Thomas Kretschmann is a German actor who has starred in several European and American films.

He is best known as Lieutenant Hans von Witzland in Stalingrad, Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in The Pianist, Hermann Fegelein in Downfall, Captain Englehorn in King Kong, Major Otto Remer in Valkyrie, Professor Z’s voice in Cars 2, and journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter in A Taxi Driver. 

As much as Kretschmann’s professional life is well-established and known, the same cannot be said for his personal life. He has kept his love life private, and not much is known about it.

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As a result, he is often questioned about his love life, with fans and followers asking if he has a wife or not. Here is all we know about it.

Does Thomas Kretschmann have a wife?

No, Kretschmann does not have a wife because he is not married. However, he has been in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Brittany Rice.

The pair have been together since 2011, and as of 2024, they have been dating for almost 13 years. Despite keeping their relationship under wraps for over a decade, the couple frequently attend events and red carpets together, displaying PDAs and falling head over heels for one other.

Thomas Kretschmann does not have a wife but a girlfriend. (Source: Instagram)

Kretschmann also often photographs his girlfriend, calling her his muse on Instagram. Even though the actor is silent about his love life now, he used to talk about Rice and their relationship in the past.

For instance, he has mentioned how Rice is the perfect stepmother to the three children, Nicolas, Stella, and Sascha, whom he shares with his former partner, Lena Roklin.

“The children basically have two homes. I go in and out of my old house without calling. It’s become really nice and easy,” he said in a 2014 interview. “My children say they have the greatest stepmom in the world with Brittany.”

Thomas Kretschmann photographed his girlfriend, Brittany Rice. (Source: Instagram)

He also toyed with the idea of making Rice his wife. He claimed that he was not hesitant to make her his wife but had not felt the need for it.

“One day, I will certainly get married,” he said. “I have one quite great girlfriend. I consider that a luxury,” he gushed.

By the looks of it, Kretschmann has not felt the need to make Rice his wife, even after dating for over 13 years. Regardless, the pair seem to be happy and content with each other.

Thomas Kretschmann’s dating history 

Apart from his current girlfriend Rice, Kretschmann has two former partners.

In 1997, he started dating his manager, Roklin. Throughout their relationship, the couple welcomed three kids — Nicolas in 1998, Stella in 1999, and Sascha in 2002.

The pair parted ways in 2009. Despite being together for 12 years, Kretschmann did not get married to Roklin and make her his wife.

He once told Penthouse magazine that he would not have been together with Roklin if it were not for the kids. According to Welt, he said, “I would certainly no longer be together with my wife if we didn’t have three children. Thanks to the offspring, you always pull yourself together. And then you quickly realize that As a result, love has grown.”

Unfortunately, Kretschmann’s children could not keep him and their mother together, and they eventually broke up in 2009. Regardless, the pair are on civil terms and co-parented their kids.

It is reported that Kretschmann and Bird only live a few blocks apart from Roklin and the children.

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Kretschmann apparently began dating Shermine Shahrivar shortly after his breakup. This claim sparked conversation around town, as they met shortly after Kretschmann and Roklin split up. 

Although Kretschmann and Shahrivar originally disputed the claims, they appeared together on the red carpet for the Bambi Awards, which confirmed the relationship rumors. Unfortunately, over a year after they began dating, Kretschmann and Shahrivar parted ways owing to their busy schedules.

Thomas Kretschmann’s career

At the age of 25, Kretschmann began his acting career, appearing in several European films and television programs, including Westler in 1985. In 1991, he was awarded the Max Ophüls Prize for Best Young Actor for his performance in Der Mitwisser. 

In 1993, he began working on Stalingrad, his first major feature picture. His performance of Alfredo Grossi in Dario Argento’s The Stendhal Syndrome received international recognition.

While he was well-known in his own country, Hollywood caught notice of him only until he starred as Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in Roman Polanski’s The Pianist in 2002. Since then, he’s regularly portrayed military personnel in films set during the Third Reich.

Notable performances include Hermann Fegelein in Downfall and Major Otto Ernst Remer in Valkyrie. He also played Adolf Eichmann in a biographical film released in 2007.

Kretschmann made his American television debut in 2003, first as a guest in 24 and then in Relic Hunter. In 2004, he played Timothy Cain in Resident Evil: Apocalypse and appeared in the revolutionary French thriller Immortal. 

In 2005, he landed a role in Peter Jackson’s King Kong remake, reuniting with Adrien Brody, his co-star from The Pianist. The next year, Kretschmann received accolades for his role in Butterfly: A Grimm Love Story, a psychological thriller based on the Armin Meiwes cannibalism case. 

He won Best Actor at the 2006 Festival de Cine de Sitges, sharing the award with co-star Thomas Huber. He also won the Best Actor prize alongside Huber at the 2007 Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival.

In 2008, he was cast as Johann Krauss in Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army, but the character was eventually given to Seth MacFarlane owing to creative disagreements. That same year, he starred in Wanted opposite Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy.

In 2009, he appeared as King Leopold I of Belgium in the British film The Young Victoria. The following year, he returned to Germany as a guest star in the romantic comedy Rabbit Without Ears 2, before heading to Malaysia to film parts for the German movie Jungle Child. 

In addition, he provided his voice for the Pixar film Cars 2 and acted as Captain Kurt Brynildson in the ABC series The River from 2011 to 2012. Kretschmann signed a multi-film contract with Marvel Studios to play Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, and he appeared in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron. 

He frequently re-records his own portions for German dubs of his film appearances and has also worked as a fashion model, most notably as the face of a Hugo Boss perfume.