Vicky Krieps Biography, Height, Weight, Age, Size, Family, Phantom Thread, Movies & Facts

Vicky Krieps is a Luxembourgish-German actress who quietly became one of the most compelling voices in international cinema. Best known for her breakout role opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread (2017), she has since built a reputation for fearless, emotionally raw performances in films like Corsage, Old, and The Dead Don’t Hurt. Splitting her time between Berlin and film sets around the world, Krieps continues to choose challenging, unconventional roles that defy Hollywood norms.

Quick Facts

Early Life & Education

Vicky Krieps was born on October 4, 1983, in Hesperange, a commune near Luxembourg City . She grew up in a culturally rich environment; her father, Bob Krieps, managed a film distribution company and later served as Director General of the Luxembourg Ministry of Culture and president of the Luxembourg Film Fund . Her paternal grandfather, Robert Krieps, was a prominent Luxembourgish politician and a member of the Luxembourg Resistance during World War II .

Krieps discovered acting at the Lycée de Garçons de Luxembourg and continued her training at the Conservatoire de Luxembourg . Rather than enrolling immediately in drama school, she spent a year working on a social project at a primary school in a South African township. That experience deepened her resolve to pursue acting, and she later enrolled at the Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland, where she also gained stage experience at the Schauspielhaus Zürich .

Career Journey

Early Roles and European Cinema

Krieps made her screen debut in the 2009 film House of Boys and quickly built a résumé across European productions . She appeared in Joe Wright’s action thriller Hanna (2011), Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous (2011), and the German Oscar entry Two Lives (2012) . She also took on supporting roles in Anton Corbijn’s A Most Wanted Man (2014) and the historical thriller Colonia (2015) alongside Emma Watson .

Her first leading role came in The Chambermaid Lynn (2014), a performance that caught the attention of casting directors beyond Europe .

Breakthrough: Phantom Thread

Krieps became an international name when Paul Thomas Anderson cast her as Alma, the stubborn, enigmatic love interest of a obsessive fashion designer in Phantom Thread (2017) . Acting opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in what was billed as his final role, Krieps delivered a performance that critics called mesmerizing and held its own against one of cinema’s most celebrated actors . The film earned six Academy Award nominations and launched her into the Hollywood spotlight.

Despite the film’s success, Krieps later admitted she felt overwhelmed by the Oscar campaign machinery. She famously said she lit a candle every day hoping not to receive a nomination, viewing the frenzy as “poison” .

Leading Lady and Global Recognition

After Phantom Thread, Krieps expanded her range across genres and languages. She starred in The Girl in the Spider’s Web (2018), The Last Vermeer (2019), and M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller Old (2021) . She also delivered acclaimed performances in Mia Hansen-Løve’s Bergman Island (2021) and Mathieu Amalric’s Hold Me Tight (2021), the latter of which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival .

In 2022, Krieps reached a career high point with Corsage, in which she portrayed Empress Elisabeth of Austria. She also served as an executive producer on the film. Her performance won the Un Certain Regard Best Performance Prize at Cannes and the European Film Award for Best Actress . For this campaign, she reversed her earlier stance and actively pursued awards recognition, hiring an American PR team to support the film .

Recent and Upcoming Projects

Krieps joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2023 . Recent credits include Ingeborg Bachmann – Journey into the Desert (2023), The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan and Milady (2023) as Anne of Austria, and Viggo Mortensen’s western The Dead Don’t Hurt (2023) .

In 2025, she appeared in Jim Jarmusch’s triptych Father Mother Sister Brother, the Netflix series Monster as Ilse Koch, and the literary adaptation Love Me Tender . She also starred in Hot Milk, based on the Deborah Levy novel—a project that would unexpectedly change her personal life .

Career Stats

• Total Film & TV Credits: 70+ (as of 2026)
• Awards: 19 wins, 24 nominations (per IMDb)
• Breakthrough Role: Phantom Thread (2017)
• Notable Awards: European Film Award for Best Actress; Cannes Un Certain Regard Best Performance Prize
• Academy Membership: Member since 2023

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Krieps was previously in a long-term relationship with German actor Jonas Laux. The couple has two children: a daughter, Elisa (born 2011), and a son, Jan-Noah (born 2015) . After their separation, Krieps maintained a close, friendship-based co-parenting relationship with Laux .

In 2023, while filming Hot Milk in Greece, Krieps met Lazaros Gounaridis, a Greek film production assistant . The two married in May 2025 in a private ceremony near Gounaridis’s parents’ holiday home in Chalkidiki, Greece, with her children present . Krieps wore a rose-covered Vivienne Westwood gown for the occasion, paired with a flower crown instead of a veil .

Life in Berlin

Krieps moved to Berlin in her early twenties and has maintained the city as her home base ever since . She values the distance it provides from the Hollywood spotlight, which she has described as overwhelming and “cutting” to a sensitive person .

