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.
Fotos
Filmes (88)
Block 10
2026 · Prof. Dr. Carl Clauberg
Tödliches Spiel - Das Krimi-Dinner
2025 · Harry Raven
Moinsen! Ich bin Axel Prahl
2025 · Self
Andreas Dresen - Ein Leben für den Film
2024 · Self
60 Jahre Dinner for One - Die Jubiläumsshow
2023 · Self
Ich bin! Margot Friedländer
2023 · Reuter
Ottos Märchenshow
2022 · Self
Extraklasse - On Tour
2022 · Ralph Friesner
Die Geschichte der Menschheit - leicht gekürzt
2022 · Sokrates
Love Your Enemies
2022 · Herr Schimke
Eisland
2021 · Marko Wendrichs
Extraklasse 2+
2021 · Ralph Friesner
Nur mit Dir zusammen
2019 · Wim
Agente 00-Gato
2019 · Elvis (voice)
Spieglein, Spieglein
2019 · Frank Thiel
O Fim da Verdade
2019 · Dr. Joachim Rauhweiler
Das Märchen von der Regentrude
2018 · Iven
Extraklasse
2018 · Ralph Friesner
Gloria, die schönste Kuh meiner Schwester
2018 · Thomas
Capitão Sharky: O Pequeno Pirata
2018 · Alter Bill (voice)
Gundermann
2018 · Führungsoffizier
A Pequena Bruxa
2018 · Abraxas (voice)
Gott ist auch nur ein Mensch
2017 · Frank Thiel
Regrettably Kin
2017 · Knud Lühr
Der gute Bulle
2017 · Roland Bischoff
The Legend of Timm Thaler: or The Boy Who Sold His Laughter
2017 · Behemoth
Udo Lindenberg: Stärker als die Zeit - Live
2016
Mullewapp - A Pig's Tail
2016 · Waldemar (voice)
Schwanensee
2015 · Frank Thiel
Trenk, O Cavaleiro Trapalhão
2015 · Ritter Hans (voice)
Die Mutter des Mörders
2015 · David Bacher
Die Lichtenbergs - zwei Brüder, drei Frauen und jede Menge Zoff
2014 · Jochen Lichtenberg -
The Burrow
2014 · Franz
The Pasta Detectives
2014 · Herr Marrak
The Whole Shebang
2014 · Helmut
Harms
2013 · Menges
Secrets of the North Sea
2013 · Narrator (voice), Director
Das Millionen Rennen
2012 · Mathias Wengeler
An Enemy to Die For
2012 · Friedrich Mann
Die Sterntaler
2011 · Grobian
Die Lehrerin
2011 · Weininger
In der Welt habt ihr Angst
2011 · Paul Krämer
Lições de um Sonho
2011 · Schricker Sen.
Here Comes Lola!
2010 · Felix Jungherz
Dorfpunks
2009 · Mascher
Berlin '36
2009 · Hans Waldmann
Die Schimmelreiter
2009 · Tilmann Koch
12 Winter
2009 · Klaus Starck
Peaceful Times
2008 · Karl
Liesl Karlstadt und Karl Valentin
2008 · Erich Engels
Die Weisheit der Wolken
2008 · Georg Paulsen
Summer Sunday
2008 · Bruno Hansen
Stella and the Star of the Orient
2008 · Kleinheinz
O Barão Vermelho
2008 · General von Hoeppner
Mondkalb
2008 · Piet Hatzky
You're Not Alone
2007 · Hans Moll
Not All Were Murderers
2006 · Erwin Redlich
Die Mauer – Berlin '61
2006 · Erwin Sawatzke
Die Kette
2006 · Bernd
The Wild Chicks
2006 · Willis Vater
Verão em Berlim
2005 · Kneipengast (uncredited)
Der Grenzer und das Mädchen
2005 · Hans-Werner Müller
Willenbrock
2005 · Willenbrock
Liberated Zone
2004 · Rolf Kubicek
I Love You All
2004 · Narrator (Major S.)
