# Senta Berger

Senta Verhoeven (née Berger; Austrian German: , German: ; born 13 May 1941) is an Austrian-German actress. She received many award nominations for her acting in theatre, film, and television; her awards include three Bambi Awards, two Romys, an Adolf Grimme Award, both a Deutscher and a Bayerischer Fernsehpreis, and a Goldene Kamera.

## Early life

Berger was born in Hietzing, Vienna, to musician Josef Berger [de] (1902–1983) and teacher Therese Jany. She first appeared on stage at the age of four, when her father accompanied her singing on the piano. At the age of five, she started ballet lessons.
Berger also took private acting lessons. In 1957, she won her first small role in The Unexcused Hour, one of the final films directed by Austrian auteur Willi Forst. She applied for the Max Reinhardt Seminar, a famous acting school in Vienna, and was accepted, but she left shortly afterwards after accepting a film role without permission. In 1958, she became the youngest member of the Josefstadt Theatre in Vienna and appeared in productions of L'Œuf, Charley's Aunt, Much Ado About Nothing' and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

## Career

In 1960, Bernhard Wicki and Artur Brauner produced the comedy film The Good Soldier Schweik with Berger and German actor Heinz Rühmann. Brauner used Berger in several films, but she soon tired of musicals. In 1962, she went to Hollywood and worked with stars such as Charlton Heston, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Richard Widmark, John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and Yul Brynner. She returned to Germany to accept an offer for a role in a series, which would have included an obligation of several years. Early publicity material compared her to Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren.
In 1963, Berger met Michael Verhoeven, son of German film director Paul Verhoeven (not to be confused with the Netherlands Paul Verhoeven). In November 1964, she guest-starred in an episode of the U.S. television show The Man from U.N.C.L.E, entitled "The Double Affair". It was later expanded and released in cinemas as the feature film The Spy with My Face (1965). Also in 1965, she starred in The Glory Guys, a dramatic representation of Custer's Little Big Horn disaster, based on the novel The Dice of God by Hoffman Birney. Filmed by Levy-Gardner-Laven and released by United Artists, it stars Tom Tryon, Harve Presnell, Senta Berger, James Caan, and Michael Anderson, Jr. Berger and Verhoeven started their own film production company in 1965, and married in 1966. Berger continued to develop her European career in France and Italy.
In 1966, Berger co-starred with Kirk Douglas in the film Cast a Giant Shadow. Berger played the role of Magda, a soldier in the Israeli army during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Also in 1966, the British film Our Man in Marrakesh, called Bang, Bang, You're Dead in the U.S., was released, starring Senta Berger opposite Tony Randall. In The Quiller Memorandum, a third film of hers released in 1966, she played opposite Max von Sydow and George Segal in the role of a German schoolteacher involved in neo-Nazi activity. In 1967, Berger acted in the pilot film for the Robert Wagner television series It Takes a Thief, which aired on the U.S. television network ABC on 9 January 1968. She reprised her role in the series in October 1969, in an episode in which her character was killed.
In 1970, Berger starred for the first time in a film produced by her own company and directed by her husband. Other internationally successful films made by their joint production company included, Die weiße Rose (1982), The Nasty Girl (1990) and My Mother's Courage [de] (1995). In 1971, Berger participated in the media campaign "We've had abortions!" launched by German feminist Alice Schwarzer with a cover story in the Stern political magazine. In 1972, she also campaigned for Willy Brandt's Social Democratic Party.
Following the birth of her first son, Berger soon returned to theatre work. She played at the Burgtheater in Vienna, at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, and at the Schiller Theater in Berlin. Between 1974 and 1982, she played the Buhlschaft in the play Jedermann at the Salzburg Festival with Curd Jürgens and Maximilian Schell. She also acted alongside Schell and James Coburn in a supporting role in the acclaimed war film Cross of Iron (1977). In 1977, she was head of the jury at the 27th Berlin International Film Festival. Twenty-one years later, she was part of the jury at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival.
In 1985–86, Berger started a comeback in front of German-speaking audiences in the TV serial Kir Royal. (In the 1980s, Berger discovered she was admired by Scottish drifter Arthur Richard Jackson, who had attempted to murder American actress Theresa Saldana in 1982.) Further serial hits followed, including Die schnelle Gerdi (The Fast Gerdi, 1989–2002), wherein she played a taxi driver. In the same year, she also started a career as a singer of chansons. From 2003 to 2010, Berger was president of the German Film Academy, which seeks to support the careers of actors and actresses in Germany and across Europe. Since 2005, the academy assigns the annual German Film Awards, or Lolas.
In 2005 she appeared in the film, Einmal so wie ich will (Once According to My Will), as a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage, who finds love on holiday, but turns her back on the relationship. In 2016, she played one of the leading roles in the film Welcome to Germany, written and directed by her son Simon Verhoeven. The film grossed more than US$20 million, making it the most successful German picture of the year. It also won numerous awards, among them the Deutscher Filmpreis, the peace award Friedenspreis des deutschen Films, and was nominated for a European Film Award for Best Comedy.
She played the role of Doctor Eva Maria Prohacek in the popular German crime television series Unter Verdacht (Under Suspicion) from 2002 till March 2020, when she retired from the role.
In June 2023, her romantic dramedy Remember Me [de] (Weißt du noch; screenplay by Martin Rauhaus, directed by Rainer Kaufmann) premiered at the 40th Filmfest München.

