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Axel Prahl

Axel Prahl

Actor · b. 1960 · Eutin, Germany

Axel Prahl grew up in Neustadt in Holstein alongside a brother. His mother was a sales assistant, and his stepfather worked at the employment office. At the age of 14, Prahl entered a music competition in Neustadt in Holstein; he won the local round, thereby qualifying to compete at the state level. However, fearing that such success might fundamentally alter his life, he declined to participate in the state finals. He dropped out of a vocational training program in the metalworking trade after just one year, spent time living as a street musician in Spain, subsequently earned his specialized university entrance qualification, and went on to study music and mathematics for five semesters at the College of Education in Kiel. Prahl is an accomplished guitarist and counts Pat Metheny among his musical role models, though during his youth, he also performed Irish folk music. Ultimately, from 1982 to 1985, he completed a degree in acting in Kiel. Prahl began his professional theater career in 1984, subsequently joining the Schleswig-Holstein State Theater. Prahl has lived in Berlin since 1992. This was followed by engagements at the Renaissance-Theater, the Grips-Theater, and the *Kammerspiele* (chamber theater) of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. During his drama school days—while holding an apprentice contract at the Theater Kiel—Prahl performed with the band Ougenweide and subsequently founded the band Impuls. At that time, his musical and acting pursuits ran in parallel, until Prahl ultimately decided to focus exclusively on acting. Axel Prahl made his television debut in 1992 in Max Färberböck’s *Schlafende Hunde*. Also in 1992, he provided the German voice dubbing for Michael Chiklis in an episode of the series *Miami Vice*. In *Nachtgestalten* (1999)—Prahl’s first feature film—he played a police officer in a supporting role; since then, he has frequently been cast in similar roles, including in *Die Polizistin*, *Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt*, and *Der Grenzer und das Mädchen*. The film *Nachtgestalten* also marked the beginning of a successful collaboration with director Andreas Dresen: for *Die Polizistin*, *Halbe Treppe*, and *Willenbrock*, Axel Prahl was honored with various acting awards, including the Adolf Grimme Prize. Since 2002, in his role as Chief Inspector Frank Thiel, he has teamed up with Jan Josef Liefers to form the investigative duo based in Münster for the WDR’s *Tatort* series. In 2007, Prahl also contributed the title song—a reinterpretation of a well-known pop hit—to the feature film *Du bist nicht allein*. In the music video for the song "Wenn es passiert" by the band Wir sind Helden, he appears as a traveling salesman. Prahl and Andreas Dresen perform together in a band with no name, whose repertoire includes cover versions of songs by artists such as Rio Reiser and Gerhard Gundermann. On February 27, 2009, the audiobook *Wo die wilden Maden graben* by Thorsten Nagelschmidt was released, featuring Axel Prahl as a guest narrator alongside Farin Urlaub. Prahl subsequently narrated the audiobook *North Western* in 2013. Axel Prahl has three daughters and one son. He is divorced from his second wife and resides in Berlin.

Movies24

  • Movie8.4

    The Pianist

    2002 · 10K votes

  • Movie6.7

    Der rote Baron

    The Red Baron

    2008 · 287 votes

  • Movie6.8

    Die sagenhaften Vier

    Spy Cat

    2019 · 87 votes

  • Movie5.5

    Ritter Trenk

    Trenk, the Little Knight

    2015 · 13 votes

  • Movie7.0

    Die kleine Hexe

    The Little Witch

    2018 · 150 votes

  • Movie6.0

    99€ Films

    2001 · 5 votes

  • Movie6.7

    Nicht alle waren Mörder

    Not All Were Murderers

    2006 · 11 votes

  • Movie5.9

    Das Ende der Wahrheit

    Blame Game

    2019 · 46 votes

  • Movie
  • Movie7.0

    Der ganz große Traum

    Lessons of a Dream

    2011 · 119 votes

  • Movie5.6

    Käpt'n Sharky

    Capt'n Sharky

    2018 · 8 votes

  • Movie10.0
  • Movie6.2

    Die Wilden Hühner

    The Wild Chicks

    2006 · 80 votes

  • Movie5.1
  • Movie7.0

    alaska.de

    2000 · 10 votes

  • Movie7.1

    Timm Thaler oder das verkaufte Lachen

    The Legend of Timm Thaler: or The Boy Who Sold His Laughter

    2017 · 38 votes

  • Movie4.0

    Hundsköpfe

    2003 · 3 votes

  • Movie6.0

    Honecker und der Pastor

    Love Your Enemies

    2022 · 12 votes

  • Movie6.4

    Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten

    The Pasta Detectives

    2014 · 47 votes

  • Movie5.0
  • Movie6.3

    Sommer vorm Balkon

    Summer in Berlin

    2005 · 66 votes

  • Movie5.5

    12 Winter

    2009 · 18 votes

  • Movie6.5
  • Movie4.0

    Zuckerbrot

    2003 · 3 votes

Series23

  • TV6.2

    Tatort

    Scene of the Crime

    1970 · 127 votes

  • TV4.4

    Volle Kanne

    1999 · 7 votes

  • TV4.7

    DAS!

    1991 · 6 votes

  • TV7.0

    ZIBB

    2003 · 1 votes

  • TV7.4

    Die Harald Schmidt Show

    1995 · 21 votes

  • TV5.2

    Leute heute

    1997 · 5 votes

  • TV6.8

    Kölner Treff

    1976 · 4 votes

  • TV6.6

    NDR Talk Show

    1979 · 5 votes

  • TV6.3

    Polizeiruf 110

    1971 · 26 votes

  • TV7.5

    Die Johannes B. Kerner Show

    The Johannes B. Kerner Show

    1998 · 4 votes

  • TV5.2

    Riverboat

    1992 · 4 votes

  • TV7.4

    Wer weiß denn sowas?

    2015 · 13 votes

  • TV7.2

    3 nach 9

    1974 · 5 votes

  • TV5.6

    Wetten, dass..?

    1981 · 24 votes

  • TV7.0

    Zimmer frei!

    1996 · 13 votes

  • TV4.7

    Nachtcafé

    1987 · 3 votes

  • TV5.7

    Goldene Kamera

    1984 · 3 votes

  • TV6.0

    Menschen der Woche

    2000 · 1 votes

  • TV9.0

    Tietjen und Bommes

    1997 · 1 votes

  • TV
  • TV3.7

    Wolffs Revier

    1992 · 7 votes

  • TV7.2

    Im Namen des Gesetzes

    1994 · 4 votes

  • TV9.3

    Dalli Dalli

    1971 · 3 votes