Heike Makatsch


Heike Makatsch is a German actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Lisa Addison in Resident Evil, Mia in Love Actually, and as Liesel's mother in The Book Thief.

Early life

Makatsch was born in Düsseldorf, West Germany, the daughter of former German national ice hockey team goaltender Rainer Makatsch. She spent several months in New Mexico in 1988 in an effort to improve her English, and later studied politics and sociology at the University of Düsseldorf for four semesters, which was followed by an apprenticeship as a dressmaker until 1994.

Career

Her television career started in 1993, when she was hired by music channel VIVA, hosting shows such as Interaktiv and Heikes Hausbesuche; two years later, on 13 August 1995, she became the host of the German chart show Bravo TV, aired by RTL II, a position she kept until summer 1996. In 1997, she started hosting her own weekly, late night show titled Heike Makatsch Show. However, due to bad ratings, it was cancelled after only eight episodes.
Makatsch first appeared in a movie in 1996, when she starred in Detlev Buck's Männerpension ; she received the Bavarian Film Award as most talented young actor for her performance. Since then, she has appeared in several German and English language productions including the romantic comedy Love Actually. She is perhaps best known for her role as Lisa Addison, Matt's sister in the Capcom video game-based sci-fi/horror film Resident Evil.
Makatsch served on the jury of the Goldene Kamera awards in 2017.
Since 2012, Makatsch has been a testimonial for French cosmetics company L'Oréal.

Personal life

Makatsch was in a seven-year relationship with British actor Daniel Craig, ending in 2004.
She has 3 daughters, born in 2007, 2009, and 2015, two with Max Martin Schröder from German indie band Tomte and Der Hund Marie. She lives in Berlin.

Selected filmography

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes
1996MännerpensionMaren KrummsiegDetlev BuckEnglish: Jailbirds
1997ObsessionMiriam Auerbach
1998KillerBernhard LandenShort
1998Am I Beautiful?VeraDoris Dörrie
1998'IsoldeDetlev BuckEnglish: Love Your Neighbour
1999Das Gelbe vom EiFloris BlinkerLars BeckerTV film
1999Aimée & JaguarKlärchenMax Färberböck
1999'Judith KernTV film
1999Camino de SantiagoTeaRobert YoungTV miniseries
1999'Maja
2000LongitudeQueen CharlotteCharles SturridgeTV film
2000GripsholmPrinzessinXavier Koller
2000The AnnouncementRumourTroy Miller
2001Late Night ShoppingMadeline ZozzocolovichSaul Metzstein
2001A Goddamn JobKatinka Sirena
2002Die Affäre SemmelingSilke SemmelingDieter WedelTV miniseries
2002Resident EvilDr. Lisa AddisonPaul W. S. Anderson
2002Naked EmiliaDoris Dörrie
2002'Katharina LumisUwe Janson
2003Anatomy 2ViktoriaStefan Ruzowitzky
2003Love ActuallyMiaRichard Curtis
2003'Renate RegerTV film
2004Familie auf BestellungEvaUrs EggerTV film
2005'Margarete SteiffXaver SchwarzenbergerTV film
2005A Sound of ThunderAlicia WallenbeckPeter Hyams
2005'EllenLars KraumeEnglish: No Songs About Love
2005Tara RoadBernadetteGillies MacKinnon
2005Almost HeavenHelen Schuster
2006'Anna
2007Mrs. Ratcliffe's RevolutionFrau UngerBille Eltringham
2008'Mirabel BlinkerLars BeckerTV film
2009The DoorGia KonradsAnno Saul
2009Dr. HopeHope Bridges AdamsTV film
2009HildeHildegard KnefKai Wessel
2011'Aunt PollyHermine Huntgeburth
2012'Katarina EndrissJo BaierTV film
2012'LauraTV film
2013The Book ThiefLiesel's motherBrian Percival
2013Sein letztes RennenBirgit Averhoff
2014Charleen macht SchlussSabine
2014Geography of the HeartRachelSegment "Berlin"
2017Das PubertierSara
2018The Most Beautiful Girl in the WorldFrau Reimann
2019Lisa Wartberg

Discography

Albums

In 1995, Makatsch won the Bavarian Film Award for Best New Actress for her role in Männerpension. In 2003, she and the rest of the cast of Love Actually were nominated for the Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast. She was nominated in 2006 for an International Emmy Award for Best Actress for her role in Margarete Steiff – A Story of Courage.