With a mesmerising turn in the Cannes-acclaimed Sound of Falling, and starring in the Netflix technohorror Cassandra, German actor Filip Schnack has got everyone talking.
Left Shirt Fendi, watch Omega
Right Full look Marni
If you’re young and beautiful like FILIP SCHNACK, it’s easy to turn heads on the red carpet, as he did, wearing Dior Men's Summer 2025 collection at Cannes Film Festival. Cue the actor’s admiring Instagram followers throwing around an emoji-ridden stream of declarations of love in his comments section like flowers at his feet, from “tasty” to “slaying as always.”
Left Top and coat Miu Miu, pants and shoes N°21
Right Full look Prada
The style influencer’s attention is new, but not unsettling for the rising talent. “Fashion was never really on my radar, to be honest, but Cannes and working with Dior changed that for me. It opened a new door, and I’m really excited to explore it,” he tells us. Acting, though, was on his radar, having always had a gift for mimicry and an incorrigible performative streak. “Ever since I was little, I loved to make my family laugh, entertaining them, dressing up as different characters, trying out funny accents, just doing whatever popped into my head.”
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Right Coat Miu Miu, pants and shoes N°21
When he was 18, the initial plan was to live in Japan, but he returned to his native Germany when things didn’t quite work out and decided that acting might be his calling. From there, he landed parts in TV series including The Roots of Evil and his breakout role as the blonde, floppy-haired teen Steve, classmate and gay love interest of Fynn, whose family are taken hostage by their 1970s AI robot, in the Netflix technohorror Cassandra. The responsibility of representing a queer character and their struggle is important to Schnack, but he believes sexuality shouldn’t be a question. “Love is love, and people should see it for what it is,” he explains. “Sure, it’s a different story – even though queer people thankfully don’t have to hide as much as they used to. I really hope that showing the struggles and hurdles Steve went through helps others feel less alone.”
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Right Full look MM6
The actor’s personality fuses with that of his character, in the power of art to capture elemental human experiences and reframe masculinity, continuing its divergence from the tough machismo of yesteryear. “I think it means that showing feelings and being vulnerable is totally okay,” says Schnack, revealing that despite the many male role models in his life, it’s his mother he looks up to most. Perhaps the warmth of an all-encompassing feminine energy is also what led him to his latest project and first big-screen movie role in Sound of Falling, which won the Jury Prize at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. “I was really excited to finally see the completed movie, and wow, I wasn’t quite ready for how emotional it would feel,” he recalls. The story intertwines four women from different eras whose lives are eerily connected by the shadows of the past. Schnack plays Fritz in the intergenerational mystery – a young, forced amputee avoiding military conscription during World War I. “My character lived in 1914, so it was an interesting experience, and his story and the way he carried it really drew me in.”
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Having now caught the world’s attention, there is much that Schnack would like to achieve onscreen, with his confidence rising, much like the trajectory of his career. “If I read a script and I love it, I’m in. I don’t care about the genre or the role,” he reveals. “When I’m hooked, I just can’t let it go. Especially when it’s a story that lets you dive deep into another world.”
At just 24 years old, Schnack is still exploring his own new world and the fame that comes with it. “People have started recognising me when I’m at a café or out shopping,” he jokes. “I’m always happy to have a little chat with them, and it’s really nice to see that people enjoy what I’m doing!” – unlike the creepily manipulative AI robot in Cassandra, whose mission is to simply destroy and replace humans.
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Right Full look Dior Men
The show adds to the hype that continues to build around AI in real life. Schnack’s not scared, though. “Sure, I get why people are starting to feel nervous about it all. But in the end, no computer can feel the way we humans do.” Or can they…? For all his adoring fans out there (and Hollywood directors), we asked Alexa, “Is Filip Schnack the next big thing?”. Her reply? “YES!” Seems they can feel the same as us.
Text by Kate Lawson
Photography by Anett Polaski
Fashion by Steven Huang
EIC Michael Marson
Casting by Imagemachine cs
Grooming by Sven Bayerbach at Carol Hayes Management using Daimon Barber
Stylist’s assistant Tanya Thakore
