Urs Rechn

Urs Rechn (born Urs Günther Rechn on 18 January 1978) is a German actor renowned for his intense, character‑driven performances in both television and cinema. He grew up in Halle an der Saale, then part of the German Democratic Republic, as the second of three children of painter‑graphic artist Günther Rechn and his wife Beate, and his early environment fostered a deep appreciation for visual arts. In 1997 he was drafted into the German paratrooper corps and later served in the German special forces, experiences that endowed him with discipline and a rugged physicality that later informed his on‑screen presence. While still enlisted, Rechn secured a special agreement with his colonel that allowed him to appear in several TV episodes, planting the seeds of his acting career. After leaving the military in 2002, he enrolled at the University of Music and Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Leipzig, graduating in 2004 and formally transitioning to professional acting. His television work began in 1999 with a role in Die Strandclique and continued with appearances in series such as Tatort, Polizeiruf 110, and the international production X Company, demonstrating versatility across genres. On the big screen, Rechn’s breakthrough came with the role of Jewish Oberkapo Biedermann in László Nemes’s Holocaust drama Son of Saul, a film that won the Cannes Grand Prix in 2015 and the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 2016, cementing his reputation abroad. He has also featured in Eight Miles High, Run Boy Run, and Inside Man: Most Wanted, showcasing a range that spans gritty dramas to action thrillers. Parallel to screen work, Rechn has maintained an extensive stage career since 2003, performing at venues such as Staatsschauspiel Dresden and Landestheater Tübingen, and tackling classic roles from Brecht to Shakespeare, confirming his status as a dedicated and multifaceted thespian.