evans, the mystery thriller The Darker The Lake directed by Lok Kwan Woo and the romantic comedy Love, Weddings, and Other Disasters starring Diane Keaton and Jeremy Irons. Furthermore, she appeared in Best Sellers with Michael Caine and in Every Breath You Take with Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, and Sam Claflin. In 2020, she starred in the thriller Zero Contact alongside Anthony Hopkins. In 2021, she shot Paradise Highway with Juliette Binoche and Morgan Freeman, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival.
In 2022 she starred in the action thriller The Bricklayer alongside Aaron Eckhart and Nina Dobrev. Furthermore, Veronica played a leading role in the popular German television series Tatort in the episode “Königinnen” directed by Rudi Gaul.
The same year, she played in the new film adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s original Marvel comic “RED SONJA”, directed by M.J. Bassett the mother of Red Sonja as well as the Goddess Ashera alongside Mathila Lutz, Wallis Day and Robert Sheehan. Just recently she finished the english language streaming series El Turco in Budapest.
In 2023, Veronica Ferres is filming the American feature film Unholy Trinity directed by Richard Gray in Montana. She plays the female lead alongside Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson.
She is also starring in the ZDFneo horror series Hameln, which is based on the legend of the Pied Piper of Hameln, and the ZDF comedy series Andere Eltern, directed by Lutz Heineking, jr.
Ferres founded her own production-company, Construction Film GmbH, in 2013.
Personal life
Ferres was in a relationship with Helmut Dietl from 1990 to 1999. They collaborated on movies like Schtonk! (1991), (1997), (1999) and many others. In February 2000, they announced their separation.Helmut Dietl und Veronica Ferres getrennt. In: Rhein-Zeitung, 10. Februar 2000. She has one daughter, Lilly Krug, with her ex-husband Martin Krug. The marriage lasted from 2001 until their divorce in 2010. In 2014, Ferres married Carsten Maschmeyer.
Filmography
Television Year Title Role Notes1983–1984Büro, BüroKantinenwirtin VroniTV series1985Tatort: Party guest (uncredited)1989Tatort: Helma (uncredited)1989Pyjama für DreiTV series1990So wie wir sind1991Der Castillo CoupDebby1992Die zweite Heimat (Leaving Home)Dorli2 episodes1992Der Bergdoktor: Der Fiedel-JoschaAnnemarie1993-1996Unser Lehrer Doktor SpechtAnita Kufalt29 episodes1993Ein Bayer auf RügenAnni13 episodes1993Tatort: Maria Zell1993Julia DahlhausTV miniseries1994Peter und PaulDr. Ida Hundhammer5 episodes1994Die skandalösen Frauen1994Inspector Rex: Ein perfekter MordGerda Felsner1994Dr. Schwarz und Dr. Martin: RosenkavaliereElisabethTV series 1994Tatort: Nele Hinrichs1995Fatale MutterliebeIngrid1995Tonino und Toinette1996Der Bulle von Tölz: Unter FreundenElfriede Seidl1996Catherine the GreatVorontsova1997KowalskyVeronika Jansen5 episodes1997Die Chaos-QueenLuise Schumann1997Doktor KnockDr. Kai RichardiBased on Doctor Knock1998Eine ungehorsame FrauMarlene1999Jack's BabyJacqueline2000Les MisérablesMadame ThénardierTV miniseries2000Johanna von Strauberg2001Die Manns – Ein JahrhundertromanNelly MannTV miniseries2002Rosi Huber2003Für immer verlorenSabine Winter2003Anna Schweighofer2004Stärker als der TodLena Koch2004Veronica MolinBased on The Return of the Dancing Master2004Sterne leuchten auch am TagIris Hermann2005Catherine Coburn2006Bertha BaetzBased on Destined to Witness2007Lydia Seidel2007End of the Ice AgeLena Jörning2007Sara Bender2008Hanna Kaiser2008Katharina AlmedaTV miniseries2010Das Geheimnis der WaleAnna Waldmann2010Nora Wagner2010Rosannas TochterNela2010WitchBased on The Blue Light2011Martina Weiss2011Franziska2012Sylva Burian2012Tsunami – Das Leben danachBilli Cramer2012–2016Lena FauchLena Fauch4 episodes2012Dolores HobbsBased on Little Lord Fauntleroy2013Minette Frei2013The Hong Kong AffairVictoria Philips2014Das Glück der AnderenEllen König2014Die StaatsaffäreChancellor Anna Bremer2015Sabine Stengele2018Inka HansenTV series 2018Liebe auf den ersten TrickAnnabel2018Ulla Biggemann2019Berlin Station: Book of the FallenSuzanne Berg2019Meister des TodesDaniel Harrich2022Tatort: KöniginnenRudi Gaul2022-2023EL TURCOUluç Bayraktar2023HamelnRainer Matsutani2023Andere ElternLutz Heineking Jr.2026Veronica Ferres
