This is a list of notable German actors from 1895, the year of the first public showing of a motion picture by the Lumière brothers, to the present. Actors are listed in the period in which their film careers began and the careers of most spanned more than just one period. The list currently includes actors that appear in German movies, including those of foreign origin. For the periods corresponding to the era when Germany was divided the list is split into two categories: BRD for West German actors and DEFA for East German actors. Early silent era (1895–1918) Men Alfred Abel Fritz Achterberg Max Adalbert Hans Albers Georg Alexander Carl Auen Felix Basch Albert Bassermann Rudolf Biebrach Paul Bildt Curt Bois Louis Brody Richard Eichberg Julius Falkenstein Olaf Fönss Henrik Galeen Curt Goetz John Gottowt Emmerich Hanus Heinz Hanus Ludwig Hartau Paul Hartmann Emil Jannings Victor Janson Hans Junkermann Fritz Kampers Bruno Kastner Friedrich Kayssler Fritz Kortner Werner Krauss Friedrich Kühne Rudolf Lettinger Harry Liedtke Theodor Loos Hans Mierendorff Alexander Moissi Paul Otto Max Pallenberg Lupu Pick Harry Piel Franz Porten Heinrich Schroth Fritz Schulz Reinhold Schünzel Viktor Schwanneke Walter Steinbeck Hermann Thimig Jakob Tiedtke Karl Valentin Hermann Vallentin Conrad Veidt Gustav Waldau Paul Wegener Eduard von Winterstein Friedrich Zelnik Wolfgang Zilzer Women Fern Andra Hanne Brinkmann Maria Carmi Lil Dagover Blandine Ebinger Maria Forescu Käthe Haack Cläre Lotto Eva May Mia May Lya Mara Anna Müller-Lincke Pola Negri Asta Nielsen Aud Egede Nissen Ossi Oswalda Henny Porten Lyda Salmonova Adele Sandrock Magda Sonja Rosa Valetti Elsa Wagner Dorrit Weixler Maria Zelenka Late silent era (1919–1930) Men Hans Albers Siegfried Arno Hans Behrendt Wilhelm Bendow Charly Berger Paul Biensfeldt Hans Brausewetter Eugen Burg Ernst Deutsch Carl de Vogt Gustav Diessl Wilhelm Dieterle Max Ehrlich Karl Etlinger Ferdinand Exl Hugo Fischer-Köppe Albert Florath Willi Forst Rudolf Forster Willy Fritsch Gustav Fröhlich Otto Gebühr Heinrich George Kurt Gerron Bernhard Goetzke Alexander Granach Veit Harlan Wolfgang Heinz Paul Henckels Oskar Homolka Paul Hörbiger Oskar Karlweis Rudolf Klein-Rogge Eugen Klöpfer František Lederer Fred Louis Lerch Kurt Lilien Hubert von Meyerinck Paul Morgan Albert Paulig Fritz Rasp Paul Richter Johannes Riemann Walter Rilla Ralph Arthur Roberts Max Schreck Oskar Sima Ernst Stahl-Nachbaur Albert Steinrück Igo Sym Szöke Szakall Jack Trevor Conrad Veidt Kurt Vespermann Otto Wallburg Gustav von Wangenheim Otto Wernicke Mathias Wieman Women Truus van Aalten Marcella Albani Betty Amann Charlotte Ander Lissy