This is a list of notable German actors from 1895, the year of the first public showing of a motion picture by the Lumière brothers, to the present. Actors are listed in the period in which their film careers began and the careers of most spanned more than just one period. The list currently includes actors that appear in German movies, including those of foreign origin. For the periods corresponding to the era when Germany was divided the list is split into two categories: BRD for West German actors and DEFA for East German actors.