## Memoirs

In the spring of 2006, Berger's autobiography was published in Germany: Ich habe ja gewußt, daß ich fliegen kann (I Knew that I Could Fly). Among her memories of Hollywood are a less-than-subtle attempt by Darryl Zanuck to get her on his casting couch, and of all the shallow people she met in Hollywood.

## Personal life

Berger was married to German film director Michael Verhoeven from 1966 until his death in 2024; their sons are actor-director Simon Verhoeven (born 1972) and actor/producer Luca Verhoeven (born 1979). She lives in Germany. She is Jewish.

## Selected filmography
### Film

| Year | Film | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1957 | The Unexcused Hour | Charge als Gymnasialschülerin | Willi Forst | |
| 1959 | The Journey | Serving Girl in Black Scarf | Anatole Litvak | |
| 1960 | The Good Soldier Schweik | Gretl | Axel von Ambesser | |
| 1960 | I'm Marrying the Director | Vera Bleichinger | Wolfgang Liebeneiner |
| 1960 | O sole mio [de] | Madeleine | Paul Martin | |
| 1961 | The Secret Ways | Elsa | Phil Karlson | |
| 1961 | The Miracle of Father Malachia | Yvonne Krüger | Bernhard Wicki | |
| 1961 | It Can't Always Be Caviar [de] | Chantal | Géza von Radványi | |
| 1961 | This Time It Must Be Caviar [de] | Chantal | Géza von Radványi | |
| 1962 | Das Geheimnis der schwarzen Koffer [de] | Susan Brown | Werner Klingler | |
| 1962 | Doctor Sibelius | Elisabeth Sibelius | Rudolf Jugert | |
| 1962 | Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse | Nelly | Werner Klingler | |
| 1962 | Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace | Mrs. Ellen Blackburn | Terence Fisher | |
| 1963 | The Victors | Trudi | Carl Foreman | |
| 1963 | Kali Yug: Goddess of Vengeance | Catherine Talbot | Mario Camerini | Two films |
| 1963 | Jack and Jenny | Jenny | Victor Vicas | |
| 1964 | Full Hearts and Empty Pockets [it] | Jane | Camillo Mastrocinque | |
| 1964 | The Spy with My Face | Serena | John Newland | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. |
| 1965 | Major Dundee | Teresa Santiago | Sam Peckinpah | |
| 1965 | Shots in Threequarter Time | Captain Jenny Bedford | Alfred Weidenmann | |
| 1965 | The Glory Guys | Lou Woddard | Arnold Laven | |
| 1966 | Cast a Giant Shadow | Magda Simon | Melville Shavelson | |
| 1966 | Our Man in Marrakesh | Kyra Stanovy | Don Sharp | |
| 1966 | The Poppy Is Also a Flower | Dancer | Terence Young | |
| 1966 | Long Legs, Long Fingers | Doris Holberg | Alfred Vohrer | |
| 1966 | The Quiller Memorandum | Inge Lindt | Michael Anderson | |
| 1966 | The Treasure of San Gennaro | Maggie | Dino Risi | |
| 1967 | To Commit a Murder | Gertraud Sphax | Édouard Molinaro | |
| 1967 | The Ambushers | Francesca Madeiros | Henry Levin | Matt Helm film series |
| 1967 | Diabolically Yours | Christiane | Julien Duvivier | |
| 1969 | If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium | London Saleswoman | Mel Stuart | Cameo |
| 1969 | Les Étrangers [fr] | May | Jean-Pierre Desagnat [fr] | |
| 1969 | De Sade | Anne de Montreuil | Cy Endfield | |
| 1969 | Giacomo Casanova: Childhood and Adolescence | Giulietta Cavamacchia | Luigi Comencini | |
| 1970 | Lonely Hearts | Giovanna | Franco Giraldi | |
| 1970 | When Women Had Tails | Filli | Pasquale Festa Campanile | |
| 1971 | He Who Loves in a Glass House | Hanna | Michael Verhoeven | |
| 1971 | Le Saut de l'ange [fr] | Sylvaine Orsini | Yves Boisset | |
| 1971 | Roma Bene | Princess Dedé Marescalli | Carlo Lizzani | |
| 1971 | Lover of the Great Bear | Fela | Valentino Orsini | |
| 1972 | Cause of Divorce | Enrica Sebastiani | Marcello Fondato | |
| 1972 | Die Moral der Ruth Halbfass | Ruth Halbfass | Volker Schlöndorff | |
| 1973 | Merry-Go-Round [de] | The wife | Otto Schenk | |
| 1973 | The Scarlet Letter | Hester Prynne | Wim Wenders | |
| 1973 | Hospitals: The White Mafia | Suor Maria | Luigi Zampa | |
| 1973 | Amore e ginnastica | Maria Pedani | Luigi Filippo D'Amico | |
| 1974 | Puzzle | Sara Grimaldi | Duccio Tessari | |
| 1974 | La bellissima estate | Manuela | Sergio Martino | |
| 1976 | MitGift [de] | Alice Burgmann | Michael Verhoeven | |
| 1976 | The Swiss Conspiracy | Denise Abbott | Jack Arnold | |
| 1976 | Diary of a Passion | Roberta | Decio Silla | |
