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Jeff Wilbusch, Anja Antonowicz and Patrick Dewayne presenting the German miniseries Bad Banks at the Berlinale 2018. Photo by Martin Kraft.

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Jeff Wilbusch

Jeff Wilbusch’s life has been anything but ordinary. Wilbusch, who was born in Israel to a Hasidic Jewish family, left at the age of thirteen to pursue an education in the Netherlands before becoming a full-time actor in various locations throughout Europe.

He studied economics and earned a master’s degree in international economics from the University of Amsterdam in 2011. Jeff Wilbusch relocated to Munich after finishing his graduate studies and studied theater there until 2015.

He played Anton Mesterbein in the BBC-AMC miniseries The Little Drummer Girl in 2018, and Noah Weisz in the German-Luxembourgian television series Bad Banks. In 2020, he will play Moishe Lefkovitch in the German-American Netflix original miniseries Unorthodox.

1. Wilbusch studied acting at the Otto Falckenberg School

Otto Falckenberg School. Photo by Kaethe17.

This institution is a Munich-based higher education academy that trains actors and directors and is affiliated with the M眉nchner Kammerspiele. It was founded in 1946 as the St盲dtische Schauspielschule, but was renamed after the director and theater manager Otto Falckenberg on March 1, 1948.  He studied there from 2011 to 2015. It has churned out other alumni such as Monika Baumgartner, Alexander Held and Joachim Kr贸l.

2. He is fluent in five languages

Thank You in Many Different Languages on Chalkboard. Photo by Oko_SwanOmurphy.

Wilbusch is able to communicate in English, Dutch, German, Hebrew, and Yiddish. He belongs to multiracial ethnicity. His family members were German Jews who fled to Israel during the Nazi era. His ability to speak Yiddish helped him further explore his role in the TV series, Unorthodox.

3. He formed a band called 鈥� The Jeff Project鈥�

Wilbusch used to create music during his school days before he became a professional actor. This went a long way to widening his skill set as a performer.

4. Wilbusch received a Satellite award for his acting in 2021

Jeff Wilbusch. Photo by Martin Kraft.

He was nominated in the category of Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Limited Series, or in a Motion Picture Made for Television and went on to win the award for his riveting performance in the Netflix Television series, Unorthodox. Wilbusch plays Moishe, a troubled man who travels to Berlin, Germany with another character, Yanky, in search of Yanky’s wife, who has fled their ultra-orthodox community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The series was groundbreaking in a number of ways; its “inspired by true events” story received widespread acclaim, and its extensive use of Yiddish was a television first. He鈥檚 also been nominated for a Festival Award   as best actor in 2021 for his role in 鈥淒awn breaks behind the eyes鈥�

5. Jeff made his acting debut in 2015 on Beyond Words

The short film was directed by Oscar Lauterbach, and it is about a love affair between a deaf man and a blind woman, whose happiness is eventually clouded by a dark secret.

6. Wilbusch has minimal social media footprint

Neon signage. Photo by Prateek Katyal.

Unlike most celebrities who have social media accounts across all major platforms, Jeff confirms his enigmatic persona by only having an Instagram account (@jeff_wilbusch). His Instagram has 52000 followers. He uses his account to document his iconic moments and achievements, as well as a showcase for brands he collaborates with. 

7. Echo Lake Entertainment signed Jeff Wilbusch

Echo Lake Entertainment represents established and emerging television, film, and digital actors, writers, and directors. Peter McGrath of Echo Lake represents Wilbusch. Wilbusch was most recently seen in the Netflix limited series “Unorthodox,” which was based on Deborah Feldman’s memoir of the same name. It tells the story of Esty, a young Jewish woman who flees her arranged marriage and ultra-Orthodox community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and relocates to Berlin.

Willbusch played Moishe Lefkovitch, Esty’s husband’s obnoxious gambling addict cousin who travels to Berlin with him to find her. He previously appeared in the BBC/AMC miniseries “The Little Drummer Girl,” alongside Michael Shannon, Alexander Skarsgard, and Florence Pugh, as well as the Hulu miniseries “Bad Banks.” 

8. Wilbusch has a net worth of approximately $850,000

Dollars. Photo by Giorgio Trovato.

His source of income is derived from brand endorsements, paid content, sponsorship, TV shows and films.  He has featured in a more than fourteen TV series episodes and three major films in the course of his acting career.

9. He is married to a German actress, Anna Platen

In 2015, the two actors began their romantic relationship. They married in a private ceremony a few years later. Anna has appeared in films such as For Heaven’s Sake: Dark Clouds, Soko Wismar: Petrol in the Blood, Hannes, and Turn of the Tide.

10. David E. Kelley’s Peacock Series was led by Jeff Wilbusch

Jeff Wilbusch stared in David E. Kelley’s Peacock’s The Missing, an eight-episode crime drama series based on Israeli crime writer Dror A. Mishani’s international bestselling novel The Missing File.

Wilbusch will play Avraham, a 77th precinct NYPD detective.

The Missing, written by Kelley, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer, follows Detective Avraham (Wilbusch), whose belief in humanity is his superpower when it comes to uncovering the truth. Avraham, who is guided by a strong sense of spirituality and religious principles, is forced to question his own humanity when a seemingly routine investigation is turned upside down.

Kelley’s producing partner Matthew Tinker also executive produces alongside Peter Traugott of Keshet Studios, Alon Shrutzman of Keshet International, Avi Nir of Keshet Media Group, Karni Ziv of Keshet Broadcasting, and Mishani. The Missing is produced by Keshet Studios, Keshet International’s U.S. production arm, and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studios Group.

Wilbusch recently wrapped work on the Netflix limited series Breathe as Danny, a lawyer and the lead character’s love interest. He previously appeared in the HBO Original Film Oslo, opposite Ruth Wilson.

Wilbusch has admitted to being a serial over-researcher, possibly due to his background as an economics scholar. He believes that as an actor, you can never read enough, and that every time you read a new biography or conduct additional research, you gain a new perspective and play a role completely differently.