Franka Potente was born on the 22nd July 1974 in Münster, the West Germany, and is an actress and singer. She made her debut in the film “After Five in the Forest Primeval” (1995) and gained more recognition after starring in “Run, Lola, Run” (1998) – the biggest awards received in her country were thanks to that film, and the television film “Opernball” (1998). After five years of a successful career in the German cinema, Potente landed roles in the USA in Blow (2001) and as a co-star in the “Bourne Saga” (2002 – 2004). Potente has been active in the entertainment industry since 1995.
How much is the net worth of Franka Potente? It has been estimated by authoritative sources that the overall size of her wealth is equal to $18 million, as of the data given in the middle of 2017. Acting is the main source of Potente’s net worth.
Franka Potente Net Worth $18 Million
To begin with, the eldest of three siblings, Potente grew up near the city of Dülmen. Her Italian surname comes from her great-grandfather, a Sicilian slater. At the age of 17, she studied a couple of months as an exchange student in Humble, Texas, USA, then after finishing high school in Germany, Potente studied at the Otto Falckenberg School of Performing Arts in Munich.
Potente got jobs as an actress out of school, and in 1995 made her first appearance on screen in a student film called “Aufbruch”. She was later discovered by a casting agent, and worked on the film “After Five in the Forest Primeval” (1995), directed by her boyfriend at the time, Hans Christian Schmid. For her work in that film Franka received the Bavarian Film Award as the Best Young Actress. The same year, she completed her final year of training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Manhattan, then returned to Europe and worked in German and French films. She was chosen to star in “Run, Lola, Run” (1998) after meeting the director, Tom Tykwer, at a café. The scripot was written for her, and although it was a low budget production, it ended up being popular in Europe and the rest of the world – the actress also sang in the soundtrack of the film.
She continued to work in German films, including the horror film “Anatomy” (2000) and the thriller “The Princess and the Warrior” (2000). Her first English-speaking character was in “Storytelling” (2001), and continued with “Blow” (2001) starring next to Johnny Depp, and was the female protagonist in “The Bourne Identity” (2002) next to Matt Damon. In 2006, she co-starred with Eric Bana in the Australian film “Romulus, My Father”, for which she was nominated for an AFI Award for the Best Actress. Also in 2006, she wrote and directed “Der die Tollkirsche Ausgräbt”, a silent comedy. In 2007, she played Vera Less in the biographical film “Eichmann” by Robert Young. She has also guest starred in the American series “House” (2009) and “Psych” (2010). Recently, she starred in the horror film “The Conjuring 2” (2016) by James Wan.
Finally, in the personal life of Franka Potente, she had a romantic relationship with director Tom Tykwer from 1998 to 2003. In 2008, she became engaged to an American businessman, but in 2009 the couple separated. In 2011, she gave birth to a girl, and in 2012 she married the father, actor Derek Richardson; they had another daughter in 2013.
Bavarian Film Award for Best Young Actress, Bambi Award for Best Actress (1995), Berlin International Film Festival EFP Shooting Star Award (1998), German Film Award for German Actress of the Year (1999), Jupiter Award for Best German Actress (2000)
Albums
Believe (1998), Wish (Komm zu mir) (1998), Easy Day (1999), Fly With Me (2001), Musikexpress 21: Four Music (1998, V/A Compilation)
Nominations
European Film Award for Best Actress, German Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (2000), Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (2007)
Movies
After Five in the Forest Primeval (1995), Run Lola Run (1998), Opernball (1998), The Princess and the Warrior (2000), Romulus, My Father (2007), The Conjuring 2 (2016)
TV Shows
Copper (2012-2013), The Sinking of the Laconia (2011), Beate Uhse: Das Recht auf Liebe (2011), The Bridge (2014), Taboo (2017), House (2009), Psych (2010), Blow (2001), Bourne Saga (2002 – 2004)
I've published one book before, and now I'm writing a book of essays and stories about life in Tokyo. And I have one book coming out in May in Germany, about fitness.
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I'm so uncomfortable, especially in emotional situations, having to say sentences that don't feel right. As an actor - or really, as any kind of person sensitive to it.
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I never consciously said, 'I want to be an actor.' It sounds stupid, but it's kind of like being a painter or something. You don't say, 'From today on I'm going to be a painter.' It's not something conscious - you've just been painting pictures all your life.
