Diane Kruger

About Diane Kruger

Diane Kruger (born July 15, 1976 in Algermissen near Hildesheim, Germany) is a German actress and former fashion model who gained international recognition from 2004 to 2005 for her performances in the films Troy, Wicker Park, National Treasure, and Joyeux Noël. She won the Cannes Film Festival Chopard Trophy in 2003.

Kruger was born Diane Heidkrüger in Algermissen, Germany, near Hildesheim. She is the daughter of bank employee Maria-Theresa and computer specialist Hans-Heinrich Heidkrüger . She was raised in Germany with her younger brother, Stefan. As a child, Diane wanted to become a ballerina, so her parents sent her to London to study with the Royal Ballet. After an injury ended her ballet career prematurely, Diane moved to Paris, France and turned her energies toward modeling .

In 1992, at the age of 16, Diane was a finalist in Elite's "Look of the Year" competition. She returned to Germany and became a successful model in the mid-1990s in Germany as well as France. Her education in art led her to be able to speak near native English and French, in addition to her mother tongue, German.