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.
Grill Point
(Uwe)
Policewoman
(Mike)
Willenbrock
(Willenbrock)
You're Not Alone
(Hans Moll)
Das Phantom
Peaceful Times
(Karl)
Mondkalb
(Piet Hatzky)
The Red Baron
(General von Hoeppner)
The Wild Chicks
(Willis Vater)
Here Comes Lola!
(Felix Jungherz)
12 Winter
(Klaus Starck)
Berlin '36
(Hans Waldmann)
Die unheimlichen Briefe
(Taxi driver)
Die Lehrerin
(Weininger)
Die Schimmelreiter
(Tilmann Koch)
Lessons of a Dream
(Schricker Sen.)
Eisland
(Marko Wendrichs)
Stella and the Star of the Orient
(Kleinheinz)
An Enemy to Die For
(Friedrich Mann)
Love Your Enemies
(Herr Schimke)
NeuFundLand
(Leo)
Das Millionen Rennen
(Mathias Wengeler)
Not All Were Murderers
(Erwin Redlich)
Die Geschichte der Menschheit - leicht gekürzt
(Sokrates)
In der Welt habt ihr Angst
(Paul Krämer)
Extraklasse - On Tour
(Ralph Friesner)
alaska.de
(Polizist Wünsche)
The Whole Shebang
(Helmut)
Ich bin! Margot Friedländer
(Reuter)
Dorfpunks
(Mascher)
Die Mauer – Berlin '61
(Erwin Sawatzke)
Night Shapes
(Polizeibeamter)
Gun-shy
(Schwimmer in der Nacht)
Harms
(Menges)
Die Weisheit der Wolken
(Georg Paulsen)
Das Wunder von Lengede
(Erwin)
The Pasta Detectives
(Herr Marrak)
Ich bring Dich hinter Gitter
(Günther Szerba)
Falcons
(Car Rental Dealer)
60 Jahre Dinner for One - Die Jubiläumsshow
(Self)
Geht nicht gibt's nicht
(Heinz Treibel)
Run While You Can
(Oswald Kosinski)
Liebe und Verrat
(Daniel Bullrich)
Die Lichtenbergs - zwei Brüder, drei Frauen und jede Menge Zoff
(Jochen Lichtenberg -)
Liberated Zone
(Rolf Kubicek)
Gott ist auch nur ein Mensch
(Frank Thiel)
The Burrow
(Franz)
Summer in Berlin
(Kneipengast (uncredited))
Paulas Schuld
(Gründlin)
Ottos Märchenshow
(Self)
Schwanensee
(Frank Thiel)
Spieglein, Spieglein
(Frank Thiel)
Die Sterntaler
(Grobian)
Das Märchen von der Regentrude
(Iven)
Die Mutter des Mörders
(David Bacher)
Hundsköpfe
(Konrad "Bussi")
Trenk, the Little Knight
(Ritter Hans (voice))
The Legend of Timm Thaler: or The Boy Who Sold His Laughter
(Behemoth)
Schleudertrauma
(Bens Anwalt)
Mullewapp - A Pig's Tail
(Waldemar (voice))
Die Kette
(Bernd)
Zoom - It's Always About Getting Closer
(Beamter)
Zuckerbrot
(Vater)
Summer Sunday
(Bruno Hansen)
The Pianist
(German Soldier - Rummage Bags (uncredited))
Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt
(Eddy Garbitsch)
Regrettably Kin
(Knud Lühr)
Udo Lindenberg: Stärker als die Zeit - Live
Der gute Bulle
(Roland Bischoff)
Der Grenzer und das Mädchen
(Hans-Werner Müller)
99€ Films
Gundermann
(Führungsoffizier)
Blame Game
(Dr. Joachim Rauhweiler)
The Little Witch
(Abraxas (voice))
Capt'n Sharky
(Alter Bill (voice))
Liesl Karlstadt und Karl Valentin
(Erich Engels)
Extraklasse
(Ralph Friesner)
Gloria, die schönste Kuh meiner Schwester
(Thomas)
Spy Cat
(Elvis (voice))
Nur mit Dir zusammen
(Wim)
Extraklasse 2+
(Ralph Friesner)
I Love You All
(Narrator (Major S.))
Andreas Dresen - Ein Leben für den Film
(Self)
Secrets of the North Sea
(Narrator (voice))
Moinsen! Ich bin Axel Prahl
(Self)
Block 10
(Prof. Dr. Carl Clauberg)
Herzrasen
(Chris)
Tödliches Spiel - Das Krimi-Dinner
(Harry Raven)
Das Quiz mit Jörg Pilawa
(Self)
MDR um 11
(self)
Ein roter Teppich für....
(Self)
Bella Block
Im Namen des Gesetzes
(Wirt Patschke)
Scene of the Crime
(Frank Thiel)
Evelyn Hamanns Geschichten aus dem Leben
(Klempner)
DAS!
Polizeiruf 110
(Paul Kieslowski)
Die Cleveren
(Jens Stuber)
Das Duo
(Jost Kupitzki)
Bronski und Bernstein
(Heinz Körner)
Nachtschicht
(Fritz Schulz)
Wer weiß denn sowas?
Wolffs Revier
(Georg Ackermann)
Adelheid und ihre Mörder
(Rainer Kohler)
Die Harald Schmidt Show
(Self)
Circus Halligalli
Die große Maus-Show
(Self)
Wetten, dass..?
(Self)
Soundtrack Deutschland
(Self)
Da kommst Du nie drauf! - Die große Show der schrägen Fragen
(Self)
Denn sie wissen nicht, was passiert
(Self)
Ringlstetter
(self)
Balko
(Robin Friedensreich)
Die Deutschen Meister 2013
(Self)
Sesamstraße präsentiert: Eine Möhre für zwei
(Kapitän)
Die Himmelsleiter
(Armin Zettler)
Kommissar Stolberg
(Raimund Görlitz)
Die Wölfe
(Bernd 2)
Leute heute
(Self)
Inas Nacht
(Self)
Martin Rütter - Die große Tiershow
(Self)
Krömer - Die internationale Show
(Self)
Grimme Award
(Self)
Goldene Kamera
(Self)
Romy Award
(Self - Presenter)
Romy Award
(Self)
Goldene Henne
(Self)
Wer weiß denn sowas?
(Self)
Geschichtenerzähler
(Narrator)
Bavarian Film Awards
(Self)
Dalli Dalli
(Self)
Volle Kanne
(Self)
Quizduell
(Self)
Spiel für dein Land
(Self)
Zimmer frei!
(Self)
The Johannes B. Kerner Show
(Self)
Menschen der Woche
(Self)
Unsere Besten im Norden
(Self)
Tietjen auf Touren
(Self)
Wir können auch anders
(Self)
DAS!
(Self)
NDR Talk Show
(Self)
3 nach 9
(Self)
Riverboat
(Self)
Klein gegen Groß - Das unglaubliche Duell
(Self)
Nachtcafé
(Self)
Thadeusz
(self)
The Godmother - No Way Back
(Tom Kranold)
ZIBB
(Self)
Abendshow
(Self)
Tietjen und Bommes
(Self)
Weihnachten bei uns
(Self)
Mein Nachmittag
(Self)
Ringlstetter
(Self)
Wir sind 30
(Self)
Kölner Treff
(Self)
Das Quiz
(Self)
Beim nächsten Coup wird alles anders
(Ulf)