The Tattooist of Auschwitz Cast & Character Guide

May 1, 2024, 5:30 p.m.

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The Tattooist of Auschwitz Cast & Character Guide

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Summary The talented cast of The Tattooist of Auschwitz brings a harrowing yet beautiful love story to life in the midst of unimaginable horrors.

The show skillfully weaves between past and present, following Lali Sokolov's recounting of his time in Auschwitz and his enduring love for Gita.

While the main focus is on Lali and Gita's story, the supporting cast of lesser-known actors also contribute significantly to the show's impact.

The new Peacock historical drama The Tattooist of Auschwitz features a harrowing look at a beautiful romance that flourished in one of the most unforgiving places imaginable, and the show's profound impact is due in large part to the work of its talented cast. Based on the 2018 novel of the same name, The Tattooist of Auschwitz follows a Slovakian Jew named Lali Sokolov, who meets the love of his life in the Auschwitz concentration camp during WWII. The show chronicles Lali and his beloved Gita's struggle to stay alive in the camp as their relationship blossoms.

The majority of the action in The Tattooist of Auschwitz takes place between 1942-1945, but it is told through the eyes of Lali Sokolov between 2003-2006. This necessitated the casting of a younger and older version of Lali Sokolov. The rest of the cast consists of a talented group of actors and actresses, many of whom have had limited exposure in North America. Each plays an essential role in bringing the horrors of a concentration camp to life, and underscoring the undying embers of hope inspired by the love story at the center of The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz Character Played By Lali Sokolov Harvey Keitel Young Lali Sokolov Jonah Hauer-King Gita Fuhrmannova Anna Próchniak Heather Morris Melanie Lynskey Jonas Nay Stefan Baretzki

Related 10 Best Movies About The Holocaust The holocaust is an incredibly difficult subject, but there have been some beautiful, haunting, and moving films made about it.

Harvey Keitel as Lali Sokolov

Active since: 1966

Actor: The iconic Harvey Keitel was born in New York City in 1939, and since making his acting debut in 1966 in episodes of Hogan's Heroes and Dark Shadows he has achieved legendary status as an Oscar and Golden Globe nominee. Keitel broke out as Charlie Cappa in 1973's classic crime drama Mean Streets and has since gone on to establish himself as one of the most prolific and talented supporting actors of the last half century. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 1991's Bugsy, and has collected more than 20 acting award nominations over his long career.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Title Year Role Mean Streets 1973 Charlie Cappa Taxi Driver 1976 Charles "Sport" Rain Bugsy 1991 Mickey Cohen Reservoir Dogs 1992 Mr. White National Treasure 2004 FBI Agent Sadusky

Character: Keitel plays the older version of Lali Sokolov, the eponymous tattooist of Auschwitz. The story that plays out in The Tattooist of Auschwitz is Lali's retelling of the events to the aspiring writer Heather Morris, which comprise the lengthy flashbacks that make up the bulk of the show. The older Lali is still plagued by visions of his time in the camps, who often act as the voice of his own conscience as he omits or includes certain details in his conversations with Heather.

Harvey Keitel has famously worked with some of Hollywood's greatest minds in their directorial debuts, including Martin Scorsese (Who's That Knocking at My Door?), Ridley Scott (The Duelists), Paul Schrader (Blue Collar), and Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs).

Jonah Hauer-King as Young Lali Sokolov

Active since: 2014

Actor: Born in London, England, Jonah Hauer-King is a rising star in Hollywood and the world at large. He broke out in 2017's The Last Photograph, starring alongside the film's director Danny Huston, and has since begun to gain more significant roles. He is most famous for his portrayal of Prince Eric in Disney's 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. In addition to his starring role in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Hauer-King is slated to have a main role in the 15th season of Doctor Who in 2025.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Title Year Role The Last Photograph 2017 Luke Hammond Little Women 2017 Laurie Laurence A Dog's Way Home 2019 Lucas The Little Mermaid 2023 Prince Eric World on Fire 2019-2024 Harry Chase

Character: Hauer-King portrays the younger version of Lali Sokolov in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. He is the Lali Sokolov shown in all the older version's flashbacks, which largely take place between 1942 and 1945 but extend as late as 1960. The younger version of Lali that Hauer-King embodies was 26 at the time of his imprisonment at Auschwitz, which aligns almost exactly with the actor's real age.