Motherhood and Philosophy

Krieps has spoken openly about rejecting traditional expectations of motherhood. She prefers to be a “friend” to her children rather than an authority figure, a choice she admits draws criticism . She has also described herself as financially unstable at times, “hustling” between projects while raising her kids .

Controversies

In April 2021, Krieps participated in the German-language video campaign #allesdichtmachen (“close everything down”), in which actors satirized Germany’s COVID-19 protective measures . Her video suggested that acting helped her cope with a fear of people. The campaign was widely criticized as tasteless and insensitive, given the pandemic death toll, and was embraced by some far-right and COVID-denier groups . Krieps did not publicly address the backlash in depth.

Awards & Achievements

• European Film Award for Best Actress — Corsage (2022)
• Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard Best Performance Prize — Corsage (2022)
• Member, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2023)
• César Award Nominee — Best Actress recognition in French cinema
• Luxembourg Film Prize Young Newcomer Award — Early career honor
• 19 total wins and 24 nominations across international film festivals and critics associations

Physical Statistics

Quotes

“I think we can dare to speak of what’s really going on.”
— Another Magazine, 2026

“I do it for the audience. I do it because I know this is the only way I can carry something that is so truthful, that is so pure, that the audience can actually take it.”
— The Talks, 2024

“Being, not acting… like taking off skin after skin.”
— On her acting method, Another Magazine, 2026

Favorites

• Fashion Designer: Vivienne Westwood (wore her design for her wedding)
• Home Base: Berlin, Germany
• Vacation Spot: Northern Greece (her husband’s family home)
• Acting Method: Improvisational, instinct-based preparation
• Skills: Accordion playing, fencing (listed on her early CV)

Earnings

Exact salary and net worth figures for Vicky Krieps are not publicly disclosed. Her income derives from film acting fees, producing credits (including Corsage), and select endorsements. While she has starred in major studio releases like Phantom Thread and Old, she has largely avoided blockbuster paychecks in favor of independent and European arthouse projects. She has candidly described experiencing financial insecurity while balancing an acting career with single motherhood .

Interesting Facts

• Krieps wrote and directed her first play, Kopf Ab (Off with Your Head), during her final year at drama school; it starred her own mother .
• She was told at age 25 that having a child would end her acting career; she later said she wanted to “prove them wrong” .
• She shaved her head for Love Me Tender (2025) off-camera, calling the experience emotionally raw and revelatory .
• She pulled back from Hollywood after Phantom Thread to raise her children and protect her artistic integrity, citing photographer Bill Cunningham’s quote: “If you don’t take their money, they won’t tell you what to do” .
• Every full-time faculty member at Notre Dame Law School signed a letter endorsing Amy Coney Barrett’s 2017 nomination—this fact does not apply to Krieps and is irrelevant here.

Did You Know Already?

• Krieps met her husband on the set of Hot Milk in Greece; dolphins reportedly appeared during their beach wedding .
• She called herself “the biggest star of her country” in a 2021 Hollywood Reporter interview .
• For Phantom Thread, she was so unsettled by Oscar campaigning that she actively hoped not to be nominated .
• She is the granddaughter of a World War II resistance fighter who later became a Luxembourgish politician .

Social Media Links

Vicky Krieps maintains a minimal public social media presence. Verified updates and professional information can be found through:

• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3043279/
• Instagram: Occasional posts via private or semi-private accounts (no major verified public profile confirmed as of 2026)
• Academy Profile: https://www.oscars.org

Note: Krieps does not operate a public Twitter/X, Facebook, or YouTube channel.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Vicky Krieps?
Vicky Krieps was born on October 4, 1983, making her 42 years old as of 2026.

What is Vicky Krieps famous for?
She is best known for her role as Alma in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread (2017) opposite Daniel Day-Lewis, and for her award-winning performance as Empress Elisabeth in Corsage (2022).

Who is Vicky Krieps married to?
She married Greek film production assistant Lazaros Gounaridis in May 2025. They met while filming Hot Milk in Greece.

Does Vicky Krieps have children?
Yes, she has two children—a daughter, Elisa (born 2011), and a son, Jan-Noah (born 2015)—with her former partner, actor Jonas Laux.

Where is Vicky Krieps from?
She was born in Hesperange, Luxembourg, and holds Luxembourgish-German nationality. She has lived in Berlin, Germany, since her early twenties.

What awards has Vicky Krieps won?
She won the European Film Award for Best Actress and the Cannes Un Certain Regard Best Performance Prize for Corsage (2022).

Conclusion

Vicky Krieps has carved out a rare path in modern cinema—one defined by artistic courage, emotional transparency, and a stubborn refusal to play by Hollywood’s rules. From her explosive introduction in Phantom Thread to her deeply personal triumph in Corsage, she continues to prove that vulnerability is her greatest strength. Now married and entering a new chapter in her forties, Krieps remains one of Europe’s most vital and unpredictable screen talents.

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