Mara Scherzinger


Mara Scherzinger is a German actress. She performed in commercials, TV films, TV series, and cinema movies.

Childhood

Mara Scherzinger grew up in Saig, Lenzkirch in the Black Forest. Her father, Paulus Straub, was an electronics engineer working in solar energy business. Her mother is Claudia Scherzinger, working as Business and Personality-Development coach; Mara has a brother named Jannis, who now works as filmmaker and musician. He performs in a Duo with Lilian Lito.
About 2000, the family moved to Cologne and in 2004 to Sydney, Australia. There Mara became a Lifeguard at Surf Life Saving Australia in Long Beach. With the club she competed in related sports competitions specialising in IRB - races.

Career

In 2002, she got a small role in a commercial for Masterfoods. Her success came with the film Liebe und Verlangen, in which she plays Torchy, a troubled and wild juvenile. She played alongside award winning actress Natalia Wörner and Katja Flint. From then on parts in short films, movies and series followed. Her role as Anna Peterson on the Australian/German produced TV-Series Blue Water High gained her credits as it aired not only in Australia and Germany but also in more than 10 other countries. Another highlight was getting to kiss Bill Murray in the movie The Monuments Men.
Mara has been singing and dancing since a young age and continues to take classes for example at the Sydney Dance Company and other acclaimed institutions.
The girlgroup "Pretty Girls" was founded by Mara Scherzinger, Mareike Xander, Joana Xander and Johanna Sandvoss in 2001. They had international success until 2005.
From 2002 until 2005 Mara took part in the High Performance Leadership Training with shows on Broadway in NYC and at Starnberger Lake in Bavaria.
In 2008 she completed her HSC Certificate, Performing Arts in New South Wales, Australia.
Parallel to acting, school and international travels and workshops Mara Scherzinger has also worked as a model in print and catwalk. On print she appeared in various magazines. For example, Dolly and Girlfriend Australia, YAM! Germany etc. The shows range from fashion shows in Manhattan, NYC to shows in Germany for various labels like La Perla, Britta Uschkamp and Valisere.
At the international trade fair photokina 2010 she worked with the American fashion and lifestyle photographer Steve Thornton, as well as with the photographers of fine arts Manuel Cortez and Florian Anders in Berlin.

Filmography

TitleYearRoleNotes
Monologe2011RanjaMonologue: "Vollmilch-Nuss"
TV format pilot, directed by Florian Anders
Life Changes2010ArielleShort film
The Witch and the Holy2008SybillaShort film, by Lena Film Los Angeles
Beautiful Bitch2007Leafeature film
directed by Martin Theo Krieger
best foreign film in Santa Barbara 2008, German cinema Berlinale 2008
Blue Water High2004–2005Anna PetersenAustralian TV Series
2005, 2006 AFI nomination for "Best Children's Television Drama" and "Young Actor Award" 2005. 2007 Logie nomination "Most outstanding Children's Drama"
also starring Sophie Luck
SK Kölsch2004MaikeTV crime drama, episode "die Liebesfalle"
Love and Longing2003TorchyTV film, 90minutes, ZDF, German Title "Das Andere Lächeln"
starring Natalia Wörner, Katja Flint
R.A.U.S.C.H.2003Kathiformat: TV Series Pilot, directed by Joscha Douma, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg