Despite all the love/hate Prometheus is getting, most reviewers agree on one thing: Michael Fassbender was awesome in it. Enough reason for me to shine a light on his career in this new installment of “The Many Faces of…”.
Fassbender was born in Heidelberg, Germany (his father is German, his mother Irish). He speaks German fluently. His parents moved to Ireland when he was 2 where his father was a chef. Fassbender served as an altar boy and had the keys to the church. He had a fascination with Star Wars and collected the toys when growing up.
He attended St. Brendan’s College. When he was 17 he still didn’t know what he wanted to do. He thought about being a guitarist, an architect or a journalist, but ended up acting. He was in a school play as one of Cinderella’s stepsisters. He followed some drama classes and got into contact with the guy running it who started a company where he acted. He later was inspired by Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and performed in a stage version of it. He was recommended to the Drama Centre London. After finishing it he went on tour with the Oxford Stage Company.
His first work on TV was in Hearts and Bones and the Spielberg produced Band of Brothers series. He kept doing a lot of TV shows and slowly started doing movies as well. He appeared in 300, starred in Hunger, X-Men and worked with Tarantino in Inglourious Basterds and has shown he’s a very talented actor.
With a lot of great roles it is difficult to pick a favorite, but having seen Prometheus so recently I really can’t choose another role at the moment.
What’s your favorite Michael Fassbender role?
Prometheus or Hunger for me.
Still have not seen Hunger, but I imagine it’s a difficult one to see….
Fassing my Benders!! He seems to be bloody everywhere now!
Or is he Bending your Fasses?
Hahaha…
The guy is awesome in every film I’ve seen. My favorite performances of his are in X-Men: First Class and Prometheus, but I reckon his Best performances are in Hunger and Shame.
Yeah, he really is. He’s great in X-Men indeed! Shame was great as well…
I haven’t seen Prometheus yet (hopefully going later on today) but my favourite role of Fassbender’s is an easy pick for me. The British film Fishtank is one of my favourite films I have ever seen and the character that Fassbender plays in that is the best I have seen him. He brings so many layers of the character to the forefront with his acting skills, it was the first time I had seen him in anything and have been a fan of him ever since. If you haven’t seen Fishtank I strongly recommend it!
Great post.
Hope you’ll like it! Have not seen Fishtank, with your recommendation though I’ll try to see it.
He’s an excellent actor. While I’m still yet to see the one film everyone talks about him for, Shame, I’ve loved him in X-Men and Prometheus. Particularly X-Men – was a big ask for him to take on Ian McKellen’s portrayal of Magneto. He did good work!
Yeah, there is a reason everyone talks about it. He did a great job, really managing to forget Ian McKellen’s performance…
Such a fantastic actor, one that will definetly only become better with future roles. His work in Shame, Hunger and Prometheus is incredible and he brings so much charisma to every single movie he is in. Definetly one of my favorites.
He seems to get better each time indeed!
Great actor with already so many memorable turns. I guess I would have to go back to Inglourious Basterds even though it was a fairly small role.
Yeah, it was a very small role, but he was great in it.
Jane Eyre, Hunger, Shame
Only have seen Shame out of those films…
Fassbender is the man. He has impressed me in everything I have seen him in, and he was the biggest highlight of Prometheus’ star-studded cast. He certainly has a bright future ahead of him.
Yeah, such a great actor…sure he’ll earn Oscars in the future…
i feel michael fassbender is the most versatile actor at present. i;ve enjoyed him even before i knew who he was. my favorite roleto date, which you did no mention in your overview of him, is the film and character “The Dangerous Method” as Dr. Carl Jung. he was brilliiant and so was the film.yes, they could have spent more in depth time with Freud and Jung but i was thorougly moved by this film. what disappointed me was that this film wasn’t given the recognition it deserved. as well as some honors & nominations for michael for an Oscar &/or GG. jmho.
A Dangerous Method is in the pictures overview. I personally did not really like it, but that’s the beauty of films, everyone can have their own opionion about it.
Reblogged this on the secret keeper and commented:
i feel michael fassbender is the most versatile actor at present. i;ve enjoyed him even before i knew who he was. my favorite role to date, which you did not mention in your overview of him, is the film and character “The Dangerous Method” as Dr. Carl Jung. he was brilliiant and so was the film.yes, they could have spent more in depth time with Freud and Jung but i was thorougly moved by this film. what disappointed me was that this film wasn’t given the recognition it deserved. as well as some honors & nominations for michael for an Oscar &/or Goden Globe. jmho
i’ve seen Inglorious Bastards, which i thought if it hadn’t been such a serious subject matter, i would have labeled this a comedic drama. the nazis were crazy, not just b/c nazis are crazy. the lead role of nazis was.off the wall insane, bordering on insanely hysterical. the subject matter kept one from LMFAO. Prometheus, i have postd something about this film twice on my blog. i am a fan of Alien(s) & Ripley. the first film sacred the sh@t out of me. the trailer of Prometheus makes m feel it will do th same and michael’s role & his preparation for it makes me very curious how he will carry off being a HAL like robot and unlike Ian Holms. I don’t think you mentioned Shame in your overview either. that film is a curious film about a sex addict who i played by michael in such a physically open fashion. i watched in amazement how natural he acted doing full frontal nudity. the sex was so casual. then his world fell apart gradually. let’s just say his privacy was invaded upon. what that can do to someone with an outgoing sex life with self and others. michael’s performance in Shame was remarkable. if you have the guts to see this and can get past your own shame for watching a film with this particular subject of sex addiction it is worth your time to see an excellent performance. choose carefully who you watch this film with, if you are easily embarrassed, i would suggest watching it alone or with someone with whom you are intimately involved. it is a rather sexy sexy film. great screenplay though & as i said, great performances. jennifer.
Thanks for your amazing comment!
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For me he completely popped out of nowhere and I have liked every role he plays.
So since I am a nerd, I will go for Magneto 😀
Same for me, lately he really managed to make a name for himself.
Fassy’s career is on fire right now, good for him. I’d say my fave role so far are Magneto and Inglourious Basterds, I’d have said Rochester but no, his performance leaves me wanting, can’t quite hold a candle to my all time fave Rochester that’s in BBC’s 1983 version. He’s fantastic in Prometheus but not exactly a favorite.
Great choices!
He is definitely a personal fave of mine.
(excluding his turn in Prometheus)
Hunger was mesmerizing (not to be rewatched – too intense). LOVED Shame. Fish Tank was good too. He was such a creep and charming at the same time.
One of his more interesting turns for me is a role from TV, not film – “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking” in which he was not all that he presented himself to be. Oh yeah and he was hot as Azazeal in Hex. Good first series – crappy second series.
Cannot wait for Twelve Years a Slave!
You are not the only one. I think hunger might be too intense for me, so I have not seen it yet.
I saw one day you should garner the ‘strength’ to see it. It will be well worth your while.
(Hit POST TOO SOON)
I saw one day you should garner the ‘strength’ to see it. It will be well worth your while. But not to be repeated. 🙂
Alright, will try to do so then…
I haven’t seen all of his work, including Shame, but if I had to choose from the ones I have seen I would go with Haywire. It’s a very cunning and devious character that borderlines on Bond and I think he did great with the little screen time he had.
He didn’t have a big role in that, but he was good.
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