Corinna Harfouch (born 16 October 1954) is a German actress. Widely regarded as one of the most important performers in German film and theatre, she is known for her portrayals of complex, often emotionally layered characters across more than four decades on stage and screen.
Among her most beloved and unexpected performances is her turn as Rabia in Bibi Blocksberg, in which her scene-stealing energy has since been embraced by audiences as camp and iconic, earning her a cult following and status as an unlikely queer icon. For this performance, she received the German Film Award (Lola) for Best Supporting Actress in 2003.
Trained at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst “Ernst Busch” in Berlin, Harfouch began her career in theatre before transitioning to film and television, where she has appeared in over 80 productions. Her early breakthrough came with Die Schauspielerin (1988), followed by roles in films such as Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997), Der Untergang (2004), Das Parfum: Die Geschichte eines Mörders (2006), Finsterworld (2013), and Lara (2019). She has also been part of the long-running crime series Tatort since 2023. Among her numerous accolades, Harfouch has received the Bavarian Film Award, the Adolf Grimme Award, the German Television Award, and the German Film Award. She won Best Actress at the Shanghai International Film Festival for Frei nach Plan (2007) and received the German Film Award for Best Actress in 2024 for Sterben. In addition to her screen work, Harfouch is an acclaimed stage actress, performing at major theatres including the Deutsches Theater Berlin, the Berliner Ensemble, and the Volksbühne. In 1997, she was named Actress of the Year by Theater heute and awarded the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring for her performance in Des Teufels General.
Born in Suhl, East Germany, Harfouch initially trained as a nurse before studying acting. She has three children, including actor Robert Gwisdek.
as Corinna
as Ms. Platek
as Marianne
as Ursula Scheuer
as Mrs. Gans
as Helene
as Eva
as Lissy Lunies
as Edna
as Henriette
as Selma
as Child psychologist
as Marlen
as Tante Erkentrud
as Gudrun
as Imke
as Rosa
as Dr. Vogel
as Self (archive footage)
as Lara
as Schwester Alma
as Sprecherin(4 eps)
as Self - Narrator (voice)
as Innensenatorin
as Charlotte
as Kerstin BIZ
as Caro
as Karen
as Katharina Holl
as Tilda(1 ep)
as Susanne Sönnmann
as Katharina Bruckner
as Inga Sandberg
as Geena
as Conquistadora (voice)
as Hannah
as Mutter
as Carolin Schwarz
as Gitte Heidtmann
as Nina
as Theresa
as Valerie
as (voice)
as Susanne Berger
as Self(1 ep)
as Maria Bonk
as Giulia
as Heike Laurens
as Maggie
as Bettina Moll
as Eliane Richter
as Prof. Dr. Petra Paul
as Susanne
as Wachtel(2 eps)
as Frau Dobbs
as Iris
as Hanni Hudetz
as Christa Laub
as Madame Arnulfi
as Biggie Schwarz
as Biggie Schwarz(2 eps)
as Sprecherin
as Dr. Schäfer
as Alexandra
as Bozena Nemcová
as Rose Steher
as Maria
as Rabia von Katzenstein
as Magda Goebbels
as Helen Berg
as Gertrude
as Eva Blond(6 eps)
as Rabia
as Frau Hermann
as Frau Schmächtig
as Else Sachs
as Anna Mundorf(1 ep)
as Helene
as Vera Brühne(2 eps)
as Duke
as Flora
as Gisela Grosche
as Krankenschwester
as Cora Dulz
as Self(1 ep)
as Beate Nelken
as Anna Weller
as Maria
as Malia Reh(1 ep)
as Lisa Mosdi
as Ward B Nurse
as Fliegergeneral Harras
as Bibi Bratseth
as Stromberg
as Bettina
as Lucy / Sadie
as Paula
as Heike
as Viviane Sperling
as Sophie II
as Monica Lundin
as Agnes
as Sabine Kröger
as Vera Haeusler(1 ep)
as Bianca Kling(1 ep)
as Kerstin
as Lisa Mohrbrink
as Dr. Lilo von Barnim(28 eps)
as Thea Friedberg
as Isolde Wünsche
as Ms. Daniels
as Elke
as Therese Forster
as Juliette Benoit
as Self(1 ep)
as Maria Rheine
as Else-Marie Bukonje
as Frau Rathjens
as Jenny Weinhold
as Frau Meffert
as Emmi Voß
as Self(1 ep)
as Michaela
as Self(1 ep)
as Self(1 ep)
as Schwester Erika
as Sonja(1 ep)
as Lore Ewers(1 ep)
as Anna Cordes(1 ep)
as Valerie(1 ep)
as Conny Seegmeister(1 ep)
as Sabine Korsack(1 ep)
as Martha Kandis(1 ep)
as Susanne Bonard(6 eps)
as Barbara(1 ep)
as Self(2 eps)
as Self(4 eps)