Anna Próchniak as Gita Fuhrmannova

Active since: 2010

Actor: Born in Lublin, Poland, Anna Próchniak has had limited exposure in Hollywood but has been a key cast member in several major European films in her time as an actress. Her first major role came in 2014's Warsaw '44, which chronicled the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 during the German occupation of Poland. Since then, the Polish actress has appeared in a number of European film festival darlings, including The Innocents, Bad Day For the Cut, and Oleg.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Title Year Role Warsaw '44 2014 Kama The Innocents 2016 Zofia Bad Day For the Cut 2017 Kaja Baptiste 2019 Natalie Rose Oleg 2019 Małgosia

Character: Próchniak portrays Lali Sokolov's beloved Gita, a fellow prisoner he falls in love with immediately as he is forced to tattoo her upon her entry into Auschwitz. Gita inspires hope in those around her, as she chooses to find the good things that occur around her, even in a place like Auschwitz where some of the worst things imaginable occur on a daily basis. While both Hauer-King and Keitel play different versions of Lali Sokolov in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Próchniak is the only actress to portray Gita in the show, as the older version of Gita passed away before Heather Morris began speaking with the older Lali.

Melanie Lynskey as Heather Morris

Active since: 1994

Actor: Born in New Plymouth, New Zealand, Melanie Lynskey made her acting debut at the age of 15, when she broke out in Peter Jackson's 1994 Academy Award-nominated drama Heavenly Creatures. Over the last 30+ years she has largely acted in independent movies and television, although she does have some supporting roles in major Hollywood movies and TV shows as well. Lynskey has three Primetime Emmy Award nominations to her credit, and has most recently been seen in major roles in Yellowjackets and The Last of Us.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Title Year Role Heavenly Creatures 1994 Pauline Parker Two and a Half Men 2003-2015 Rose Hello I Must Be Going 2012 Amy Togetherness 2015-2016 Michelle Pierson Yellowjackets 2021-current Shauna

Character: Lynskey plays Heather Morris, the nurse and aspiring writer who Lali Sokolov agrees to tell his story to so that she might write it down for him and share it with the world. The real Heather Morris is the New Zealand novelist responsible for writing the novel upon which The Tattooist of Auschwitz TV series is based. In the show, Morris is at times overwhelmed by the gravity of what Lali describes, but she urges him to continue to tell his story and fights to share it with the world after his passing.

Although she uses her native New Zealand accent as novelist Heather Morris in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Lynskey famously has an exceptional command of American accents, which has helped throughout her prolific career as a character actor.

Jonas Nay as Stefan Baretzki

Active since: 2005

Actor: Born in Lübeck, Germany, Jonas Nay has spent most of his career as a German TV actor, and has accrued a number of accolades starring in both TV shows and TV movies. He first broke out in the German film Hirngespinster, for which he received a Bavarian Film Award, and achieved international recognition as Martin Rauch in the German-language Cold War spy thriller series Deutschland 83, along with its two sequel series.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Title Year Role Heavenly Creatures 1994 Pauline Parker Two and a Half Men 2003-2015 Rose Hello I Must Be Going 2012 Amy Togetherness 2015-2016 Michelle Pierson Yellowjackets 2021-current Shauna

Character: Nay plays the sadistic Nazi SS guard Stefan Baretzki. In The Tattooist of Auschwitz he plays a significant role in the communication between Lali and Gita, having taken a liking to Lali despite his Jewish heritage. While he does help their relationship develop, he is still clearly shown to be a sadistic, cruel man capable of some of the most horrific crimes known to man.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz's Supporting Cast & Characters

The supporting cast is exceptional despite not including any major stars

Mili Eshet as Ivana: Mili Eshet, who plays Ivana, Gita's closest friend in the camp, has very few acting credits to her name despite her acting career beginning in 2008. Her largest role was as a recurring character in the popular Israel TV series Sovietzka.

Avital Lvova as Marta: Avital Lvova plays Marta, the sometimes brutal overseer of Gita's barracks (despite being a prisoner herself) who secretly helps Gita and Lali meet in her room at great personal risk. Lvova has several video game voice acting credits, and most recently had a small role as Ramanujan in Netflix's sci-fi epic series 3 Body Problem.

Frederik von Lüttichau as Josef Houstek: Frederik von Lüttichau plays Josef Houstek, one of the primary Nazi SS officers at Auschwitz. He is most well-known for his role in the German horror mystery movie Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes.

Olivia Popica as Nadya: Olivia Popica plays Nadya, the young mother that Lali befriends from the gypsy camp at Auschwitz. She has had several prominent TV roles, most recently including the Apple TV+ drama thriller series Liaison.

Adam Karst as Pepan: Adam Karst plays Pepan, the prisoner who is the head tattooist at Auschwitz who first offers Lali the job as a means to stay alive. Karst's most significant recent role was in The Equalizer 2, and he also had a recurring role in FX's Snowfall.

Phénix Brossard as Leon: Phénix Brossard plays Leon, the young prisoner who Lali takes under his wing as a tattooist, and who is later experimented on by the SS due to his homosexuality. The French actor is best-known for his starring role in 2015's romantic drama Departure.