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I think actors are divided into two groups: one that wants to be an actor to become famous and rich, and the other that wants to be an actor because they have to be. I'm more in the second group.
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I think I'm a really good partner and very sensitive to the other person's feelings. I want somebody else to be comfortable, to understand about my job, and if they want to come on a set and see me work, they always can.
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I don't really care where I work, actually, because you know making a movie is like living in movie world. There's such a secluded world, and the director is the king ruling the country, and everybody's building this little town to speak in symbolism.
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I just want to be able to sit on grass as long as I want to, without anybody telling me to leave. Everything is so restricted, here, in that you actually have to stand behind a line, you can't go up the Canyon and enjoy the view.
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My background is a small town with no movie theater. So... I always pictured myself onstage. I went to acting school and learned all the skills. I left early because I did my first movie and discovered that I really loved the minimalistic work with the camera.
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Everybody is great when things are great. It's the 'not great' stuff that matters.
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I don't like actors who try to talk directors into making their part bigger and that's really lame.
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I choose my work very carefully, always for the script and the director, and I don't think that's going to change. My work is like a house. It's built on very strong poles.
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I think when I'm in love, I really am very good with calling, little faxes, and visiting and I really put a lot of effort into it. I'm really not the one that's not available because of work and I'm very sad when I actually leave.
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I always performed when I was a child. My parents got very annoyed, because my brother and I had our little bedrooms upstairs, and I would plaster the house with posters with arrows pointing upstairs.
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I said, 'Wouldn't it be great if Matt Damon's character fell in love with a girl with a real butt?' They were like, 'Yeah sure, sure - here's your personal trainer.'
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I think working with Johnny Depp was very intimidating. It was my fault though. I mean he's a total cool nice, nice guy, but I was just so, I don't know, overpowered by his presence. Like he's a very mystic person. He's older so I never really warmed up around him. I was so stiff.
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When I was a kid at first I wanted to own a candy shop. I guess every kid wants to - we just want to have access - free access.
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To give somebody your time is the biggest gift you can give.
(Summer 2012) Married her longtime boyfriend and father of her 1-year-old daughter Polly Derek Richardson.
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Gave birth to her 1st child at age 36, a daughter Polly Richardson in April 2011. Child's father is her boyfriend (now husband), Derek Richardson.
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During the shooting of Blow (2001), she was so impressed by Johnny Depp that she always blushed in his presence.
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She is of Sicilian descent.
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Wrote her first book "Los Angeles - Berlin. One Year." together with her good friend, the actor Max Urlacher 2005.
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Was director for the short movie Der die Tollkirsche ausgräbt (2006) (German title) for the first time 2005. She also wrote the script.
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Member of the 'Official Competition' jury at the 55th Berlin International Film Festival in 2005.
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1/16th Italian by descent. Her great-great-grandfather was an Italian roof-tiler, who stayed in Germany.
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1998: Named as one of European films 'Shooting Stars' by European Film Promotion.
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Number 8 in 'Neon' Magazine's list of 100 most important young Germans. (Issue 1, September 2003)
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Plays the violin and the flute.
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Speaks fluent French, English, and German.
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Has occasionally shaved off her hair after filming movies because she has wanted time to get her "real" hair back (as it is dyed or bleached so often for roles).
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Disliked the strict fitness regimen and diet that were required for The Bourne Identity (2002).
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Knows how to fence.
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In spring 2002, she broke up with longtime boyfriend Tom Tykwer.
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Tom Tykwer wrote Run Lola Run (1998) specifically for her, with the intention of casting her as Lola.
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Has a brother who is three years younger and was very sick when he was born. She says she always was very jealous on the way he was cosseted and that was why she often behaved like a clown and arranged performances to get more attention, and that this was why she decided to become an actress.
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Says she was discovered as an actress in a public restroom. She was in a bar when she noticed she was constantly stared at by some woman. She decided to leave but went to the restroom before. The woman followed her and again stared at her through the mirror. Suddenly she asked "How would you describe yourself in one sentence?". Turns out she was a casting agent.
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Graduated from high-school (German Gymnasium) in 1994.
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Her father is a teacher.
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Education: Otto Falckenberg School, Munich; Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, New York.
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Her last name "Potente" (pronounced Poe-ten-the) means "powerful" in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.
$18 Million
