Lea van Acken

Van Acken grew up in SchleswigHolstein where she still lives today in a small village As a child she was interested in horseback riding and dancing She first took the stage in 2011 as an extra in a production of Der Ölprinz at the Karl May Festival in Bad Segeberg She did not undergo formal training as an actress instead she studied other actors by watching them in films In 2014 Van Acken played the lead rolethat of the deeply religious teenager Mariain the drama Kreuzweg Stations of the Cross directed by Dietrich Brüggemann The film won a Silver Bear at the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival In Brüggemanns next film Heila satire about neoNazisVan Acken portrayed a teenager She also played a small role in Bernadette Knollers RBB television film Ferien In 2015 she appeared in a supporting role in the fifth season of the US series Homeland which was filmed entirely in Germany She also appeared in the SWR television film Sag mir nichts and in the Spreewaldkrimi installment Das Duell im Moor ZDF In the film adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank Van Acken played the title role of Anne Frank To prepare for the role of the Jewish girl who became famous through her diary she wrote fictional letters to Anne Frank For the final scenewhich takes place in a concentration campthe actress had her hair cut off to ensure an authentic portrayal