Ulrich Matthes (born 9 May 1959) is a German actor. He is best known for having played Joseph Goebbels in the 2004 film Downfall.
Life and work
Matthes was born in West Berlin and educated at the Evangelisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster. He studied acting in the early 1980s in Berlin under Else Bongers. In the 2004 movie Downfall he plays Joseph Goebbels. In the 2004 movie The Ninth Day, he plays Fr. Henri Kremer, a Catholic priest imprisoned at Dachau. He is also the standard German voice for Kenneth Branagh along with Martin Umbach.
In 2019, Matthes served on the jury that chose Pauline Curnier Jardin as winner of the Preis der Nationalgalerie.
Awards
1985: Förderpreis für Literatur der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf in Northrhine-Westphalia
1999: Bavarian Film Award – Best Actor for performance in Rider of the Flames
2003: Deutscher Hörbuchpreis
2007: Theaterpreis Berlin
2008: Deutscher Theaterpreis Der Faust
2015: Goldene Kamera – Best German Actor for performances in the Tatort episode Im Schmerz geboren (“Born in pain”) and in Bornholmer Straße (“Bornholm street”)
2015: Grimme-Preis – Best Actor for performance in Tatort: Im Schmerz geboren
2015: German Television Academy Award – Best Actor for performance in Bornholmer Straße
2016: Lielais Kristaps – Best Actor for performance in Pelnu Sanatorija (Exiled)
2022 Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Television
1995: Wolffs Revier: Sommersprossen – Danzer
1987–1997: Derrick (4 episodes) – Harald Breuer / Robert Lohmann / Holger Küster / Ulrich Huberti
1997: The Old Fox: Der Tod der Eltern – Andreas Gobel
1997–1999: Polizeiruf 110 (2 episodes) – Psychologe / Tanjas Partner
2000: Ein Fall für zwei: Blutiges Pfand – Michael Strobel
2008: The Bill: Proof of Life – Victor Hauptmann (crossover story with Leipzig Homicide)
2011: Tatort: Stille Wasser – Günther Kremer
2014: Tatort: Im Schmerz geboren – Richard Harloff
2019: Sarah Kohr: Das verschwundene Mädchen – Artem Lasarew
2020: Das Boot
Personal life
In February 2021, Matthes came out as gay.
In April 2023, Matthes was one of the 22 guests at the ceremony in which former Chancellor Angela Merkel was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for special achievement by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Schloss Bellevue in Berlin.