Matthias Schweighöfer is one of the most popular and successful German actors in Hollywood today. Although cast in a minor role as Lieutenant Franz Herber in the Tom Cruise-led cast film Valkyrie (2008), the film’s success helped Schweighöfer breakthrough into Hollywood. However, Schweighöfer’s acting career began over a decade earlier, in 1994.
As a son of veteran German actress Gitta Schweighöfer and actor Michael Schweighöfer, Matthias Schweighöfer has had a fascinating interest in acting and filmmaking from a young age. With an unmissable on-screen presence, Matthias Schweighöfer is often recognized for his uncanny resemblance to HBO’s Game of Thrones cast member Gwendoline Christie, who played Brienne of Tarth. Examining his career as a filmmaker, these are the 5 movies directed by Matthias Schweighöfer so far.
What a Man (2011)
Matthias Schweighöfer made his directorial debut in 2011 with the German comedy film What a Man. He not only starred in the lead role, playing Alexander, Schweighöfer also co-wrote the screenplay and is credited as a producer. Schweighöfer co-starred alongside the two main supporting casts, Sibel Kekilli, who played Nele, and Mavie Hörbiger, who played his ex-girlfriend Carolin. Even in the United States, What a Man received average to positive reviews from critics. The film grossed $17.3 million at the Box Office.
The Break Up Man (2013)
Originally titled Schlussmacher, the German feature film The Break Up Man (2013) is Matthias Schweighöfer’s sophomore-directed film. Besides producing the film, Schweighöfer plays the lead role as Paul Voigt. After the success of his directorial project, Schweighöfer was looking for ideas for his next project. After reading through screenwriter Doron Wisotzky‘s draft, Schweighöfer and his partners were certain it was their next film. The Break Up Man follows Paul Voigt, who works for a professional separation agency that helps couples break up amicably. Although looking forward to a promotion to become a partner in the company, Paul’s life is disrupted after he tries to comfort Thorsten “Toto” Kuhlmann (Milan Peschel) after professionally helping to break up his relationship with Katharina “Kati” Dreher (Nadja Uhl).
Joy of Fatherhood (2014)
Titled Vaterfreuden in German, Joy of Fatherhood (2014) is Matthias Schweighöfer’s third directed movie. Schweighöfer co-wrote the German comedy screenplay and is also credited as one of the film’s producers. Again, Schweighöfer played the lead role, this time as Felix. The romantic comedy follows Felix, a larger-than-life bachelor who enjoys his life without commitment and kids.
However, when his brother Henne (Friedrich Mücke) moves in with him, his once-perfect world comes crashing down. Henne moves in with his Ferret pet. Although Henne introduces Felix to his high-paying job as a sperm donor, things take a turn after Henne’s Ferret bites Felix and renders him sterile. Refusing to live a life without the possibility of having kids, Felix sets out to find a recipient of his sperm donation. After finding Maren (Isabell Polak), he finds a way to win her heart and keep her close.
The Manny (2015)
The Manny (2015) was Matthias Schweighöfer‘s last directed movie of the 2010s. Titled Der Nanny in German, Schweighöfer is also credited as a producer and co-writer of the film’s screenplay. Schweighöfer also played The Manny’s lead character Clemens Klina. In the German comedy, Schweighöfer played a busy, greedy real estate developer who’s also a single father. Focused on his job, Clemens is hardly ever home or has time for his two unruly children, Winnie Klina (Paula Hartmann) and Theo Klina (Arved Friese). Desperate to hire a nanny to look after the children, Clemens unknowingly hires Rolf Horst (Milan Peschel), a resident of the apartment building Clemens is working to demolish. The Manny grossed $14.1 million at Germany’s Box Office.
Army of Thieves (2021)
After starring as Ludwig Dieter in Army of the Dead (released on May 14, 2021), Matthias Schweighöfer returned as director for its prequel, Army of Thieves. The prequel, Army of Thieves, was released almost six months later on October 29, 2021. Not only did Schweighöfer reprise his role as Ludwig Dieter, his character became the film’s lead character. As a prequel, Army of Thieves (2021) centered on Schweighöfer’s character’s early life before the events of Army of the Dead. It examines his journey to becoming the world’s best safecracker and joining the team. Army of Thieves is Schweighöfer’s biggest directed featuremovie. After its release on Netflix, it ranked at the top of Netflix charts in 90 countries. Although critics criticized the film’s screenplay, exceptional praise was given to Matthias Schweighöfer’s performance and direction.