Nicole Heesters

Nicole Heesters was born in Potsdam and grew up in Austria. After training at the Vienna Max Reinhardt Seminar and following her first position at the Theater in der Josefstadt, she became one of the most renowned character actors in the German-speaking world. She has worked with directors such as August Everding, Peter Stein, Peter Zadek, Klaus Michael Grüber, Thorsten Fischer, Andrea Breth and Claus Peymann. Heesters has played major roles based on literature from around the world at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, Schauspielhaus Bochum and the Thalia Theatre Hamburg. She recently returned to the Theater in der Josefstadt, where she received the Nestroy Theatre Prize for her performance as Vera in Vor dem Ruhestand (Before Retirement). She has held the Louise Dumont topas prize since 2015. Heesters played the lawyer in Ferdinand von Schirach's play Terror at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus. She also performed a monologue in Maria's Testament by Colm Tóibín, directed by Elmar Goerden, at the Hamburger Kammerspiele and Theater in der Josefstadt. This performance could be seen at Schauspielhaus Stuttgart during the 2019/20 season. After her success at Mannheim National Theatre playing Bernarda in The House of Bernarda Alba, directed by Calixto Bieito, she appeared in a new version of the production at Schauspiel Stuttgart. Since the beginning of the 2021/22 season, she has played Angela Merkel in the world premiere of Ökozid, directed by Burkhard C. Kosminski.