Scene from Händler der vier Jahreszeiten (1971)

Alternate Names: Ingrid Fassbinder , Ingrid Schmidt, Ingrid Carven

Physical Characteristics: N/A

First Appearances:

• Frühstück in Rom (1965) as Sandra

Most Important Roles:

• Shadow of Angels (1976) as Lily Brest
• Gods of the Plague (1970) as Magdalene Fuller
• Day of the Idiots (1981) as Dr. Laura
• In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) as Zora la rouge
• Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven (1975) as Corinna
• Silent Night (1995) as Sängerin
• My Little Loves (1974) as Mother
• Fear of Fear (1975) as Edda
• My Favorite Season (1993) as La femme du bar
• The Satin Spider (1986) as La directrice

Career Highlights:

• Shadow of Angels (1976)
• Gods of the Plague (1970)
• Day of the Idiots (1981)
• In a Year with 13 Moons (1978)
• Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven (1975)
• Silent Night (1995)
• My Little Loves (1974)
• Fear of Fear (1975)
• My Favorite Season (1993)
• The Satin Spider (1986)

Awards:

• Won Film Award in Gold - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Beste darstellerische Leistung - Weibliche Hauptrolle) (1981)
• Nominated for 1 Film Award in Gold - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Beste darstellerische Leistung - Weibliche Nebenrolle) (1972)
• Won Robert Altman Award (2019)
• Won Tribute Award (2012)

Ingrid Caven was born on August 3, 1938 in Saarbrücken, Germany as Ingrid Schmidt. She is best known for her roles in several films directed by her husband, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, including Love Is Colder Than Death (1969), Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? (1970), and The American Soldier (1970). She continued to appear in Fassbinder's films after their 1972 divorce until his death in 1982.

Alternate Names: Irm Herman, Irm Herrmann

Physical Characteristics: N/A

First Appearances:

• The City Tramp (1966) as Ms M. Piguet

Most Important Roles:

• Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) as Krista
• Effi Briest (1974) as Johanna
• Shadow of Angels (1976) as Emma
• Gods of the Plague (1970) as Barkeeper
• The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972) as Irmgard Epp
• The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972) as Marlene
• Woyzeck (1979) as Margret
• The Magic Mountain (1982) as Frl. Engelhart
• Pappa ante Portas (1991) as Hedwig
• The Man from the Embassy (2007) as Frau Speck

Career Highlights:

• Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
• Effi Briest (1974)
• Shadow of Angels (1976)
• Gods of the Plague (1970)
• The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972)
• The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972)
• Woyzeck (1979)
• The Magic Mountain (1982)
• Pappa ante Portas (1991)
• The Man from the Embassy (2007)

Awards:

• Won Silver Berlin Bear - Outstanding Artistic Achievement (2000)
• Nominated for 1 Film Award in Gold - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Beste darstellerische Leistung - Weibliche Nebenrolle) (2009)
• Won Film Award in Gold - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Beste darstellerische Leistung - Weibliche Nebenrolle) (1983)
• Nominated for 1 Film Award in Gold - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Beste darstellerische Leistung - Weibliche Nebenrolle) (1973)
• Won Film Award in Gold - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Beste darstellerische Leistung - Weibliche Hauptrolle) (1972)

Born as Irmgard Hermann on October 4, 1942, in Munich, Germany, she originally trained and worked as a secretary for the German automobile association (ADAC). Her life changed in 1966 when she met director Rainer Werner Fassbinder at a drama competition. Despite having no formal acting training, she was persuaded by him to quit her job and star in his short film Der Stadtstreicher (The City Tramp).

Throughout the 1960s and 70s, she became a core member of Fassbinder’s ensemble, appearing in over 20 of his films, including landmark works like The Merchant of Four Seasons (1971) and The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972). Known for her ability to portray "frosty" or repressed characters, she earned her first German Film Award in 1972.

In 1975, Hermann moved to Berlin to establish her artistic independence. She successfully transitioned into theater, joining ensembles such as the Berliner Ensemble, and collaborated with other renowned directors like Werner Herzog in Woyzeck (1979) and Percy Adlon in Five Last Days (1982), for which she won her second German Film Award.

In her later career, she gained popularity with a younger generation through roles in the comedy Pappa Ante Portas (1991) and the blockbuster Fack ju Göhte 3 (2017). Irm Hermann passed away in Berlin on May 26, 2020, at the age of 77.