Acting
Axel Prahl
Axel Prahl grew up in Neustadt in Holstein alongside a brother. His mother was a sales assistant, and his stepfather worked at the employment office. At the age of 14, Prahl entered a music competition in Neustadt in Holstein; he won the local round, thereby qualifying to compete at the state level. However, fearing that such success might fundamentally alter his life, he declined to participate in the state finals. He dropped out of a vocational training program in the metalworking trade after just one year, spent time living as a street musician in Spain, subsequently earned his specialized university entrance qualification, and went on to study music and mathematics for five semesters at the College of Education in Kiel. Prahl is an accomplished guitarist and counts Pat Metheny among his musical role models, though during his youth, he also performed Irish folk music. Ultimately, from 1982 to 1985, he completed a degree in acting in Kiel. Prahl began his professional theater career in 1984, subsequently joining the Schleswig-Holstein State Theater. Prahl has lived in Berlin since 1992. This was followed by engagements at the Renaissance-Theater, the Grips-Theater, and the *Kammerspiele* (chamber theater) of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. During his drama school days—while holding an apprentice contract at the Theater Kiel—Prahl performed with the band Ougenweide and subsequently founded the band Impuls. At that time, his musical and acting pursuits ran in parallel, until Prahl ultimately decided to focus exclusively on acting. Axel Prahl made his television debut in 1992 in Max Färberböck’s *Schlafende Hunde*. Also in 1992, he provided the German voice dubbing for Michael Chiklis in an episode of the series *Miami Vice*. In *Nachtgestalten* (1999)—Prahl’s first feature film—he played a police officer in a supporting role; since then, he has frequently been cast in similar roles, including in *Die Polizistin*, *Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt*, and *Der Grenzer und das Mädchen*. The film *Nachtgestalten* also marked the beginning of a successful collaboration with director Andreas Dresen: for *Die Polizistin*, *Halbe Treppe*, and *Willenbrock*, Axel Prahl was honored with various acting awards, including the Adolf Grimme Prize. Since 2002, in his role as Chief Inspector Frank Thiel, he has teamed up with Jan Josef Liefers to form the investigative duo based in Münster for the WDR’s *Tatort* series. In 2007, Prahl also contributed the title song—a reinterpretation of a well-known pop hit—to the feature film *Du bist nicht allein*. In the music video for the song "Wenn es passiert" by the band Wir sind Helden, he appears as a traveling salesman. Prahl and Andreas Dresen perform together in a band with no name, whose repertoire includes cover versions of songs by artists such as Rio Reiser and Gerhard Gundermann. On February 27, 2009, the audiobook *Wo die wilden Maden graben* by Thorsten Nagelschmidt was released, featuring Axel Prahl as a guest narrator alongside Farin Urlaub. Prahl subsequently narrated the audiobook *North Western* in 2013. Axel Prahl has three daughters and one son. He is divorced from his second wife and resides in Berlin.
Filmography
Block 10
Film · 2026
Moinsen! Ich bin Axel Prahl
Film · 2025
Tödliches Spiel - Das Krimi-Dinner
Film · 2025
Andreas Dresen - Ein Leben für den Film
Film · 2024
Ich bin! Margot Friedländer
Film · 2023
60 Jahre Dinner for One - Die Jubiläumsshow
Film · 2023
Love Your Enemies
Film · 2022
Die Geschichte der Menschheit - leicht gekürzt
Film · 2022
Extraklasse - On Tour
Film · 2022
Ottos Märchenshow
Film · 2022
Eisland
Film · 2021
Extraklasse 2+
Film · 2021
Spieglein, Spieglein
Film · 2019
Blame Game
Film · 2019
Spy Cat
Film · 2019
Nur mit Dir zusammen
Film · 2019
Das Märchen von der Regentrude
Film · 2018
Gundermann
Film · 2018
The Little Witch
Film · 2018
Capt'n Sharky
Film · 2018
Extraklasse
Film · 2018
Gloria, die schönste Kuh meiner Schwester
Film · 2018
Denn sie wissen nicht, was passiert
Series · 2018
Gott ist auch nur ein Mensch
Film · 2017
The Legend of Timm Thaler: or The Boy Who Sold His Laughter
Film · 2017
Regrettably Kin
Film · 2017
Der gute Bulle
Film · 2017
Mullewapp - A Pig's Tail
Film · 2016
Udo Lindenberg: Stärker als die Zeit - Live
Film · 2016
Ringlstetter
Series · 2016
Ringlstetter
Series · 2016
Schwanensee
Film · 2015
Die Mutter des Mörders
Film · 2015
Trenk, the Little Knight
Film · 2015
Wer weiß denn sowas?
