Jeff Wilbusch
Jeff Wilbusch | |
|---|---|
 Wilbusch in 2018 | |
| Born | Jeff Wilbusch 14 November 1987 |
| Citizenship |
|
| Education | University of Amsterdam (MSc) |
| Alma mater | University of Amsterdam Otto Falckenberg School of the Performing Arts |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2016 - Present |
| Television | Unorthodox, Something Very Bad is Going to Happen |
Jeff Wilbusch (born November 14, 1987) is an Israeli[1] actor. He has starred in numerous English and German film and television projects, including Park Chan-wook's miniseries The Little Drummer Girl (2018), Unorthodox (2020), Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes (2021) and Netflix's Something Very Bad is Going to Happen (2026).
Early life and education
Wilbusch was born on 14 November 1987 in Haifa, Israel, as the eldest of 14 children. He grew up in the Yiddish-speaking Hasidic Jewish Satmar community of Mea Shearim, Jerusalem.[2][3][4]
At the age of 13, Wilbusch relocated to the Netherlands.
He attended the University of Amsterdam obtaining a Masters degree in Economics in 2011.[5] After finishing his graduate degree, Wilbusch moved to Munich and studied theatre at the Otto Falckenberg School of the Performing Arts until 2015.[6]
Career
While studying at the Otto Falckenberg School of the Performing Arts, Wilbusch starred in numerous productions staged at the Munich Kammerspiele, working with directors Johan Simons, Stephan Kimmig, and Martin Kušej. [7]
In 2018, he played Anton Mesterbein in the BBC–AMC miniseries The Little Drummer Girl, directed by Park Chan-wook, and starred as Noah Weisz in the German–Luxembourgish series Bad Banks.
In 2020, he gained international recognition for his portrayal of Moishe Lefkovitch in the Netflix miniseries Unorthodox, directed by Maria Schrader. His performance earned him the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Television Film.[8]
In 2021, he portrayed Uri Savir in the HBO television film Oslo, directed by Bartlett Sher and produced by Marc Platt and Steven Spielberg, among others.[9] He also appeared as Gregor Grause in the German gothic horror feature Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes.[10]
In 2022, Wilbusch appeared in the Netflix survival drama Keep Breathing and starred as Detective Avraham Avraham in the Peacock crime drama The Calling, directed by Barry Levinson and produced by David E. Kelley.[11]
In 2026, he appeared as Julian "Jules" Cunningham in the Netflix horror series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, executive produced by the Duffer Brothers and Hilary Leavitt through their Upside Down Pictures deal with Netflix, with episodes directed by Weronika Tofilska.[12][13]
Personal life
Raised multilingual, Wilbusch speaks English, Dutch, German, Hebrew, and Yiddish fluently.[5]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Bad Banks | Noah Weisz | Main cast Hulu miniseries |
| 2018 | The Little Drummer Girl | Anton Mesterbein | 3 episodes BBC One–AMC miniseries |
| 2020 | Unorthodox | Moishe Lefkovitch | Main cast Netflix miniseries |
| 2021 | 3 ½ Stunden | Sasha Goldberg | TV movie (German historical drama) |
| 2021 | Oslo | Uri Savir | TV movie |
| 2022 | Keep Breathing | Danny | Main cast Netflix miniseries |
| 2022 | The Calling | Det. Avraham Avraham | Main cast Peacock series |
| 2026 | Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen | Julian "Jules" Cunningham | Netflix miniseries Executive produced by the Duffer Brothers |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Einmal bitte alles | Max | |
| 2021 | Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes | Gregor Grause | |
| 2022 | Schächten – A Retribution | Victor Dessauer | German-language film (Schächten) |
Music videos
- 2022 – "Highway to Your Heart" by Lykke Li – Directed by Theo Lindquist; starring Lykke Li and Jeff Wilbusch.[14]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Unorthodox | Won[15] |
References
- ^ "Jeff Wilbusch - Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ Friedman, Gabe (30 March 2020). "Netflix's 'Unorthodox' Is Yiddish, feminist and just what we need now - Jewish Telegraphic Agency". Jta.org. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ Feldman, Deborah (28 March 2020). "In 'Unorthodox,' A Religious Woman Leaves Her Marriage And Her Past Behind". NPR. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ Marlene Melchior, writer & director (26 March 2020). Making Unorthodox (Video). Netflix.
- ^ a b "Jeff Wilbusch". Festival Séries Mania. Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ "Jeff Wilbusch". Münchner Kammerspiele. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ "Ich bin der Neue - MUCBOOK". MUCBOOK (in German). 17 October 2014. Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ James Poniewozik (25 March 2020). "Review: 'Unorthodox,' a Stunning Escape From Brooklyn". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ "Oslo (HBO)". HBO Max. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
- ^
- ^ Miller, Stuart (10 November 2022). "Jeff Wilbusch left his Hasidic community at 13. Now he's exploring his identity on TV". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
- ^ Olejniczak, Agata (24 May 2025). "Polka wyreżyseruje nowy horror psychologiczny Netflixa. Połączy siły z twórcami "Stranger Things"" [A Polish actress will direct a new psychological horror film for Netflix. She will join forces with the creators of "Stranger Things."]. Glamour (in Polish). Condé Nast.
- ^ "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen – Everything We Know". What's on Netflix. May 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
- ^ ...
- ^ "2020 Winners | International Press Academy". Satellite Awards. International Press Academy. 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2025.