Emil Jannings

Emil Jannings
Jannings circa 1926
Born	Theodor Friedrich Emil Janenz (1884-07-23)23 July 1884 Rorschach, Switzerland
Died	2 January 1950(1950-01-02) (aged 65) Strobl, Allied-occupied Austria
Nationality	German
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1914–1945
Spouses	Lucy Höfling[1] (divorced 1919) Hanna Ralph ​ ​ (m. 1919; div. 1921)​ Lucie Höflich ​ ​ (m. 1921; div. 1921)​ Gussy Holl ​ (m. 1923)​
Children	1
Signature

Emil Jannings (born Theodor Friedrich Emil Janenz, 23 July 1884 – 2 January 1950) was a Swiss-born German actor who was popular in Hollywood in the 1920s. He was the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. As of 2024, Jannings is the only German ever to have won the category.

Jannings is best known for his collaborations with F. W. Murnau and Josef von Sternberg, including the 1930 film The Blue Angel (Der blaue Engel), with Marlene Dietrich. The Blue Angel was meant as a vehicle for Jannings to score a place for himself in the new medium of sound film, but Dietrich stole the show. Jannings later starred in a number of Nazi propaganda films, which made him unemployable as an actor after the defeat of Nazi Germany.