Veronica Maria Cäcilia Ferres (; born 10 June 1965) is a German film, television, and stage actress. Her 2007 portrayal of Sara Bender in Die Frau vom Checkpoint Charlie, based on the true story of Jutta Fleck, earned her the award for Best Actress at the Deutscher Fernsehpreis (German Television Awards). Early life Ferres was born in Solingen. She grew up as the youngest child and only daughter of Peter Ferres, a coal and potato merchant, and his wife Katharina. She completed her Abitur at the Gymnasium Schwertstrasse in Solingen, and then completed a German, theatre studies and psychology degree at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Career In Germany, Ferres's breakthrough came with the title role in the 1996 comedy film The Superwife, followed by starring roles in films such as the Schtonk!, , Klimt (alongside John Malkovich) and , making her a household name in Germany. Her TV productions include The Manns, , , , , and , among others. Her awards include the Grimme-Preis, the German Television Award, the Bavarian TV Award, the Golden Camera Award, and the Bambi Award. She played the female lead in Jedermann (Everyman), the traditional opening play of the Salzburg Festival, considered the highest honor in German stagecraft. In 2013, Ferres shot the international feature Hector and the Search for Happiness with Simon Pegg and Jean Reno, and played the main role in the feature film Casanova Variations, again with John Malkovich. Her 13th international production, The Devil's Violinist, was released theatrically in late 2013. In 2015, she starred opposite Nicolas Cage in the thriller Pay the Ghost, directed by Uli Edel. In 2016, she had the leading role in Werner Herzog's film Salt and Fire, co-starring Michael Shannon and Gael García Bernal. Ferres also co-starred in The Comedian, her 17th English feature film, along with Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, and Danny DeVito. In November 2022, Ferres was cast in the upcoming Red Sonja remake, as Ashera and the mother of Red Sonja. Ferres founded her own production company, Construction Film GmbH, in 2012. Personal life Ferres was in a relationship with Helmut Dietl from 1990 to 1999. They collaborated on movies like Schtonk! (1991), (1997), (1999) and many others. In February 2000, they announced their separation. She has one daughter, Lilly Krug, with her ex-husband Martin Krug. The marriage lasted from 2001 until their divorce in 2010. In 2014, Ferres