Axel Prahl
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Mar 26, 1960 (age 66)
- Place of birth
- Eutin, Germany
- Credits
- 158
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.
Known for
The Pianist
2002Movie
German Soldier - Rummage Bags (uncredited)
The Red Baron
2008Movie
General von Hoeppner
The Little Witch
2018Movie
Abraxas (voice)
Scene of the Crime
1970TV
Frank Thiel
Lessons of a Dream
2011Movie
Schricker Sen.
Spy Cat
2019Movie
Elvis (voice)
Filmography
Block 10
2026Movie
Prof. Dr. Carl Clauberg
Tödliches Spiel - Das Krimi-Dinner
2025Movie
Harry Raven
Moinsen! Ich bin Axel Prahl
2025Movie
Self
Man stirbt nur zweimal
2024Movie
Kriminalhauptkommissar Frank Thiel
Unter Gärtnern
2024Movie
Kriminalhauptkommissar Frank Thiel
Andreas Dresen - Ein Leben für den Film
2024Movie
Self
60 Jahre Dinner for One - Die Jubiläumsshow
2023Movie
Self
Ich bin! Margot Friedländer
2023Movie
Reuter
Wir können auch anders
2023TV
Self
Ottos Märchenshow
2022Movie
Self
Extraklasse - On Tour
2022Movie
Ralph Friesner
Die Geschichte der Menschheit - leicht gekürzt
2022Movie
Sokrates
Love Your Enemies
2022Movie
Herr Schimke
Der Teufels langer Atem
2022Movie
Frank Thiel
Eisland
2021Movie
Marko Wendrichs
Extraklasse 2+
2021Movie
Ralph Friesner
Wir sind 30
2020TV
Self
Nur mit Dir zusammen
2019Movie
Wim
Spy Cat
2019Movie
Elvis (voice)
Spieglein, Spieglein
2019Movie
Frank Thiel
Blame Game
2019Movie
Dr. Joachim Rauhweiler
Das Märchen von der Regentrude
2018Movie
Iven
Extraklasse
2018Movie
Ralph Friesner
Gloria, die schönste Kuh meiner Schwester
2018Movie
Thomas
Capt'n Sharky
2018Movie
Alter Bill (voice)
Gundermann
2018Movie
Führungsoffizier
Denn sie wissen nicht, was passiert
2018TV
Self
The Little Witch
2018Movie
Abraxas (voice)
Gott ist auch nur ein Mensch
2017Movie
Frank Thiel
Regrettably Kin
2017Movie
Knud Lühr
Abendshow
2017TV
Self
Der gute Bulle
2017Movie
Roland Bischoff
Da kommst Du nie drauf! - Die große Show der schrägen Fragen
2017TV
Self
The Legend of Timm Thaler: or The Boy Who Sold His Laughter
2017Movie
Behemoth
MDR um 11
2017TV
self
Udo Lindenberg: Stärker als die Zeit - Live
2016Movie
Ringlstetter
2016TV
self, Self
Mullewapp - A Pig's Tail
2016Movie
Waldemar (voice)
Schwanensee
2015Movie
Frank Thiel
Trenk, the Little Knight
2015Movie
Ritter Hans (voice)
Spiel für dein Land
2015TV
Self
Soundtrack Deutschland
2015TV
Self
Die Mutter des Mörders
2015Movie
David Bacher
Wer weiß denn sowas?
2015TV
Self
Die Himmelsleiter
2015TV
Armin Zettler
Die Lichtenbergs - zwei Brüder, drei Frauen und jede Menge Zoff
2014Movie
Jochen Lichtenberg -
The Burrow
2014Movie
Franz
The Pasta Detectives
2014Movie
Herr Marrak
Quizduell
2014TV
Self
The Whole Shebang
2014Movie
Helmut
Die Deutschen Meister 2013
2013TV
Self
Martin Rütter - Die große Tiershow
2013TV
Self
Harms
2013Movie
Menges
Secrets of the North Sea
2013Movie
Narrator (voice)
Circus Halligalli
2013TV
Das Millionen Rennen
2012Movie
Mathias Wengeler
Geschichtenerzähler
2012TV
Narrator
An Enemy to Die For
2012Movie
Friedrich Mann
Die Sterntaler
2011Movie
Grobian
Tietjen auf Touren
2011TV
Self
Die Lehrerin
2011Movie
Weininger
Klein gegen Groß - Das unglaubliche Duell
2011TV
Self
In der Welt habt ihr Angst
2011Movie
Paul Krämer
Lessons of a Dream
2011Movie
Schricker Sen.
Unsere Besten im Norden
2011TV
Self
Sesamstraße präsentiert: Eine Möhre für zwei
2010TV
Kapitän
Here Comes Lola!
