Santa Berger German actress Date of Birth: 13.05.1941 Country: Germany

Biography of Senta Berger

Senta Berger, a German actress, was born in Vienna, Austria to parents Therese Jany, a teacher, and Josef Berger, a musician. She first stepped on stage at the age of 4, performing alongside her father. At the age of 5, Berger began taking ballet lessons. In 1957, she made her film debut in a small role in one of the last films of Austrian director Willi Forst.

Berger then enrolled in the renowned Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna, but her time there was short-lived. In 1958, she became the youngest employee at the Josefstadt Theater in Vienna. One of her early roles was in the film 'The Good Soldier Schweijk' directed by Bernhard Wicki and Arthur Brauner, with German actor Heinz Rühmann in the lead role. Brauner continued to cast Berger in his films, but she soon became tired of musicals and decided to move to Hollywood.

In America, Berger had the opportunity to work with legendary stars of the time such as Charlton Heston, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Richard Widmark, John Wayne, and Yul Brynner. However, after some time, she returned to Germany and was offered a good role in a television series.

In 1963, Berger met Michael Verhoeven, the son of German film director Paul Verhoeven (not to be confused with the Dutch filmmaker of the same name). They founded their own production company in 1965 and got married in 1966. They successfully released a series of projects together, including films like 'Die weiße Rose', 'Das schreckliche Mädchen', and 'Mutters Courage'. While actively engaged in producing, Berger also continued her acting career, primarily performing in France and Italy.

In 1966, Berger played the lead role alongside Kirk Douglas in the film 'Cast a Giant Shadow', portraying Magda, a soldier in the Israeli army fighting for her country's independence. That same year, she took on a completely opposite role as a German teacher involved with neo-Nazis in 'The Quiller Memorandum', starring Max von Sydow and George Segal.

Berger appeared in the pilot episode of Robert Wagner's television series 'It Takes a Thief' in 1967, which aired in the United States on January 9, 1968. She reprised her role in October 1969, only to have her character killed off. In 1977, Berger served as the head of the jury for the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.

For a period of time, Berger had to temporarily leave her acting career to focus on her happy marriage and raising their two children. However, she eventually returned to the stage and has continued acting to this day. She occasionally appears in various television projects. Since February 2003, Berger has been the president of the German Film Academy. She currently resides in Munich.