Maximilian Schell
 |
Maximilian Schell (left) in the film Judgment at Nuremberg |
Maximilian Schell (born
December 8,
1930) is a
Swiss-
Austrian actor. His late elder sister,
Maria Schell, was also an actress, as are his two other far less well-known siblings, Carl and Immy (Immaculata) Schell.
Born in
Vienna and raised in
Zurich,
Switzerland, he made his
Hollywood debut in
1958 in the
World War II film
The Young Lions. In
1961, he took the role of the defense attorney in
Judgment at Nuremberg, for which he won the
Academy Award for Best Actor, a role he had initiated in a live television performance.
1974's
The Pedestrian, which Schell wrote, produced, directed, and starred in, was nominated for
Best Foreign Language Film.
Schell has refused to be typecast. Although he was top billed in a number of
Nazi-era themed films as
The Man in the Glass Booth,
A Bridge Too Far,
Cross of Iron,
The Odessa File,
Julia, and
Judgment at Nuremburg, he has also appeared in
Topkapi,
The Black Hole,
The Freshman,
Stalin,
Deep Impact,
Candles in the Dark, and
Erste Liebe.
Among fans of
Mystery Science Theater 3000, Schell is best known for his appearance in
Hamlet, Prinz von Dänemark, a German language version of
Hamlet screened on the show.
Schell has also served as a writer, producer and director for a variety of films. In
2002 he released
My Sister Maria, a documentary about the career of and his relationship with Maria Schell.
In
2000, he collapsed and was diagnosed with
pancreatitis related to his
diabetes. At the time, he was starring on Broadway in the premiere of the stage version of
Judgment at Nuremberg, changing roles from the defense lawyer to the lead judge on trial for crimes against humanity.
Since the
1990s, Schell has appeared in many
German language made-for-TV films, such as the
2003 film
Alles Glück dieser Erde (
All the Luck in the World) opposite
Uschi Glas and in the
mini-series The Return of the Dancing Master (
2004), which was based on
Henning Mankell's novel.
He is the godfather of
Angelina Jolie, daughter of
Jon Voight and
Marcheline Bertrand.
In the mid 1960s, Schell reportedly was engaged to marry the African American fashion model
Donyale Luna, though the wedding never happened.
*
1958 -
The Young Lions with
Marlon Brando*
1961 -
Judgment at Nuremberg*
1964 -
Topkapi with Peter Ustinov
* 1974 - The Odessa File with Jon Voight
* 1975 - Der Richter und sein Henker as Regisseur
*
1976 -
Cross of Iron with
James Coburn*
1977 -
Julia with
Jane Fonda*
1977 -
A Bridge Too Far with Sean Connery, Michael Caine
* 1979 - The Black Hole
* 1981 - The Chosen with Rod Steiger and Robby Benson, based on the Chaim Potok novel of the same name
* 1990 - The Freshman with Marlon Brando, Matthew Broderick
* 1994 - Little Odessa*
1996 -
The Eighteenth Angel
* 1998 - John Carpenter's Vampires
* 1998 - Deep Impact with Elijah Wood, Tea Leoni, Morgan Freeman
* 2004 - Coast To Coast'' with
Selma Blair,
Richard Dreyfuss*
1978 - Nominated -
Best Actor in a Supporting Role -
Julia*
1976 - Nominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role -
The Man in the Glass Booth*
1961 - Won Best Actor in a Leading Role -
Judgment at Nuremberg*