2010Movie
Felix Jungherz
Dorfpunks
2009Movie
Mascher
Berlin '36
2009Movie
Hans Waldmann
Die Schimmelreiter
2009Movie
Tilmann Koch
12 Winter
2009Movie
Klaus Starck
Die Wölfe
2009TV
Bernd 2
Das Quiz
2008TV
Self
The Godmother - No Way Back
2008TV
Tom Kranold
Peaceful Times
2008Movie
Karl
Liesl Karlstadt und Karl Valentin
2008Movie
Erich Engels
Die Weisheit der Wolken
2008Movie
Georg Paulsen
Summer Sunday
2008Movie
Bruno Hansen
Stella and the Star of the Orient
2008Movie
Kleinheinz
The Red Baron
2008Movie
General von Hoeppner
Mondkalb
2008Movie
Piet Hatzky
Mein Nachmittag
2008TV
Self
Krömer - Die internationale Show
2007TV
Self
You're Not Alone
2007Movie
Hans Moll
Inas Nacht
2007TV
Self
Not All Were Murderers
2006Movie
Erwin Redlich
Kommissar Stolberg
2006TV
Raimund Görlitz
Die Mauer – Berlin '61
2006Movie
Erwin Sawatzke
Die Kette
2006Movie
Bernd
Die große Maus-Show
2006TV
Self
The Wild Chicks
2006Movie
Willis Vater
Thadeusz
2005TV
self
Summer in Berlin
2005Movie
Kneipengast (uncredited)
Der Grenzer und das Mädchen
2005Movie
Hans-Werner Müller
Willenbrock
2005Movie
Willenbrock
Liberated Zone
2004Movie
Rolf Kubicek
I Love You All
2004Movie
Narrator (Major S.)
ZIBB
2003TV
Self
Das Wunder von Lengede
2003Movie
Erwin
The Miracle of Lengede
2003TV
Erwin
NeuFundLand
2003Movie
Leo
Zuckerbrot
2003Movie
Vater
Hundsköpfe
2003Movie
Konrad "Bussi"
Nachtschicht
2003TV
Fritz Schulz
Gun-shy
2003Movie
Schwimmer in der Nacht
Ein roter Teppich für....
2002TV
Self
Das Quiz mit Jörg Pilawa
2002TV
Self
Falcons
2002Movie
Car Rental Dealer
The Pianist
2002Movie
German Soldier - Rummage Bags (uncredited)
Schleudertrauma
2002Movie
Bens Anwalt
Die unheimlichen Briefe
2002Movie
Taxi driver
Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt
2002Movie
Eddy Garbitsch
Das Duo
2002TV
Jost Kupitzki
Liebe und Verrat
2002Movie
Daniel Bullrich
Grill Point
2002Movie
Uwe
Ich bring Dich hinter Gitter
2002Movie
Günther Szerba
Geht nicht gibt's nicht
2002Movie
Heinz Treibel
Paulas Schuld
2001Movie
Gründlin
Run While You Can
2001Movie
Oswald Kosinski
99€ Films
2001Movie
Beim nächsten Coup wird alles anders
2001TV
Ulf
Herzrasen
2001Movie
Chris
Bronski und Bernstein
2001TV
Heinz Körner
Zoom - It's Always About Getting Closer
2001Movie
Beamter
Menschen der Woche
2000TV
Self
alaska.de
2000Movie
Polizist Wünsche
Policewoman
2000Movie
Mike
Volle Kanne
1999TV
Self
Night Shapes
1999Movie
Polizeibeamter
Die Cleveren
1998TV
Jens Stuber
The Johannes B. Kerner Show
1998TV
Self
Leute heute
1997TV
Self
Tietjen und Bommes
1997TV
Self
Zimmer frei!
1996TV
Self
Die Harald Schmidt Show
1995TV
Self
Balko
1995TV
Robin Friedensreich
Goldene Henne
1995TV
Self
Im Namen des Gesetzes
1994TV
Wirt Patschke
Das Phantom
1994Movie
Weihnachten bei uns
1993TV
Self
Bella Block
1993TV
Adelheid und ihre Mörder
1993TV
Rainer Kohler
Evelyn Hamanns Geschichten aus dem Leben
1993TV
Klempner
Wolffs Revier
1992TV
Georg Ackermann
Riverboat
1992TV
Self
DAS!
1991TV
Self
Romy Award
1990TV
Self - Presenter, Self
Nachtcafé
1987TV
Self
Goldene Kamera
1984TV
Self
Wetten, dass..?
1981TV
Self
Bavarian Film Awards
1979TV
Self
NDR Talk Show
1979TV
Self
Kölner Treff
1976TV
Self
3 nach 9
1974TV
Self
Polizeiruf 110
1971TV
Paul Kieslowski
Dalli Dalli
1971TV
Self
Scene of the Crime
1970TV
Frank Thiel
Grimme Award
1964TV
Self