Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor known for his intense, transformative performances in both independent and blockbuster films. Born on April 2, 1977, in Heidelberg, Germany, to a German father and an Irish mother, Fassbender moved to Killarney, Ireland, at age two and grew up there. He trained at the Drama Centre London, one of the country’s most prestigious acting schools, before beginning his career on the London stage.

Fassbender first gained widespread attention with his gripping portrayal of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands in Steve McQueen’s Hunger (2008), a physically demanding role that required him to lose a significant amount of weight. He followed this with memorable turns in Inglourious Basterds (2009), Fish Tank (2009), and Jane Eyre (2011). His collaboration with McQueen continued with Shame (2011), in which his raw performance earned him critical acclaim, and 12 Years a Slave (2013), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Fassbender received two Academy Award nominations: Best Actor for Steve Jobs (2015) and Best Supporting Actor for 12 Years a Slave (2013). He also became known to mainstream audiences through his portrayal of young Magneto in the X-Men franchise, appearing in X-Men: First Class (2011), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), and X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019). Additionally, he starred in Ridley Scott’s Alien prequels, Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017).

In recent years, Fassbender has pursued his passion for motorsport, competing in various racing series including the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He returned to acting with The Killer (2023) directed by David Fincher. Married to Swedish actress Alicia Vikander since 2017, Fassbender has built an estimated net worth of $30 million through his acting career and other ventures.