Franka Potente

Birthday: 22 July 1974, Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Height: 174 cm

Franka Potente was born on 22 July 1974 in the German city of Münster, to Hildegard, a medical assistant, and Dieter Potente, a teacher, and raised in the nearby town of Dülmen. After her graduation in 1994, she went to the Otto-Falckenberg-Schule, a drama school in Munich, but soon broke off to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York. After a notable debut in Nach Fünf im Urwald (1995), the role of the heroine in Lola rennt (1998), directed by her then longtime companion Tom Tykwer was her national breakthrough. After some other successful movies in Germany, she starred in several Hollywood productions, most prominently The Bourne Identity (2002) and The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and lived one year in Los Angeles. After her return to Berlin, she continues working with German and international directors. Show less «

Everybody is great when things are great. It's the 'not great' stuff that matters.

I've published one book before, and now I'm writing a book of essays and stories about life in Tokyo...Show more »

I've published one book before, and now I'm writing a book of essays and stories about life in Tokyo. And I have one book coming out in May in Germany, about fitness. Show less «

I said, 'Wouldn't it be great if Matt Damon's character fell in love with a girl with a real butt?' ...Show more »

I said, 'Wouldn't it be great if Matt Damon's character fell in love with a girl with a real butt?' They were like, 'Yeah sure, sure - here's your personal trainer.' Show less «

I think working with Johnny Depp was very intimidating. It was my fault though. I mean he's a total ...Show more »

I think working with Johnny Depp was very intimidating. It was my fault though. I mean he's a total cool nice, nice guy, but I was just so, I don't know, overpowered by his presence. Like he's a very mystic person. He's older so I never really warmed up around him. I was so stiff. Show less «

I always performed when I was a child. My parents got very annoyed, because my brother and I had our...Show more »

I always performed when I was a child. My parents got very annoyed, because my brother and I had our little bedrooms upstairs, and I would plaster the house with posters with arrows pointing upstairs. Show less «

I'm so uncomfortable, especially in emotional situations, having to say sentences that don't feel ri...Show more »

I'm so uncomfortable, especially in emotional situations, having to say sentences that don't feel right. As an actor - or really, as any kind of person sensitive to it. Show less «

I just want to be able to sit on grass as long as I want to, without anybody telling me to leave. Ev...Show more »

I just want to be able to sit on grass as long as I want to, without anybody telling me to leave. Everything is so restricted, here, in that you actually have to stand behind a line, you can't go up the Canyon and enjoy the view. Show less «

To give somebody your time is the biggest gift you can give.

I think I'm a really good partner and very sensitive to the other person's feelings. I want somebody...Show more »

I think I'm a really good partner and very sensitive to the other person's feelings. I want somebody else to be comfortable, to understand about my job, and if they want to come on a set and see me work, they always can. Show less «

My background is a small town with no movie theater. So... I always pictured myself onstage. I went ...Show more »

My background is a small town with no movie theater. So... I always pictured myself onstage. I went to acting school and learned all the skills. I left early because I did my first movie and discovered that I really loved the minimalistic work with the camera. Show less «

I don't like actors who try to talk directors into making their part bigger and that's really lame.

I don't really care where I work, actually, because you know making a movie is like living in movie ...Show more »

I don't really care where I work, actually, because you know making a movie is like living in movie world. There's such a secluded world, and the director is the king ruling the country, and everybody's building this little town to speak in symbolism. Show less «

I think actors are divided into two groups: one that wants to be an actor to become famous and rich,...Show more »

I think actors are divided into two groups: one that wants to be an actor to become famous and rich, and the other that wants to be an actor because they have to be. I'm more in the second group. Show less «

I never consciously said, 'I want to be an actor.' It sounds stupid, but it's kind of like being a p...Show more »

I never consciously said, 'I want to be an actor.' It sounds stupid, but it's kind of like being a painter or something. You don't say, 'From today on I'm going to be a painter.' It's not something conscious - you've just been painting pictures all your life. Show less «

I choose my work very carefully, always for the script and the director, and I don't think that's go...Show more »

I choose my work very carefully, always for the script and the director, and I don't think that's going to change. My work is like a house. It's built on very strong poles. Show less «

When I was a kid at first I wanted to own a candy shop. I guess every kid wants to - we just want to...Show more »

When I was a kid at first I wanted to own a candy shop. I guess every kid wants to - we just want to have access - free access. Show less «

I think when I'm in love, I really am very good with calling, little faxes, and visiting and I reall...Show more »

I think when I'm in love, I really am very good with calling, little faxes, and visiting and I really put a lot of effort into it. I'm really not the one that's not available because of work and I'm very sad when I actually leave. Show less «

Franka Potente

Franka Potente's FILMOGRAPHY

Franka Potente'S roles

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