Countess Alicia von Rittberg: the German actress playing Elizabeth I
The German award-winning actress Alicia von Rittberg will be Queen Elizabeth I in the new TV show “Becoming Elizabeth”. Although still 27, the German Countess has already forged an impressive career, getting her first role at the age of 7 and, a few years later, working alongside Brad Pitt in an American blockbuster.
A bit about the star of Becoming Elizabeth, Alicia von Rittberg
The talented actress was born into the aristocratic family Rittberg, which dates back to the 16th century. Nevertheless, the German Countess does not use her title professionally, as she doesn’t want to rely on her background to get a role, unlike some American duchess we all know! She started acting in the German TV show “Dingsda” when she was eight and since then, has never stopped working.
Before landing the main role as Elizabeth I, Alicia von Rittberg has had supporting roles in several TV shows as a child and starred in the series “Meine Wunderbare Familie”. After that, she was fantastic as the main character in the TV film “Romy”, in which she played one of the most famous German actresses, Romy Schneider. Then came “The Secret of the Whales”, “On the Road with Elsa”, and the much-acclaimed thriller “The Midwife”. She won, for the latter, the New Faces Award for Best Newcomer Actress.
Additionally, Alicia von Rittberg famously acted opposite Brad Pitt in 2014, in the American movie “Fury”, about the second world war. In 2017, the German actress won a Bambi Award for her role in the mini-series “Charité”. Finally, in 2019, she played the main part in the movie “Lotte am Bauhaus” and starred in the German comedy film “Rate Your Date”. Lastly, while working non-stop as an actress, Alicia still managed to study economics at the German Zeppelin University.
Becoming Elizabeth
Portraying Elizabeth I in “Becoming Elizabeth” will surely be Alicia Rittberg’s biggest role. The TV drama will follow the early years of the ruthless monarch before she ascends the throne of England.
To sum up, Elizabeth I was the daughter of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, who had his wife beheaded, leaving the three-year-old Elizabeth orphan. When he died, Elizabeth’s younger brother became king but died of tuberculosis at 15. Following the complicated political and sexual goings-on of the Tudor court in the 16th Century and the death of her half-sister Queen Mary, Elizabeth finally became queen in 1558. She famously reigned for 45 years without a husband by her side, hence her nickname, “The Virgin Queen”.
The series created by Anya Reiss has an all-female writing team and is due to air later this year; we can’t wait to see Alicia Von Rittberg performance in “Becoming Elizabeth”.
In the meantime, you may enjoy the video with some little-known facts about the future Queen of England, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Photo © Superbass / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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