Series · 2015
Soundtrack Deutschland
Series · 2015
Die Himmelsleiter
Series · 2015
Wer weiß denn sowas?
Series · 2015
The Whole Shebang
Film · 2014
The Pasta Detectives
Film · 2014
Die Lichtenbergs - zwei Brüder, drei Frauen und jede Menge Zoff
Film · 2014
The Burrow
Film · 2014
Quizduell
Series · 2014
Harms
Film · 2013
Secrets of the North Sea
Film · 2013
Circus Halligalli
Series · 2013
An Enemy to Die For
Film · 2012
Das Millionen Rennen
Film · 2012
Die Lehrerin
Film · 2011
Lessons of a Dream
Film · 2011
Die Sterntaler
Film · 2011
Klein gegen Groß - Das unglaubliche Duell
Series · 2011
Here Comes Lola!
Film · 2010
Sesamstraße präsentiert: Eine Möhre für zwei
Series · 2010
12 Winter
Film · 2009
Berlin '36
Film · 2009
Die Schimmelreiter
Film · 2009
Dorfpunks
Film · 2009
Die Wölfe
Series · 2009
Peaceful Times
Film · 2008
Mondkalb
Film · 2008
The Red Baron
Film · 2008
Stella and the Star of the Orient
Film · 2008
Summer Sunday
Film · 2008
Liesl Karlstadt und Karl Valentin
Film · 2008
The Godmother - No Way Back
Series · 2008
Das Quiz
Series · 2008
You're Not Alone
Film · 2007
Inas Nacht
Series · 2007
Krömer - Die internationale Show
Series · 2007
The Wild Chicks
Film · 2006
Not All Were Murderers
Film · 2006
Die Mauer – Berlin '61
Film · 2006
Die große Maus-Show
Series · 2006
Kommissar Stolberg
Series · 2006
Willenbrock
Film · 2005
Summer in Berlin
Film · 2005
Liberated Zone
Film · 2004
I Love You All
Film · 2004
NeuFundLand
Film · 2003
Gun-shy
Film · 2003
Das Wunder von Lengede
Film · 2003
Hundsköpfe
Film · 2003
Nachtschicht
Series · 2003
The Miracle of Lengede
Series · 2003
Grill Point
Film · 2002
Die unheimlichen Briefe
Film · 2002
Falcons
Film · 2002
The Pianist
Film · 2002
Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt
Film · 2002
Das Duo
Series · 2002
Run While You Can
Film · 2001
Zoom - It's Always About Getting Closer
Film · 2001
99€ Films
Film · 2001
Policewoman
Film · 2000
alaska.de
Film · 2000
Night Shapes
Film · 1999
Volle Kanne
Series · 1999
Die Cleveren
Series · 1998
Leute heute
Series · 1997
Zimmer frei!
Series · 1996
Die Harald Schmidt Show
Series · 1995
Balko
Series · 1995
Das Phantom
Film · 1994
Bella Block
Series · 1993
Adelheid und ihre Mörder
Series · 1993
Wolffs Revier
Series · 1992
Riverboat
Series · 1992
DAS!
Series · 1991
DAS!
Series · 1991
Nachtcafé
Series · 1987
Wetten, dass..?
Series · 1981
NDR Talk Show
Series · 1979
Kölner Treff
Series · 1976
Polizeiruf 110
Series · 1971
Dalli Dalli
Series · 1971
Scene of the Crime
Series · 1970