Birte Leest

Birte Leest was born in Essen. She studied acting at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna. This was followed by engagements at the Volksbühne Berlin, Staatstheater Kassel, Staatstheater Stuttgart, Schauspiel Frankfurt, Staatsschauspiel Dresden, and Schauspiel Hannover, among others. She has worked with directors such as René Pollesch, Marie Bues, Lilja Rupprecht, Jan-Christoph Gockel, Jette Steckel, Ran Chai Barzvi, and Stephan Kimmig.
She also works as a voice artist for WDR and BR, among others, as well as for film and television. In 2004, she received the Vontobel Prize at the Theatertreffen deutschsprachiger Schauspielschulen (Theater Meeting of German-Speaking Drama Schools) and in 2007 she was awarded the Nachwuchspreis (Young Talent Prize) by the Fördergesellschaft Kassel e.V. (Kassel Promotion Association).