Emil Jannings

Birth Name:

Theodor Fredrich Emil Janenz

Birth Place:

Rorsach, Switzerland

Profession

Actor, Producer, Art department, Director

Became the first person ever to be presented with an Oscar when he won the Best Actor Award for "The Way of All Flesh" and "The Last Command" in 1929
Won a Venice Film Festival Award for Best Actor for "Der Herrscher" in 1937
Made his film debut in 1914 and first found success as Louis XV in "Madame Dubarry" in 1919
Spent his early career traveling with a stock company before joining up with theatrical director Max Reinhardt in 1906
Became a highly controversial figure during his later career, when he began making Nazi propaganda films and was even named "Artist of the State" by Joseph Goebbels in 1941
Best known for his role as Professor Immanuel Rath in "The Blue Angel" and as Mephistopheles in 1926's "Faust․"
His career in American film ended with the advent of talking films, since his thick German accent made it impossible for him to work

Fast Facts