Christine Kaufmann

Biography

Christine Maria Kaufmann, born on January 11, 1945, is a prominent German actress renowned for her remarkable contributions to cinema. At just 16, she made history by winning the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actress in 1961, a distinction that makes her the only German recipient of this honor.

Kaufmann's journey began in Lengdorf, Styria, where she was born to a German father and a French mother. She initially trained as a ballerina at the Munich Opera before venturing into film. Her cinematic debut came at the tender age of seven with the 1952 film adaptation of Im weißen Rößl (White Horse Inn). However, it was her role in the 1954 film Rosen-Resli that catapulted her to fame. She gained further international acclaim through her performances in The Last Days of Pompeii (1959) alongside Steve Reeves and Town Without Pity (1961) with Kirk Douglas, followed by her role in Escape from East Berlin in 1962.

In 1963, Kaufmann married actor Tony Curtis, whom she met while filming Taras Bulba; they had two daughters, Alexandra and Allegra, before divorcing in 1968. Following her marriage, she successfully revitalized her acting career.

Beyond acting, Kaufmann has made her mark as a businesswoman with a thriving cosmetics line in Germany. She is also an accomplished author, having penned several books on beauty and health, as well as two autobiographies. Fluent in German, English, and French, Kaufmann continues to inspire many with her diverse talents.