---
name: "Maximilian Schell"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/maximilian-schell"
fi1m_id: "maximilian-schell"
imdb_id: "nm0001703"
tmdb_id: 12150
wikidata_id: "Q153018"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "8 December 1930"
died: "1 February 2014"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 71
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-10-05T01:08:17.935109+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Maximilian Schell

## Identity

Maximilian Schell

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/maximilian-schell
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** maximilian-schell
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001703
- **TMDB ID:** 12150
- **Wikidata ID:** Q153018
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Schell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153018, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001703/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12150

Actor. Born 8 December 1930 in Vienna, Austria. Died 1 February 2014.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 8 December 1930, Vienna, Austria
- **Died:** 1 February 2014
- **Active:** 1961–1998
- **Frequently works with:** [Vanessa Redgrave](https://film.one/person/vanessa-redgrave.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 2 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 71, as actor, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 82 (1), 1970s 60 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Schell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153018, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001703/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12150

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Judgment at Nuremberg*](https://film.one/film/judgment-at-nuremberg.md) (82)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Maximilian Schell

> Maximilian Schell makes a courtroom speech feel like a confrontation. We value his force and rhetorical skill, especially opposite a quieter actor, though the emphasis can become tiring when the writing is already making its points too heavily.

In *Judgment at Nuremberg* (1961), Maximilian Schell’s Hans Rolfe presses his points while Spencer Tracy’s Dan Haywood listens. Schell’s forcefulness makes the exchanges tense; Tracy’s restraint gives us a rest from the emphasis. We were absorbed by the two of them because the difference in their acting made us attend more closely to what was being said. Schell can make a speech feel confrontational without needing an equally emphatic reply.

His Hollywood debut in *The Young Lions* (1958) preceded the international recognition of *Judgment at Nuremberg*. He continued to work across Hollywood, European cinema and theatre, with *Hamlet* among his stage roles. That theatrical intensity suited the legal and confrontational scenes for which he became known. It also made for a recurring difficulty: beside a more naturalistic actor, his emphasis could look excessive.

Stanley Kramer gives that difference a useful purpose in *Judgment at Nuremberg*, though Schell does not escape the film’s fondness for making a point twice. His rhetorical skill is well suited to a courtroom drama about responsibility. But when the speeches labour matters already established, we need the relief of Tracy’s quieter presence. We rate Schell here, but Tracy is the chief reason we keep listening.

The repeated casting in stories about the Nazi era could make his work seem narrower than it was. *Topkapi* (1964), with Schell as Walter Harper, offered an international caper instead. He also wrote, directed and starred in *The Pedestrian* (1973), while *Julia* (1977) gave him the supporting role of Johann, an anti-Nazi activist. These are reasons to look beyond the forceful defence counsel, even if roles concerned with guilt and resistance remained a recurring part of his work.

His wish to play a quieter part is worth remembering: of *Judgment at Nuremberg*, he said, “I wanted to do Burt Lancaster’s role as the Nazi judge who doesn’t say much.” We would have been interested to see that restraint. Start with the role he did play, and watch how much tension he creates against Tracy’s patience.

## Biography

Maximilian Schell (8 December 1930 – 1 February 2014) was a Swiss actor of Austrian birth. Born in Vienna, his family fled to Zürich in 1938 following the Anschluss. He began acting in West German films and theatre before moving to Hollywood, where his sister Maria Schell was already established.

Schell won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as defence counsel Hans Rolfe in *Judgment at Nuremberg* (1961). He received further Oscar nominations for *The Man in the Glass Booth* (1975) and *Julia* (1977). He appeared in numerous films exploring the Nazi era and its aftermath, including *Topkapi* (1964), *Cross of Iron* (1977), *A Bridge Too Far* (1977) and *Deep Impact* (1998). On television he earned Emmy nominations for *Miss Rose White* and *Stalin* (1992), the latter bringing him a Golden Globe Award.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Julia* (1977), Fi1m 60, as Johann — [page](https://film.one/film/julia.md)
- *Judgment at Nuremberg* (1961), Fi1m 82, as Hans Rolfe — [page](https://film.one/film/judgment-at-nuremberg.md)

