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Karin Ugowski is a German actress known for her work in film, theater, voice acting, narration, and film production, as well as her dedication to promoting art and culture. Her career spans numerous countries, including the UK, France, Italy, Israel, Russia, Hungary, Poland, Spain, the US, and Germany, with a vast array of contributions to theater and cinema. Recognized as one of the few visually distinctive and exceptional actresses in her age group in Germany today, she recently appeared as the protagonist’s mother in the Academy Award-nominated international film Foxtrot (2017).
During her acting studies, Ugowski gained widespread recognition for her lively and cheerful portrayals of princess roles in German classic fairy-tale films of the early 1960s, such as Frau Holle (1963, "Mother Holly"), Die goldene Gans (1964, "The Golden Goose"), and König Drosselbart (1965, "King Thrushbeard"), co-starring with German cult actor Manfred Krug while still very young. Her early film roles embodied the ideal of youthful female beauty in 1960s Germany, often portraying shy yet confident characters. She quickly rose to stardom and built a devoted fan base for these enduring classics, which continue to be frequently broadcast on German television.
In the 1970s, Ugowski expanded her range by appearing in early science fiction films like Signals: A Space Adventure (1970) and historical features including the spy thriller Das unsichtbare Visier (1973, "The Invisible Visor"), co-starring a young Armin Mueller-Stahl, now regarded as a cult classic. She also played a villainous white farmer’s daughter in the German adaptation of the American Indian legend Osceola (1971) and appeared in early episodes of the German TV crime series Polizeiruf 110 (1971, "Police Call 110"), where she portrayed one of the first female police detectives and inspectors alongside Sigrid Göhler. These complex roles marked a departure from her princess image, showcasing her versatility—a trait she continued to display, such as in the 2005 short film Open by director Charlotte Siebenrock, where she transformed from a frustrated canteen kitchen porter into a radiant and lively woman within minutes.
Ugowski’s passion for theater developed alongside her film career, particularly in experimental and political theater, which she saw as a force for change during Germany’s turbulent times. As a permanent member of the Volksbühne Berlin ensemble, she collaborated with influential figures like Benno Besson, Heiner Müller, and later Frank Castorf, Kresnik, Haussmann, and Christoph Schlingensief, performing worldwide.
Throughout recent decades, Ugowski has actively supported art and cultural initiatives in Northern Germany. Together with her husband, painter and graphic artist Guenter Horn, she has organized an annual exhibition festival to promote graphic artists in the region. She gained renewed attention for her supporting role as the mother in Samuel Maoz’s international film Foxtrot (2017), a follow-up to his acclaimed Lebanon (2009), which was slated for screenings at Cannes and the Viennale in 2017/18.
Overall, Karin Ugowski has participated in over 80 theater productions and more than 150 film and television projects. Known for her critical stance toward the political system, she has consistently engaged in political theater and readings. Since 2006, she has been an active member of the German Film Academy and serves on the jury for the German film award (LOLA).
Private life:
Karin Ugowski maintained a long friendship with author Peter Brasch, who dedicated a book of poetry to her and adapted "The Golden Goose" into an audio drama in 1989, inspired by her role as Princess Roswitha in the classic film. Brasch passed away in 2001; he was the brother of the well-known author and director Thomas Brasch.
Her surname, Ugowski, comes from her first marriage to Addi Ugowski, an early cultural office representative and later artist, during the period when she first gained recognition in the 1960s. Their son, Joerg Ugowski, was born during this time. She retained the name after their divorce due to its professional recognition.
In the 1970s, she had a long-term relationship with actor and renowned theater director Helmut Straßburger, whom she met through theater collaborations. They had a son, Sebastian Ugovsky-Strassburger, an author, theater and filmmaker, composer, and artist, often credited as Sebastian Ugovsky or Gilmano.
Since 1993, she has been married to graphic artist and painter Guenter Horn, the last living protégé of the famed painter Otto Nagel.
