1. Barbara Sukowa has received three German Film Awards for Best Actress, three Bavarian Film Awards, Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, Venice Film Festival Award, as well as nominations for European Film Awards, Cesar Awards, and Grammy Awards.
Barbara Sukowa rose to prominence after starring in the West German miniseries Berlin Alexanderplatz directed by Fassbinder, and the following year went to star in his drama film Lola, for which she received her first German Film Award for Best Actress.
Also in 1981, Barbara Sukowa starred in Marianne and Juliane directed by Margarethe von Trotta.
In 1990s, Sukowa starred in a number of international films, most notable, Europa directed by Lars von Trier, Voyager by Volker Schlondorff, M Butterfly by David Cronenberg, and Johnny Mnemonic by Robert Longo.
Barbara Sukowa starred in the American television series 12 Monkeys, a remake of the 1995 film of the same name.
Barbara Sukowa worked in Frankfurt am Main and Hamburg, in collaboration with directors such as Luc Bondy, playing Marion in Buchner's Danton's Death and Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Barbara Sukowa starred in Die Jager directed by Karoly Makk, Un dimanche de flic by Michel Vianey, and Equateur by Serge Gainsbourg.
In 1985, Sukowa made her American television debut starring in the CBS miniseries Space, based on James A Michener's novel.
In 1986, Barbara Sukowa played Polish socialist Rosa Luxemburg in the biographical drama film Rosa Luxemburg directed by Margarethe von Trotta.
Barbara Sukowa received Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her performance, and well as another German Film Award for Best Actress.
Barbara Sukowa was nominated for European Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Voyager, and European Film Award for Best European Actress of the Year for Europa.
Barbara Sukowa starred in a made-for-television films Lost Souls and The Lady in Question.
Barbara Sukowa has developed a parallel career as a classical music narrator and speaker.
Barbara Sukowa has performed the Speaker's role in Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot lunaire, first with the Schoenberg Ensemble under Reinbert de Leeuw, and later with ensembles in Paris, London, Berlin, St Petersburg, Madrid, Rome, Tokyo, Salzburg, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Barbara Sukowa has performed the Speaker's role in Schoenberg's Gurrelieder with the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado, and is featured on the recordings with Abbado and the Vienna Philharmonic, and Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia.
Barbara Sukowa narrated Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf both in concert and on record, as well as on a recording of Mendelssohn's music for A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Barbara Sukowa has performed in Arthur Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au bucher and Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera.
Barbara Sukowa performed speaking and singing roles in de Leeuw's Im wunderschonen Monat Mai in 2004.
Barbara Sukowa performed the speaking role in the US premiere of Michael Jarrell's Cassandre in March 2006, and in the New York City premiere that month, with musicians from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Barbara Sukowa is the front singer of the Band the X-Patsys, which she founded with visual artists Jon Kessler and Robert Longo.
In 2004, Barbara Sukowa was a member of the jury at the 26th Moscow International Film Festival.
In 2009, Barbara Sukowa played the role of Hildegard of Bingen in 2009 drama film Vision directed by Margarethe von Trotta, receiving another Bavarian Film Award for Best Actress.
In 2012, Barbara Sukowa starred as German-Jewish philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt in the German-Luxembourgish-French biographical film Hannah Arendt directed by Margarethe von Trotta.
Barbara Sukowa received another Bavarian Film Award for Best Actress and German Film Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, and well as European Film Award for Best Actress nomination.
From 2015 to 2018, Barbara Sukowa starred as Katarina Jones in the American television series 12 Monkeys.
Barbara Sukowa continued appearing on American television guest-starring on Hunters starring Al Pacino, and had a recurring role on the Apple TV+ series Servant.
In 2019, Barbara Sukowa starred in French romance drama film Two of Us, for which she received Lumieres Award for Best Actress and Cesar Award for Best Actress nomination.
In 2022, Barbara Sukowa starred opposite Ben Kingsley in the biographical film Daliland about Salvador Dali, playing Gala Dali.
Barbara Sukowa was married to the artist and director Robert Longo, with whom she has performed as a singer.
Barbara Sukowa has three sons, one from her earlier marriage to Hans-Michael Rehberg, one from her relationship with Daniel Olbrychski, and one with Longo.