Tom Schilling

Tom Schilling was a German-born actor who successfully made the often difficult transition from child star to adult thespian. Born February 10, 1982 in Berlin, Germany, Schilling first appeared on TV at the tender age of six in a short entitled "Stunde der Wahrheit." Six years later, he made his theatrical debut in the Berliner Ensemble theatre company's presentation of "Im Schlagschatten des Mondes" after being discovered by stage director Thomas Heise. The relationship proved fruitful, as Schilling stayed with the troupe the next four years - a stretch that also saw the young actor garner his first television series, "Hallo, Onkel Doc!" (Sat.1 1996), along with his debut feature film role in "Paradise Mall" (1999). His breakthrough role came in the film "Crazy" (2000). Schilling's turn as Janosch Schwarze earned the German the Talented Young Actor Award at the Bavarian Film Awards. Subsequent films earned him similar accolades, including "Before the Fall" (2004) where he played a young student at a school for Nazi elite. In 2009, he explored World War II history again, this time as a young Hitler in the Urs Odermatt film adaptation of "Mein Kampf." As the decade turned over, his work in films such as the black-and-white comedy "A Coffee in Berlin," AKA "Oh Boy!" (2012) and the TV miniseries "Generation War" (BBC 2014) began to garner international attention for the young actor.