Michael Fassbender is a renowned Irish actor born in Heidelberg, Germany, to a German father, Josef, and an Irish mother, Adele, who hails from Larne, County Antrim, in Northern Ireland. When Michael was just two years old, his family relocated to Killarney, Co. Kerry, in south-west Ireland, where he spent his formative years.
Growing up, Michael's parents ran a restaurant, with his father being a skilled chef. This upbringing would later influence his choice of profession. Fassbender is currently based in London, England, and gained widespread recognition in the United States after his captivating performance in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009).
In 2011, Michael made his debut as the Marvel antihero Magneto in the prequel X-Men: First Class (2011),a role he would later share with Ian McKellen in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). The same year, his portrayal of a sex addict in Shame (2011) earned him widespread critical acclaim, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival, as well as nominations for Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards.
Michael's subsequent role as slave owner Edwin Epps in the slavery epic 12 Years a Slave (2013) was met with similar praise, earning him his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. This marked his third collaboration with director Steve McQueen, who also helmed Hunger and Shame. In 2013, Fassbender appeared in another Ridley Scott film, The Counselor (2013).
In 2015, Michael portrayed the iconic figure of Steve Jobs (2015) in the Danny Boyle-directed biopic of the same name, and took on the role of Macbeth (2015) in Justin Kurzel's adaptation of William Shakespeare's play. For his performance in Steve Jobs, he received nominations for Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG Awards for Best Actor. Additionally, Michael produced the 2015 western Slow West (2015),in which he also starred.