Kruger starred opposite Jason Clarke in the Terrence Malick-produced film The Better Angels. The film focuses on Abraham Lincoln's youth in the vast wilderness of Indiana and the hardships that shaped him, the tragedy that marked him forever and the two women who guided him to immortality.
She recently wrapped production on Fathers and Daughters opposite Russell Crowe, Aaron Paul and Amanda Seyfried, which portrays a story about a Pulitzer-winning writer (Crower) grappling with being a widower and father after a mental breakdown, while, 27 years later, his grown daughter (Seyfried) struggles to forge connections of her own.
In 2011, Kruger starred in Quentin Tarantino's critically-acclaimed hit Inglourious Basterds, opposite Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz and Mike Myers. The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2009, then reached number one at the box office, grossing over $300 million worldwide. For her performance, Kruger earned a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, and won the SAG Award® as part of the ensemble cast. Kruger also starred as Marie Antoinette in Benoit Jacquot's film Farewell, My Queen, which opened the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival to rave reviews.
Born in Germany, Kruger was first launched to international fame as the infamous Helen in Wolfgang Petersen's Troy, opposite Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom. That same year, she starred with Josh Hartnett in Paul McGuigan's Wicker Park. She has since starred in both the U.S. and in Europe in such films as the Oscar® nominated French film Joyeux Noel; Copying Beethoven, with Ed Harris; Goodbye Bafana, Bille August's ode to Nelson Mandela, also starring Joseph Fiennes; and Anything for Her (Pour elle), from director Fred Cavayé.
Kruger's recent credits include starring in The Seeker in the sci-fi thriller The Host, alongside Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons and William Hurt. The film is based on the best-selling series by Twilight saga author, Stephenie Meyer. Another is a dual role in Mr. Nobody, with Jared Leto, Sarah Polley and Rhys fans, and Baltasar Kormakur's harrowing indie feature about organ trafficking, Inhale, also starring Sam Shepherd, Dermot Mulroney and Patricia Arquette. Kruger also recently starred opposite Djimon Hounsou in the French-filmed action adventure Special Forces, from director Stephane Rybojad and the high grossing Jerry Bruckheimer National Treasure films opposite Nicolas Cage.
Kruger is a strong supporter of amfAR (The Foundation for AlDS Research), UNICEF and Stand Up To Cancer. She currently resides in Los Angeles.