• 2024-02

Maria Schell

Maria Schell (January 15, 1926 – April 26, 2005) was an Austrian-born Swiss actress. She was the daughter of Swiss writer Hermann Ferdinand Schell and Austrian actress Margarete Noé von Nordberg, and the sister of actor Maximilian Schell and actress Immy Schell.

Schell began her acting career in the early 1940s, appearing in German films such as Der letzte Akt (1942) and Die letzte Brücke (1945). She gained international attention in the 1950s for her roles in films such as The Brothers Karamazov (1958), Gervaise (1956), and The Young Lions (1958). For her performances in these films, she received two Academy Award nominations for Best Actress.

In the 1960s, Schell continued to appear in both German and international films, including The Mark (1961), The Condemned of Altona (1962), and Topkapi (1964). She also began to work in television, appearing in such series as The Name of the Game (1968–1970) and The Delphi Bureau (1972–1973).

In the 1970s and 1980s, Schell continued to appear in both film and television, but her career began to decline. She made her final film appearance in the 1994 film Die Träne (The Tear).

Schell was married four times. Her first marriage, to actor Oskar Werner, lasted from 1957 to 1965. Her second marriage, to director Veit Harlan, lasted from 1966 to 1974. Her third marriage, to actor Jan Hendriks, lasted from 1982 to 1986. Her fourth marriage, to actor André Weinfeld, lasted from 1988 until her death in 2005.

Schell died of pneumonia on April 26, 2005, at the age of 79. She was survived by her four children, Oliver Tobias, Maria Schell-Haring, Carl Schell, and Marie-Theres Schell.

Awards and nominations

  • Academy Award for Best Actress

    • Nominee: The Brothers Karamazov (1958)
    • Nominee: Gervaise (1956)

  • Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama

    • Nominee: The Brothers Karamazov (1958)

  • British Academy Film Award for Best Foreign Actress

    • Winner: Gervaise (1956)

  • Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress

    • Winner: Gervaise (1956)

  • Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup for Best Actress

    • Winner: The Brothers Karamazov (1958)

  • Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear for Best Actress

    • Winner: Gervaise (1956)
    • Winner: The Brothers Karamazov (1958)

  • Deutscher Filmpreis for Best Actress

    • Winner: Gervaise (1956)
    • Winner: The Brothers Karamazov (1958)