Das Wunder von Lengede
2003 · Erwin
NeuFundLand
2003 · Leo
Zuckerbrot
2003 · Vater
Hundsköpfe
2003 · Konrad "Bussi"
Gun-shy
2003 · Schwimmer in der Nacht
Falcons
2002 · Car Rental Dealer
O Pianista
2002 · German Soldier - Rummage Bags (uncredited)
Schleudertrauma
2002 · Bens Anwalt
Die unheimlichen Briefe
2002 · Taxi driver
Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt
2002 · Eddy Garbitsch
Liebe und Verrat
2002 · Daniel Bullrich
Grill Point
2002 · Uwe
Ich bring Dich hinter Gitter
2002 · Günther Szerba
Geht nicht gibt's nicht
2002 · Heinz Treibel
Paulas Schuld
2001 · Gründlin
Run While You Can
2001 · Oswald Kosinski
99€ Films
2001
Herzrasen
2001 · Chris
Zoom - It's Always About Getting Closer
2001 · Beamter
alaska.de
2000 · Polizist Wünsche
Policewoman
2000 · Mike
Night Shapes
1999 · Polizeibeamter
Das Phantom
1994
Séries (67)
Wir können auch anders
2023 · Self
Wir sind 30
2020 · Self
Denn sie wissen nicht, was passiert
2018 · Self
Abendshow
2017 · Self
Da kommst Du nie drauf! - Die große Show der schrägen Fragen
2017 · Self
MDR um 11
2017 · self
Ringlstetter
2016 · self, Self
Spiel für dein Land
2015 · Self
Soundtrack Deutschland
2015 · Self
Quem sabe?
2015 · Self
Die Himmelsleiter
2015 · Armin Zettler
Quizduell
2014 · Self
Die Deutschen Meister 2013
2013 · Self
Martin Rütter - Die große Tiershow
2013 · Self
Circus Halligalli
2013
Geschichtenerzähler
2012 · Narrator
Tietjen auf Touren
2011 · Self
Klein gegen Groß - Das unglaubliche Duell
2011 · Self
Unsere Besten im Norden
2011 · Self
Sesamstraße präsentiert: Eine Möhre für zwei
2010 · Kapitän
Die Wölfe
2009 · Bernd 2
Das Quiz
2008 · Self
The Godmother - No Way Back
2008 · Tom Kranold
Mein Nachmittag
2008 · Self
Krömer - Die internationale Show
2007 · Self
Inas Nacht
2007 · Self
Kommissar Stolberg
2006 · Raimund Görlitz
Die große Maus-Show
2006 · Self
Thadeusz
2005 · self
ZIBB
2003 · Self
The Miracle of Lengede
2003 · Erwin
Nachtschicht
2003 · Fritz Schulz
Ein roter Teppich für....
2002 · Self
Das Quiz mit Jörg Pilawa
2002 · Self
Das Duo
2002 · Jost Kupitzki
Beim nächsten Coup wird alles anders
2001 · Ulf
Bronski und Bernstein
2001 · Heinz Körner
Menschen der Woche
2000 · Self
Volle Kanne
1999 · Self
Die Cleveren
1998 · Jens Stuber
Die Johannes B. Kerner Show
1998 · Self
Leute heute
1997 · Self
Tietjen und Bommes
1997 · Self
Zimmer frei!
1996 · Self
Die Harald Schmidt Show
1995 · Self
Balko
1995 · Robin Friedensreich
Goldene Henne
1995 · Self
Im Namen des Gesetzes
1994 · Wirt Patschke
Weihnachten bei uns
1993 · Self
Bella Block
1993
Adelheid und ihre Mörder
1993 · Rainer Kohler
Evelyn Hamanns Geschichten aus dem Leben
1993 · Klempner
Wolffs Revier
1992 · Georg Ackermann
Riverboat
1992 · Self
DAS!
1991 · Self
Romy Award
1990 · Self - Presenter, Self
Nachtcafé
1987 · Self
Goldene Kamera
1984 · Self
Wetten, dass..?
1981 · Self
Bavarian Film Awards
1979 · Self
NDR Talk Show
1979 · Self
Kölner Treff
1976 · Self
3 nach 9
1974 · Self
Polizeiruf 110
1971 · Paul Kieslowski
Dalli Dalli
1971 · Self
Scene of the Crime
1970 · Frank Thiel
Grimme Award
1964 · Self