When "The World is Big and Salvation is Lurking Everywhere" reached the international audience in 2008, Carlo Lübeck already had theater experience, but the role of Alex made him recognizable outside of Germany. Eighteen years later, he has not disappeared from the stage, but has built a career in which theater and television go hand in hand.
Lübeck was born on May 21, 1976 in Bocholt. He graduated from the "Otto Falkenberg" University of Acting in Munich, and while still studying he played in the Munich Chamber Theaters. In 2002, he received the ensemble prize at a national competition for German-speaking acting students.
From German stages to Hamburg
After graduating, Lübeck began working at the State Theater in Wiesbaden. Since the 2007/2008 season, he has been part of the Schauspiel Köln troupe, where he has played in productions by directors such as Karin Bayer and Johann Simons. Since the 2013/2014 season, he has been in the ensemble of the German Theater in Hamburg.
On the Hamburg stage, he has performed roles in “King Lear“, “The Idiot“, “The Merchant of Venice“, “The Golden Fleece“, “The Castle“ and “Clash“. In 2017, he received the “Rolf Mares“ Theater Award for the role of Judge Adam in “The Broken Pitcher“. This work shows that Lübeck is not an actor remembered for only one film role.
Work in front of the camera
After his participation in Stefan Komandarev's film, Lübeck continues to regularly accept roles in film and television. Among his more recent projects is the Netflix series “Sleeping Dogs“, in which he plays Luka Zaric. He also participated in the film “Everything You Are“, presented at the Berlinale in 2024, as well as in the drama “Sofia, Death and I“.
The actor himself defines the combination of stage and screen as important for his work: “In the theater I have time for six to eight weeks to develop something together with the team. And on the set there is a different concentration and intimacy, where the camera makes thinking visible.“ The quote is from an interview with Lübeck for NDR from 2024.
His new image in “Tatort“
The biggest change in his career in 2026 was joining the Munich “Tatort“. Lübeck plays crime commissioner Nikola Buwak, a shift leader in the special forces who grew up in the Neuperlach district. He is partnered by Ferdinand Hofer as Callie Hammermann.
Their first case, titled “Between Worlds“, premiered at the Munich Film Festival in June 2026. The television premiere is planned for the winter. In the story, Buwak begins his own investigation after a robbery and murder, while at the same time an 18-year-old girl disappears. “Viewers will be able to follow how these images are sought and found“, Ferdinand Hofer tells BR.
Lübeck also has another project scheduled for premiere. In the six-part science fiction series “Wake Up“ he plays Jakob Walser, the father of sisters whose lives are changed after one of them falls into a coma. The series will be available on the ZDF platform from October 23, 2026, and the television broadcast on ZDFneo begins on October 28.
Thus, the actor, known in Bulgaria as Alex, continues to work simultaneously in theater, auteur cinema, streaming productions and the most popular German crime series.
Sources: NDR, Bavarian Radio, ZDF