Max Riemelt

Max Riemelt, born on January 7, 1984, in East Berlin, is a German actor with international renown. He became particularly well known for his role as Wolfgang Bogdanow in the Netflix series Sense8, which brought him worldwide attention. Max Riemelt attracted early attention in German cinema with his performance in NaPolA – Elite für den Führer (2004) and achieved his breakthrough with Freier Fall (2013). In this drama about a young police officer who has to come to terms with his sexual identity, he impressed audiences and critics alike. His appearance in LICHTGESTALTEN (2015), directed by Christian Moris Müller, is a special contribution to German arthouse cinema. In it, he plays Steffen, one half of a young couple in Berlin who decide to radically change their lives and symbolically undo everything. The film was praised for its creative idea, visually striking execution, and emotional authenticity. Max Riemelt has worked several times with prominent directors such as Dominik Graf (Im Angesicht des Verbrechens, 2010), Dennis Gansel (Before the Fall, 2004), and Stephan Lacant (Freier Fall, 2013). He has also appeared in international productions such as Berlin Syndrome (2017, directed by Cate Shortland), where he starred alongside Teresa Palmer, and in the feature film The Matrix Resurrections (2021). Riemelt also remains present in more recent projects: He played central roles in the drama Ernesto's Island (2022, directed by Ronald Vietz), in the political series Bonn – Alte Freunde, neue Feinde (2023) and the miniseries Schlafende Hunde on Netflix (2023). In Es geht um Luis (2025), he played the lead role, which once again earned him positive reviews.