RIP: Maximilian Schell Dies Suddenly at 83

Oscar-winning actor Maximilian Schell, long considered one of the most successful European actors in American cinema, died suddenly at a hospital in Innsbruck, Austria after being stricken by a sudden illness. He was 83 years old.

Schell won an Academy Award for his second role in a Hollywood film, as defense attorney Hans Rolfe, in the classic 1961 film “Judgment at Nuremberg.” He was presented with the Oscar at the awards ceremony by veteran actress Joan Crawford.

 
In the 1970s, Schell also garnered a best actor Oscar nomination for “The Man in the Glass Booth” and a supporting actor nomination for his performance alongside Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave and Jason Robards in “Julia.”

Born in Vienna on December 8, 1930, Maximilian Schell was the third child of Swiss playwright Hermann Ferdinand Schell and Austrian stage actress Noe von Nordberg. His siblings, Maria, Carl and Immy (Immaculata) also went into acting.

By the time the 5′ 10″ actor made his Hollywood debut in “The Young Lions” in 1958, his sister, Maria, was recognized internationally after winning the best actress award at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in “The Last Bridge.”

Schell, who was also an accomplished pianist, also worked as a producer, director and writer throughout his long career. As a director, his 1984 documentary on Marlene Dietrich, “Marlene,” was nominated for a best documentary Oscar. In 1992, he was awarded a Golden Globe for his supporting role as Lenin alongside Robert Duvall in the 1992 HBO miniseries “Stalin”. He also wrote, produced and directed “Mein Schwester Maria,” a documentary about his sister, Maria,, who passed away in 2005.

Maximilian Schell was married two times. He had one daughter, Nastassja, with his first wife, Natalya Andreychenko. He is survived by his daughter and his second wife, Iva Mihanovic, his brother Carl and his sister Immy.