Michael Fassbender has a commanding screen presence that makes him a delight to watch for many movie audiences. Besides his unique last name, Fassbender is known for his deep, calm voice and for playing deeply-flawed antihero and villain roles. He also loves playing the titular character of several films he has starred in. With most of his acting credit in film, Fassbender is more of a film actor than in television.
Although born in Heidelberg, West Germany, on April 2, 1977, Fassbender is an Irish actor born to an Irish mother and a German father. His family moved to Killarney, Ireland, when he was 2 years old, spending his growing years in the country and occasionally spending summer holidays in Germany. Of his numerous successive roles in film, Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto in the X-Men film series stands out. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about X-Men‘s Michael Fassbender.
1. The Movies You Know Michael Fassbender From
Michael Fassbender has starred in several successful box office movies every decade since his debut in 2000. Making his film debut with Zack Snyder’s 300 (2007), Fassbender played the role of the young skilled Spartan soldier, Stelios. He also played Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 war film Inglourious Basterds. In the 2010s, Fassbender played Quintus Dias in Centurion (2010), David8 in Prometheus (2012), Edwin Epps in 12 Years a Slave (2013), Macbeth in Macbeth (2015), and Harry Hole in The Snowman (2017).
Fassbender has soon-to-be-released movies in the first half of the 2020s. Between all of these, he first played Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto in the prequel to the original X-Men franchise, X-Men: First Class (2011). Fassbender reprised the role for three sequels in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), and X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019).
2. How Michael Fassbender Got Started In Acting
Growing up, acting wasn’t necessarily a career choice for Michael Fassbender. However, all that changed after he was cast in a play when he was 17. Not only did he fall in love with acting, he was certain it was a career he wanted to take on professionally. Two years after performing in his first play, Fassbender went to London to study at Drama Centre London.
With his passion for acting overshadowing that of studying, Fassbender dropped out of Drama Centre London and began touring with the Oxford Stage Company. During the company’s tour, Fassbender was part of the cast of Anton Chekhov’s play, Three Sisters. It became Fassbender’s long road to success and fame as an actor.
3. Michael Fassbender’s Work Before Becoming An Actor
Although Michael Fassbender had the needed skills as an actor, he soon discovered the industry was competitive. Finding steady work and roles took more time and effort than he had thought. To make ends meet, Fassbender worked odd jobs in London. Fassbender once worked as a bartender, manual laborer, postman, and market researcher for the Royal Mail. At one point, he secured a job with Dell as an employee.
4. Michael Fassbender’s Breakthrough Role
Although Zack Snyder’s 300 (2007) gave Michael Fassbender a certain level of recognition as an actor, it was his portrayal of Bobby Sands in Hunger (2008). It became Fassbender’s first of several works with director Steve McQueen. Fassbender committed to 600 calories a day, eating nuts, berries, and sardines to lose 33 pounds for the role. It all paid off in the end, with Fassbender getting more prominent roles and receiving praise and an award for his performance.
5. Other Movies Michael Fassbender Was In
In between Michael Fassbender’s super-successful movies, the actor starred in several moderately popular and successful ones. In the Western superhero movie Jonah Hex (2010), Fassbender played the psychopathic, tattooed, bowler hat-wearing Burke. He also played the lead role as Brandon Sullivan in another Steve McQueen movie, Shame (2011). Other appearances include playing Steve Jobs in Steve Jobs (2015) and Callum Lynch/Aguilar de Nerha in Assassin’s Creed (2016).
6. TV Shows Michael Fassbender Was In
Michael Fassbender’s first appearance on screen was in a television role. He debuted playing Burton Christenson in Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg’s war drama miniseries Band of Brothers (2001). Fassbender has appeared in more TV movies than in TV shows, mostly as guest appearances. However, he played Thomas Rainsborough in UK Channel 4’s four-part historical drama series, The Devil’s Whore (2008).
7. The Nominations & Awards Michael Fassbender Has Received
Michael Fassbender has received numerous nominations and wins at major award associations. Fassbender has been nominated twice at the Academy Awards and three times at the Golden Globes Awards. Of his four nominations at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and SAG Awards, Fassbender has won one each from the awards. He has also received four nominations at the British Academy Film Awards.
8. Michael Fassbender Dated And Married Career Co-Stars
Michael Fassbender is married to Swedish actress Alicia Vikander. Fassbender met Vikander on The Light Between Oceans (2016) set, where they played the lead roles and began dating in 2014. The couple married in October 2017 and had their first child, a son, in 2021. Before his relationship with Vikander, Fassbender Dated American actress Nicole Beharie. Fassbender also met Beharie on set while working in Steve McQueen‘s Shame.
9. Michael Fassbender’s Auto Racing Career
Besides his remarkable acting career, Michael Fassbender has turned his love for fast cars into an auto racing career. The actor has competed in the Ferrari Challenge’s Coppa Shell class, German Porsche Racing Experience, and the European Le Mans Series. Since 2020, Fassbender has raced in the European Le Mans Series with the Proton Competition. Although he’s yet to win a race, Fassbender’s best finish was in 5th position in the 2021 European Le Mans Series.
10. What Michael Fassbender Is Doing Next
Michael Fassbender has two upcoming movies scheduled for release in 2023. Fassbender will again play the titular character as Christian/The Killer in David Fincher‘s neo-noir action thriller for Netflix, The Killer (2023). Fassbender will also portray Dutch-American football coach Thomas Rongen in Taika Waititi’s biographical sports comedy-drama Next Goal Wins (2023). Michael Fassbender will play a role in the martial arts comedy sequel, Kung Fury 2.
The Killer is scheduled for release on Netflix on November 10, 2023
Next Goal Wins is scheduled for release on November 17, 2023.
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