## Complete filmography (111)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Les brigands* (2015), as Mr. Escher
- *Jedermann Remixed* (2011), as Jedermann (archive footage)
- *Black Flowers* (2009), as Jacob Krinsten
- *Darkness* (2009), Actor
- *The Brothers Bloom* (2008), as Diamond Dog
- *Imperium der Päpste* (2008), series, as Sprecher · Creator
- *The Shell Seekers* (2007), as Lawrence Sterne
- *Die Rosenkönigin* (2007), as Karl Friedrich Weidemann
- *House of the Sleeping Beauties* (2006), as Kogi
- *Die Alpenklinik* (2006), as Dr. Alexander Ohlendorf
- *Die Liebe eines Priesters* (2005), as Father Christoph
- *The Return of the Dancing Master* (2004), as Fernando Hereira
- *Coast to Coast* (2004), as Casimir
- *Alles Glück dieser Erde* (2003), as Xaver Schönborn
- *Der Fürst und das Mädchen* (2003), series, as Friedrich Fürst von Thorwald
- *Der Bestseller - Mord auf italienisch* (2002), as Karl Steingraf
- *My Sister Maria* (2002), Director, Executive Producer
- *Liebe, Lügen, Leidenschaften* (2002), series, as Franz Steininger
- *Festival in Cannes* (2001), as Viktor Kovner
- *I Love You, Baby* (2000), as Walter Ekland
- *Just Messing About* (2000), as Poser
- *Joan of Arc* (1999), series, as Brother Jean le Maistre
- *On the Wings of Love* (1999), as Hochberg
- *Vampires* (1998), as Cardinal Alba
- *Deep Impact* (1998), as Jason Lerner
- *Left Luggage* (1998), as Mr. Silberschmidt
- *Telling Lies in America* (1997), as Dr. Istvan Jonas
- *Zwischen Rosen* (1997), as Carl Stern
- *The Eighteenth Angel* (1997), as Father Simeon
- *The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years* (1996), as Cardinal Vittorio
- *The Vampyre Wars* (1996), as Rodan
- *Little Odessa* (1994), as Arkady Shapira
- *Abraham* (1993), as Pharao
- *Abraham* (1993), series, as Pharaoh, Pharao
- *Candles in the Dark* (1993), as Colonel Arkush · Director
- *Justice* (1993), as Isaak Kohler
- *A Far Off Place* (1993), as Col. Mopani Theron
- *Stalin* (1992), as Vladimir Lenin
- *Miss Rose White* (1992), as Mordecai Weiss
- *Labyrinth* (1991), as The Filmmaker
- *Why Havel?* (1991), Actor
- *Young Catherine* (1991), series, as Frederick the Great
- *You Can't Live Like That* (1990), as German Commentator
- *The Freshman* (1990), as Larry London
- *The Rose Garden* (1989), as Aaron
- *Wiseguy* (1987), series, as Amado Guzman
- *Peter the Great* (1986), series, as Peter the Great
- *Die Föhnforscher* (1985), Co-Producer
- *The Assisi Underground* (1985), as Col. Müller
- *Marlene* (1984), Director
- *Man Under Suspicion* (1984), as Lawyer Landau
- *Les Îles* (1983), as Fabrice
- *The Phantom of the Opera* (1983), as Sandor Korvin/Phantom
- *The Chosen* (1981), as Professor David Malter
- *The Diary of Anne Frank* (1980), as Otto Frank
- *The Black Hole* (1979), as Dr. Hans Reinhardt
- *Together?* (1979), as Giovanni
- *Avalanche Express* (1979), as Colonel Nikolai Bunin
- *Players* (1979), as Marco
- *Tales from the Vienna Woods* (1979), as Theatre Visitor · Producer, Writer, Director
- *Julia* (1977), as Johann — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/julia.md)
- *A Bridge Too Far* (1977), as General der Waffen-SS Wilhelm Bittrich
- *Cross of Iron* (1977), as Hauptmann Stransky
- *St. Ives* (1976), as Dr. John Constable
- *The Clown* (1976), Producer
- *The Day That Shook the World* (1975), as Đuro Šarac
- *End of the Game* (1975), as Robert Schmied on Audiotape (voice) (uncredited) · Director, Writer, Producer
- *The Man in the Glass Booth* (1975), as Arthur Goldman
- *The Odessa File* (1974), as Eduard Roschmann
- *The Pedestrian* (1973), as Andreas Giese · Director, Writer, Producer
- *Pope Joan* (1972), as Adrian
- *Paulina 1880* (1972), as Count Michele Cantarini
- *Trotta* (1971), Screenplay
- *First Love* (1970), as Vater · Director, Producer, Writer
- *Simón Bolívar* (1969), as Simón Bolívar
- *Krakatoa, East of Java* (1969), as Captain Chris Hanson
- *Heidi* (1968), as Richard Sessemann
- *The Castle* (1968), as K · Writer
- *Counterpoint* (1967), as Gen. Schiller
- *The Desperate Ones* (1967), as Marek
- *Alles zum Guten* (1967), Director
- *The Deadly Affair* (1967), as Dieter Frey
- *Die venezianischen Zwillinge* (1966), as Zanetto und Tonio
- *John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums* (1966), as German Narrator
- *Return from the Ashes* (1965), as Stanislaw Pilgrin
- *Der seidene Schuh* (1965), series, as Don Rodrigo
- *Topkapi* (1964), as Walter Harper
- *The Reluctant Saint* (1962), as Giuseppe
- *The Condemned of Altona* (1962), as Franz von Gerlach
- *Five Finger Exercise* (1962), as Walter
- *Hamlet, Prince of Denmark* (1961), as Hamlet
- *Judgment at Nuremberg* (1961), as Hans Rolfe — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/judgment-at-nuremberg.md)
- *The Fifth Column* (1960), Actor
- *Eine Dummheit macht auch der Gescheiteste* (1959), as Jegor Dmitritsch Glumow
- *Judgment at Nuremberg* (1959), as Otto Rolfe
- *Die sechste Frau* (1959), as Henry Howard
- *Die Bernauerin* (1958), as Herzog Albrecht von Bayern
- *Children of the Mountains* (1958), as Josef Ospel
- *Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse* (1958), series, Actor
- *The Young Lions* (1958), as Capt. Hardenberg
- *Der Meisterdieb* (1958), Actor
- *The Last Ones Shall Be First* (1957), as Lorenz Darrandt
- *Taxichauffeur Bänz* (1957), as Toni Schellenberg
- *Ein Herz kehrt heim* (1956), as Wolfgang Thomas, beider Sohn
- *Playhouse 90* (1956), series, as Otto Rolfe
- *Die Ehe des Dr. med. Danwitz* (1956), as Dr. Oswald Hauser
- *The Girl from Flanders* (1956), as Alexander Haller
- *Ripening Youth* (1955), as Jürgen Sengebusch
- *The Plot to Assassinate Hitler* (1955), as Mitglied des Kreisauer Kreises
- *Children, Mother, and the General* (1955), as Soldat, der nicht mehr mitmacht
- *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Rose's Father

