Daniel Bruhl (b. 1978) may be a fresh face to you, but has been acting since childhood.  He grew up in Barcelona, and is the son of a German father (director Hanno Bruhl) and a Spanish mother.  His low-key approach/demeanor and ambiguous (perhaps Everyman?) face made me wonder: “Where is this guy from?”

You may know Bruhl from Ladies in Lavender (where he co-starred with Judy Dench and Maggie Smith- WOW!!!), The Bourne Ultimatum and Inglorious Basterds (the Tarantino revenge film where Bruhl has a small, yet pivotal, role).  His character goes head-to-head with Michael Fassbender!  He speaks Catalan, Spanish, German, and English- all fluently (an asset for any actor).  At a film fest, I saw Bruhl in 7 Days in Havana, where he plays a suave/shady music promoter.

Last night, I went to a free pre-screening of The Fifth Estate (out October 18) starring British actor, Benedict Cumberbatch (Atonement, Sherlock, Star Trek: Into Darkness, etc.), and Bruhl.  Though it’s tough to create a compelling movie involving laptops, servers, and mussed-up hackers, I felt that BOTH actors created conflicted, multi-dimensional men (who are also real people).  The story is seen through Bruhl’s character’s eyes (cashing in on his relatable appeal, no doubt). 

Aside from The Fifth Estate, Bruhl has a co-starring role (alongside Australian Chris Hemsworth) in director Ron Howard’s historical/action film- Rush.  If only EVERY MAN looked this adorable… 

Here is an interview w/ Bruhl re: Rush.