Emil Jannings

Emil Jannings (born Theodor Friedrich Emil Janenz, 23 July 1884 – 2 January 1950) was a Swiss-born German actor who was popular in Hollywood films in the 1920s. He was the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actor for starring roles in ''The Last Command'' and ''The Way of All Flesh''. As of 2025, Jannings is the only German to win in that category.

Jannings is best known for his collaborations with F. W. Murnau and Josef von Sternberg, including the 1930 film ''The Blue Angel'' (''Der blaue Engel'', with Marlene Dietrich. ''The Blue Angel'' was meant as a vehicle for Jannings to score a place for himself in the new medium of sound film, but Dietrich stole the show. Jannings later starred in a number of Nazi propaganda films, which made him unemployable as an actor after the defeat of Nazi Germany. Provided by Wikipedia