Antje Traue is a German actress. She speaks German and English fluently, and appeared in her first English-language role in the film Pandorum. She may be internationally best known for her portrayal of the villainous, indestructible character of Faora in the 2013 Superman movie Man of Steel, and her role as Agnes Nielsen in the German Netflix series Dark.
Life and career
Traue was born in Mittweida, Saxony, in the former German Democratic Republic. Her mother was a dancer and musician. Traue was raised speaking Russian. She trained as an artistic gymnast from age six to her teens in an elite training unit. Her stage career began when she portrayed Jeanne d'Arc in a school play. At sixteen, she won the lead role in the InternationalMunich Art Lab's first ever "Hip Hopera". Traue performed and toured with the production for four years, appearing on stages throughout Germany, Europe, and in New York City. Subsequently, Traue appeared in several films and television movies, such as Kleinruppin Forever, Berlin am Meer and Phantomschmerz. In 2008, Traue was chosen for the lead female role in the film Pandorum, a science fiction/thriller film directed by Christian Alvart, written by Travis Milloy, and starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster. In 2013, Traue played villain Faora in the Superman filmMan of Steel, to positive reviews. In preparation for the role of Faora, Traue underwent an intense four-month training and dieting program. In 2015, Traue portrayed Bony Lizzie in the Universal Pictures action-fantasy film Seventh Son. She received critical acclaim in Germany for portraying the fictional character of Giselle Neumayer in the 2016 ARD-produced TV movieDer Fall Barschel, and nominations as best actress in German TV productions for 2016 both for her female lead roles in the TV mini seriesWeinberg and Berlin 1. She has since been cast in several German and international movies and TV productions in lead roles or recurrent supporting roles, including the 2017 movie Bye Bye Germany alongside actor Moritz Bleibtreu directed by Sam Garbarski, and the 2017 Amazon series pilot episodeOasis. Traue's further acting appearances in 2017 and 2018 include the German Netflix series productionDark, and German moviesDas Ende der Wahrheit, Spielmacher and Ballon. In 2019, Traue leads the cast in the German ZDFneo TV mini seriesDead End.
