| Damian Hardung | |
| Birth Date: | 7 September 1998[1] |
| Birth Place: | Cologne, Germany |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 2010–present |
Damian Hardung (/ˈdeɪ.mi.ən ˈhɑːr.dʊŋ/; born September 7, 1998) is a German actor and medical student. He gained international recognition for his role as Daniel Riffert in the popular Netflix series *How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast). Known for his versatile acting skills, Hardung has also starred in productions such as The Name of the Rose and Maxton Hall. Alongside his acting career, he is pursuing a degree in [medicine] at the University of Cologne. Hardung's commitment to both his studies and his craft has made him a prominent figure in both the entertainment and academic fields.
Born on 7 September 1998, Hardung is from the city of Cologne.[2] A keen footballer, he was part of the youth academy at SC Fortuna Köln.[3] At the age of 14, he went to New York on a scholarship for gifted students.[4] He later studied medicine.[5]
Hardung made his acting debut at the age of 12 with a couple of short movies such as Der Magische Umhang and Die Könige der Straße. Further screen appearances followed in Transpapa, Unter Frauen, and Die Holzbaronin.[6] He had his first leading role portraying Thomas in 2013's Clara and the Secret of the Bears.[7]
Between 2015 and 2017, Hardung played Jonas Neumann in all three seasons of the VOX television series Club der roten Bänder.[8] This was followed by a lead role in the 2018 film The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, a modern-day German comedy adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac.[9] He also appeared in the alien-invasion series Spides.[10]
In March 2019, Hardung starred in the RAI television show The Name of the Rose, as Adso, alongside Rupert Everett and John Turturro.[11] His next role was in the German Netflix series How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast), which aired in May, as DanielRiffert.[12] Hardung reprised the role in the 2022 spin-off series Buba.[13]
Hardung played Winnie Wolf in the 2023 television series Our Wonderful Years.[14] That year, he was cast in a lead role in the television adaptation of Mona Kasten's bestselling novel Save Me.[2] Titled Maxton Hall — The World Between Us, the series was broadcast in 2024 on Amazon Prime Video.[15] It was renewed for a second season in May 2024.[16]
His brother Leon also studied medicine and the pair were among those vaccinating the German public during the COVID-19 pandemic.[17] He has campaigned with Greenpeace against climate change, visiting Antarctica in 2022.[18]