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Photo of Helena Zengel

Helena Zengel

ActorBorn June 10, 2008 (17 years)
Helena Zengel is a German actress. She is best known for her roles in the films System Crasher (2019) and News of the World (2020).

After System Crasher won a number of international awards, Zengel was cast by Universal Pictures to play a leading role in the American Western film News of the World directed by the British film director Paul Greengrass, which was her first international film. In this adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Canadian-American writer Paulette Jiles, which starred Tom Hanks as Captain Jefferson Kidd, Zengel stars as a 10-year-old German orphan named Johanna Leonberger who was raised by the Kiowa; most of her performance is in the Kiowa language. For her performance, Zengel received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Zengel also dubbed herself in the Italian, German, French and Spanish versions; the dubbing is limited to the lines she spoke in English.

Known For

  • News of the World
  • System Crasher
  • The Legend of Ochi
  • The Therapy
  • A Christmas Number One
  • Dark Blue Girl
  • Transamazonia

Featured Videos

    Filmography

    2025
    2024
    Transamazonia · as Rebecca Byrne
    2023
    The Therapy (TV Series) · as Josy Larenz
    2023
    INTIMATE. (TV Series) · as Nyla
    2022
    The U.S. and the Holocaust (TV Series) · as Cast
    2021
    A Christmas Number One · as Nina Cutter
    2020
    News of the World · as Johanna Leonberger
    2019
    System Crasher · as Benni
    2017
    Der gute Bulle · as Fabienne
    2017
    Dark Blue Girl · as Luca
    2016
    Looping · as Lilly
    2016
    Die Spezialisten - Im Namen der Opfer (TV Series) · as Lilly Weyer
    2006
    Spreewaldkrimi (TV Series) · as Johanna (age 5)
    2004
    Inga Lindström (TV Series) · as Milla

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