Film Year Title Role Language Director Notes1985Der UnsichtbareSchaffnerin (uncredited)GermanUlf Miehe1988MagdGermanWalter Bockmayer1991BabylonApothekerinGerman1992Schtonk!MarthaGermanHelmut Dietl1992HelgaGerman1994Carmen KrauseGerman1996 The SuperwifeFranziska Herr-GrossGermanSönke Wortmann1996BarbaraGermanGabriel Barylli1997SchneewittchenGermanHelmut Dietl1999Maria KellerGermanHelmut Dietl1999Christiane VulpiusGermanEgon Günther1999Ladies RoomLaurenEnglishGabriella Cristiani2006SibylleGermanVivian NaefeBased on the Wild Chicks books2006Bye Bye Harry!SophieEnglishRobert Young2006Klimt"Midi" (Emilie Flöge)EnglishRaúl Ruiz2007SibylleGermanVivian NaefeBased on the Wild Chicks books2008Adam ResurrectedFrau FogelEnglishPaul Schrader2009SibylleGermanVivian NaefeBased on the Wild Chicks books2009Saviors in the NightMarga SpiegelGermanLudi Boeken2010Life Is Too LongNatasha Miesbach-BoronowskiGermanDani Levy2013Ruby RedGrace ShepherdGermanBased on the Ruby Red Trilogy2013Sabine MüllerGerman2013The Devil's ViolinistElizabeth WellsEnglishBernard Rose2014Sapphire BlueGrace ShepherdGerman, Based on the Ruby Red Trilogy2014Hector and the Search for HappinessAnjaliEnglishPeter Chelsom2014Casanova VariationsElisaEnglish2015The MannyIlonaGermanMatthias SchweighöferCameo2015Pay the GhostHannahEnglishUli Edel2016Short Term Memory Loss ( Tod auf Raten)Annett GräberGerman2016The ComedianKarolaEnglishTaylor Hackford2016Salt and FireDr. Laura SommerfeldEnglishWerner Herzog2017Linda LehmannGerman2018SiberiaRaisaEnglishMatthew Ross2018Intrigo: Death of an AuthorKerrEnglishDaniel Alfredson2018Head Full of HoneyWoman on the trainEnglishTil SchweigerCameo2019Berlin, I Love YouElse SpeckEnglishAnthology film by 11 directors2019MalouRegina VollmerGermanAdi Wojaczek 2020 Love, Weddings & Other Disasters Bev English Dennis Dugan 2021CrisisMeg HolmesEnglishNicholas Jarecki 2021 Every Breath You Take Dr. Vanessa Fanning English Vaughn Stein Also producer 2021 The Unforgivable English Nora Fingscheidt Producer 2021 Best Sellers Drew Davis English Lina Roessler 2022 Paradise Highway Rose English Anna Gutto 2022 Zero Contact Veronika Schultz English Rick Dugdale 2024 The Bricklayer Greta Becker English Renny Harlin 2024 The Unholy Trinity Sarah English Richard Gray 2025 Red Sonja Ashera and Mother of Red Sonja English M. J. Bassett
Awards
2024: Bavarian Film Award, Honorary Award of the Bavarian Minister President 2021: Inspiring Youth Award, TV Series Festival in Berlin for national and international movie success 2020: Kitzbühel Filmfestival, Honorary award 2019: Bavarian Europe Medal, award for special services to the Free State of Bavaria in Europe and the world 2018: ST. George Order for artistic achievements and charitable commitment 2017: 10th Maler Media Prize for Human Rights, awarded by Amnesty International for the film Master of Death 2013: Hadassah-Award "Citizen of the World" for longstanding engagement for Hadassah 2013: Cinema for Peace Award against anti-Semitism and hatred of foreigners 2013: Oldenburg Film Festival - Star of Excellence - Walk of Fame 2011: Boston Jewish Film Festival - Saviors in the Night - Winner of Audience Award 2011: Premio Bacco 2010: SIGNIS Award at the International Film Festival DC in Washington for Saviors in the Night 2009: Steiger Award in the category Film 2008: Jupiter in the category Best TV-production for Die Frau vom Checkpoint Charlie 2008: Deutscher Fernsehpreis in the category Best actress for Die Frau vom Checkpoint Charlie 2007: "Hans-Rosenthal-Ehrenpreis" for her encouragement for her charity project "Power-Child" 2007: Book of the Month - The book No, I don't go with strangers! was chosen as "Book of the month" of March 2007 by the "Deutsche Akademie für Kinder-und Jugendliteratur e.V." 2007: "Bad Iburger" Children's Literary PrizeE for her book No, I don't go with strangers! 2006: "Bavarian Merit Award" for her extraordinary achievements and dedication for Bavaria 2006: "Goldene Feder" Award, best actress 2005: Best Actress Award "Bambi" in Germany for her excellent career in movies, on television and on stage 2005: "DIVA - HALL OF FAME - German Award" 2004: "Bavarian TV Award" for Anna's Return, Forever Lost and Stronger than Death 2002: EMMY - Best film/serial for The Manns 2002: "Golden Grimme" Award for The Manns 2002: "Golden Camera" Award, best actress of feature film and TV movie in Germany 2002: "Bavarian TV" Award for The Manns 2002: "ROMY" Award, most popular actress in Austria 1999: Abruzzo Filmfestival, best actress 1999: Best Actress Award for The Bride, 9th International Film-Festival, Pescara, Italy 1998: "Golden Camera" Award, best actress of feature film and TV movie in Germany for Rossini 1997: SPA Award, Beauty Award 1992: Best Actress Award "Bambi" in Germany for Schtonk
Nominations
2009: German Television Award - Best mini-series for The Godmother