## Gallery

- ![Ist ein Schauspieler, Oscarpreisträger, Regisseur und Produzent mit österreichischer und Schweizer Staatsangehörigkeit. (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/104816/gallery-2a48cd5fb5f3.jpg) Ist ein Schauspieler, Oscarpreisträger, Regisseur und Produzent mit österreichischer und Schweizer Staatsangehörigkeit. (2011) — Udo Grimberg, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/1003_Maximilian_Schell.JPG/1280px-1003_Maximilian_Schell.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Acteur Maximilian Schell in " een Brug te Ver ", geeft persconferentie (1976)](https://film.one/media/person/104816/gallery-5a7226ebb15a.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Acteur Maximilian Schell in " een Brug te Ver ", geeft persconferentie (1976) — Hans Peters for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Acteur_Maximilian_Schell_in_een_Brug_te_Ver_%2C_geeft_persconferentie_in_%2C_link%2C_Bestanddeelnr_928-6416.jpg/1280px-Acteur_Maximilian_Schell_in_een_Brug_te_Ver_%2C_geeft_persconferentie_in_%2C_link%2C_Bestanddeelnr_928-6416.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Acteur Maximilian Schell in " een Brug te Ver ", geeft persconferentie (1976)](https://film.one/media/person/104816/gallery-68dd9d613ef6.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Acteur Maximilian Schell in " een Brug te Ver ", geeft persconferentie (1976) — Hans Peters for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Acteur_Maximilian_Schell_in_een_Brug_te_Ver_%2C_geeft_persconferentie_in_Amster%2C_Bestanddeelnr_928-6415.jpg/1280px-Acteur_Maximilian_Schell_in_een_Brug_te_Ver_%2C_geeft_persconferentie_in_Amster%2C_Bestanddeelnr_928-6415.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![A Heidi című 1968-as amerikai-német film forgatása Svájcban](https://film.one/media/person/104816/gallery-b5cba647024c.jpg) A Heidi című 1968-as amerikai-német film forgatása Svájcban — Jack Metzger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Jack_Metzger_%E2%80%93_Heidi_1967_ETH-BIB_Com_L16-0706-0001-0004.jpg/1280px-Jack_Metzger_%E2%80%93_Heidi_1967_ETH-BIB_Com_L16-0706-0001-0004.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Maximilian Schell](https://film.one/media/person/104816/gallery-6571da023add.jpg) Maximilian Schell — Image via TMDB
- ![Maximilian Schell](https://film.one/media/person/104816/gallery-3d845457ace1.jpg) Maximilian Schell — Image via TMDB
- ![A Heidi című 1968-as amerikai-német film forgatása Svájcban](https://film.one/media/person/104816/gallery-70fa56b9d6d7.jpg) A Heidi című 1968-as amerikai-német film forgatása Svájcban — Jack Metzger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Jack_Metzger_%E2%80%93_Heidi_1967_ETH-BIB_Com_L16-0706-0001-0005.jpg/1280px-Jack_Metzger_%E2%80%93_Heidi_1967_ETH-BIB_Com_L16-0706-0001-0005.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![A Heidi című 1968-as amerikai-német film forgatása Svájcban](https://film.one/media/person/104816/gallery-761b4b5638c6.jpg) A Heidi című 1968-as amerikai-német film forgatása Svájcban — Jack Metzger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Jack_Metzger_%E2%80%93_Heidi_1967_ETH-BIB_Com_L16-0706-0005-0001.jpg/1280px-Jack_Metzger_%E2%80%93_Heidi_1967_ETH-BIB_Com_L16-0706-0005-0001.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 2 nominated

- 1978: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *Julia*
- 1976: Best Actor (nominated), for *The Man in the Glass Booth*
- 1962: Best Actor (won), for *Judgment at Nuremberg*

### Golden Globes — 2 won

- 1993: Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (won), for *Stalin*
- 1962: Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (won), for *Judgment at Nuremberg*

### Other awards — 1 won

- Bernhard Wicki Award 2011: Bernhard Wicki Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/maximilian-schell