Thomas Schmauser
Born in Burgebrach, Upper Franconia, in 1972, Thomas Schmauser attended the Otto Falkenberg School in Munich from 1992 to 1996. Even whilst studying acting, he was cast in productions at the MK, where he appeared in ‘Burgtheater’, directed by Franz Xaver Kroetz, and ‘Katzelmacher’, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. After several minor film roles, he made his first major cinema appearance in 1995 alongside Franka Potente in Hans-Christian Schmid’s comedy “Nach fünf im Urwald”.
From 1998 to 2000, Thomas Schmauser performed on stage at the Lower Saxony State Theatre in Hanover, where, among other roles, he played Prince Friedrich von Homburg in Heinrich von Kleist’s play of the same name.
In 2000, he joined the ensemble of the Thalia Theatre in Hamburg, where he appeared in numerous productions until 2006. Since 2007, Thomas Schmauser has been a member of the ensemble at the Münchner Kammerspiele. The production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”, in which he plays the role of Caliban, was invited to the Theatertreffen in Berlin in 2008. Alongside his theatre career, Thomas Schmauser has appeared in numerous film and television productions.
In 2025, he was named Actor of the Year by Theater heute for his role as Hendrik Höfgen in “Mephisto”, directed by Jette Steckel. For this role, he also received the 2025 FAUST Theatre Award in the category of Best Actor and the 2025 Gertrud Eysoldt Ring. The production of “Mephisto” has been invited to the 2026 Theatertreffen Berlin.