| 1976 | Goodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen | Signora Palese | | Anthology film |
| 1977 | The Chinese Miracle [de] | Detta Gaspardi | Wolfgang Liebeneiner | |
| 1977 | Cross of Iron | Eva | Sam Peckinpah | |
| 1978 | Nest of Vipers | Carla Richter | Tonino Cervi | |
| 1985 | Fatto su misura | Signora Schwartz | Francesco Laudadio | |
| 1985 | The Two Lives of Mattia Pascal | Clara | Mario Monicelli | |
| 1986 | Killing Cars [de] | Marie Landauer | Michael Verhoeven | |
| 1990 | Tre colonne in cronaca | Countess Odessa Bonaveri | Carlo Vanzina | |
| 1998 | Am I Beautiful? | Unna | Doris Dörrie | |
| 2009 | Like It or Not [de] | Dorothea | Ben Verbong | |
| 2010 | Colors in the Dark [de] | Anita | Sophie Heldman [de] | |
| 2012 | Zettl [de] | Mona Mödlinger | Helmut Dietl | |
| 2012 | Glory: A Tale of Mistaken Identities [de] | Rosalie | Isabel Kleefeld [de] | |
| 2016 | Welcome to Germany | Angelika Hartmann | Simon Verhoeven | |
| 2023 | Remember Me [de] | Marianne | Rainer Kaufmann | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1963 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color: The Waltz King [de] | Henriette Treffz | |
| 1964 | The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Double Affair | Serena | (TV series, 1 episode) |
| 1964 | See How They Run | Orlando Miller | |
| 1968 | The Name of the Game | Mariette Bern | 1x04 Collectors' Edition |
| 1968 | It Takes a Thief: A Thief Is a Thief | Claire Vickers | (TV series, 1 episode) |
| 1968 | Istanbul Express [de] | Mila Darvos | |
| 1968 | Babeck [de] | Susanne Stefan | (TV miniseries, 3 episodes) |
| 1969 | It Takes a Thief: Flowers from Alexander | Claire Vickers/Laurie James | (TV series, 1 episode) |
| 1976 | Perry Como's Christmas in Austria | Guest star as Herself | (TV Holiday special show) |
| 1986 | Kir Royal | Mona | (TV series, 6 episodes) |
| 1989 | Die schnelle Gerdi | Gerdi | (TV series, 6 episodes) |
| 1990 | La belle Anglaise | | (TV series, 1 episode) |
| 1992 | Sie und Er [de] | Charlotte | |
| 1992 | Lilli Lottofee [de] | Lilli | (TV series, 6 episodes) |
| 1994 | Captive Love | Anneliese | |
| 1994–1996 | Ärzte [de]: Dr. Schwarz und Dr. Martin | Dr. Margarethe Martin | (TV series, 8 episodes) |
| 1995 | Die Nacht der Nächte | Teresa | |
| 1995 | Kommissar Rex | Karla Wilke | (TV series, 1 episode) |
| 1996 | Mein Sohn ist kein Mörder! | Sarah Renzi | |
| 1997 | Kap der Rache | Lilian | |
| 1997 | Lamorte [de] | Susa | |
| 1997 | Bella Ciao | Teresa | |
| 1998 | Mammamia [de] | Clara | |
| 1999 | Liebe und weitere Katastrophen | Franziska Ackermann | (TV miniseries, 4 episodes) |
| 1999 | Nancherrow | Alex Gower | |
| 1999 | At Fifty Men Kiss Differently [de] | Marie Mechlenburg | |
| 2000 | Zimmer mit Frühstück | Elisabeth | |
| 2000 | Trennungsfieber | Dr. Carla Severin-Bauer | |
| 2000 | Scharf aufs Leben [de] | Solveigh Kronberg | |
| 2000 | Probieren Sie's mit einem Jüngeren [de] | Anna | |
| 2002–2019 | Unter Verdacht | Dr. Eva-Maria Prohacek | (TV series, 30 episodes) |
| 2002 | Bis dass dein Tod uns scheidet | Edith Mosbach | |
| 2004 | Die schnelle Gerdi und die Hauptstadt | Gerdi | (TV series, 6 episodes) |
| 2004 | Die Konferenz [de] | Cornelia Cordes | |
| 2005 | Einmal so wie ich will [de] | Emma Bauer | |
| 2005 | Emilia – Die zweite Chance | Dr. Emilia Seiler | |
| 2005 | Emilia – Familienbande | Dr. Emilia Seiler | |
| 2006 | Nette Nachbarn küsst man nicht [de] | Helga Forstmann | |
| 2008 | Rosamunde Pilcher: Four Seasons | Julia Combe | (TV miniseries, 4 episodes) |
| 2009 | Sleepless [de] | Carla Sagmeister | |
| 2009 | Frau Böhm sagt Nein [de] | Rita Böhm | |
| 2009 | Mama kommt! [de] | Luise Fischer | |
| 2010 | Liebe am Fjord: Das Ende der Eiszeit | Pernille | (TV series, 1 episode) |
| 2011 | In the Prime of Life [de] | Erika Welves | |
| 2012 | Operation Sugar [de] | Dorothee Lessing | (TV thriller) |
| 2012 | Hochzeiten [de] | Klara | |
| 2013 | Und alle haben geschwiegen [de] | Luisa Hamilton | (TV drama) |
| 2013 | Welcome to the Countryside! [de] | Rita | (TV drama) |
| 2014 | Autumn Tingles: Speed Dating for Silver Hairs [de] | Maria Koppel | (TV film) |
| 2020 | Tommy und Martha [de] | Martha | (TV drama) |
| 2021 | An seiner Seite | Charlotte Kler | (TV Drama) |

