Wolfgang Petersen

Born: 1941

Director

Wolfgang Petersen was born in Emden in Lower Saxony, Germany, near the Dutch border. He is one of only a few German movie directors that have commercial success in Hollywood. His breakthrough movie was the German production “Das Boot” (“The boat), which earned him in 1983 six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director.

In the 1960s Petersen was directing plays at Hamburg's Ernst Deutsch Theater. After studying theater in Berlin and Hamburg, Petersen attended the Film and Television Academy in Berlin (1966-1970). After graduating from film school, Petersen made a name for himself as a director for television, most notably, directing episodes of the police drama “Tatort,” a series which is today an over 30-year old institution of German television.

In 1987, Petersen moved to Hollywood and had his mainstream breakthrough in America with the Secret Service action movie, “In the Line of Fire” (1993), starring Clint Eastwood. Thereafter it was one blockbuster after another: “Air Force One,” starring Harrison Ford, “Outbreak” with Dustin Hoffman, “The Perfect Storm” with George Clooney, and “Troy” with Brad Pitt.

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