Emil Jannings

Emil Jannings (1884–1950) was a German actor, the first to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. Between 1926 and 1929, he worked in Hollywood. Upon returning to Germany, he sympathized with the Nazi regime and was one of the advisors to Universum Film-Aktiengesellschaft (UFA), the film studios controlled by Goebbels as a propaganda weapon. With the end of World War II and Germany's defeat, his career fell into disgrace.... more

First Magazine Covers

1925

1927

1929

1938

Breakthrough Years

1918

Starred in Ernst Lubitsch's "Die Augen der Mumie Ma," elevating his dramatic career in German cinema.

1924

His powerful, wordless performance in The Last Laugh (1924) solidified his status as a leading international dramatic actor.

1926

Starred in F.W. Murnau's Faust (1926), which led to his Hollywood contract and first Oscar.

1928

Won first Best Actor Oscar for The Last Command (1928), establishing his Hollywood dramatic prowess.