Nina Hoss was born in Stuttgart. She started acting in radio plays at the age of seven and appeared on stage for the first time at the age of fourteen.

In 1997 she graduated from the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. While pursuing an extensive and celebrated theatre career, at the Deutsches Theater Berlin, Berliner Ensemble and Schaubühne Berlin, she developed a close working relationship with the director Christian Petzold with whom she has collaborated on 6 occasions.

After having had her first big success with Bernd Eichinger’s ‚A Girl called Rosemary‘ in 1996, Petzold’s and her collaboration began. It won for her, amongst others, the German Film Award and the Berlin International Film Festival Silver bear Best Actress award for Yella. Also, with the films ‚Jerichow‘, ‚Barbara‘ and ‚Phoenix‘ she has been invited to several International Film Festivals such as Venice, Berlin, Toronto, Telluride.

Alongside her work with Petzold she has worked with directors such as Anton Corbijn ‚A most wanted man’ – starring Philip Seymour Hoffmann – Volker Schlöndorff ‚Return to Montauk‘, Henk Handloegten‚ ‚Fenster zum Sommer’; Ina Weisse ‚The Audition‘ – which won her best actress in San Sebastian – Katrin Gebbe ‚Pelican Blood‘ which had its opening in at the Venice Film Festival, Stéphanie Chuat/ Véronique Reymond ‚Little Sister’ which had its opening at the Berlinale 2020 and which is the Swiss contribution for the Oscar for the Best International Feature.

She has been a member of the main competition Juries at the festivals of Venice Filmfestival, The Berlinale, Locarno Filmfestival, Les Arcs Filmfestival. Her recent TV work was in ‚Homeland‘ and Bron Studios’ ‚Shadowplay’ directed by Måns Marlind, ‚Jack Ryan‘ and ‚Tár‘ dircted by Todd Fields. Nina Hoss is an Oscar Academy member.