## Honors and awards

* Bambi Prize (1968)
* Bravo Otto in Bronze (1969)
* Film Award in Silver (production) for Die Weiße Rose on behalf of the film company Sentana (1983)
* German Actor Award (Chaplin-shoe) for her role in Kir Royal (1987)
* Bambi Prize, Special Bambi "Unknockable Stars" (1990)
* Golden Gong (1996)
* Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class (1999)
* Karl Valentin Order (1998)
* Golden Romy as the most popular actress (1998)
* Bambi Prize in the category for the ARD miniseries Love and Other Catastrophes (1999)
* Federal Cross of Merit (1999)
* Bavarian Order of Merit (2002)
* German Hörbuchpreis (2003)
* Medal Munich shines (for outstanding service to Munich) (2003)
* Hessian TV award as an ensemble member of the film The Conference (2005)
* Golden Ox – Honorary Award of the Film Arts Festival Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to the Sentana Film Production Senta Berger and Michael Verhoeven (2005)
* Billy Wilder Award (2006)
* Platinum Romy for lifetime achievement (2007)
* Special Prize of the German TV crime Award for her starring role in the WDR production Schlaflos ("Sleepless") (2009)
* Herbert-Strate Prize of the NRW Film Foundation and the Association HDF Kino Cinema (2009)
* German Television Award for Best Actress for her leading role in Schlaflos (2009)
* Special Prize at the Television Film Festival in Baden-Baden for outstanding dramatic performance in Frau Böhm sagt Nein (2009)
* Golden Camera Award in the category Best Actress in German Frau Böhm sagt Nein and Schlaflos (2010)
* Adolf Grimme Award for her performance in Frau Böhm sagt Nein (2010)
* Bavarian Television Award for best actress says in the "TV Movie" for her role in the film Frau Böhm sagt Nein (2010)
* Grand Diagonale drama prize for lifetime achievement (2010)
* Star on the Boulevard of Stars in Berlin (2010)
* Hans Abich Award for outstanding services in television and film (Television Film Festival, Baden-Baden, 2010)
* Cultural Honor Prize of the City of Munich (2011)
* Bear (B.Z. culture prize) (2012)