RESUME
Sarah Zaharanski was born in Hallein near Salzburg, Austria and lives in Vienna. After graduating from high school, she began her acting studies at the University of the Arts in Graz. During this time she played in theatre productions at the Schauspielhaus Graz, the Schaubühne Berlin and the Salzburg Festival. After completing her studies, she also appeared in her first television productions. In 2020 she starred in the Austrian TV movie Letzter Kirtag from the Crime Series Altaussee, filmed by the award-winning cinematographer Martin Gschlacht. She regularly records as a voice actor and has won several awards for her work. Her first appearance on the big screen was in Elisabeth Scharang’s Woodland (Toronto International Film Festival 2023). In Paul Poet’s hybrid documentary Soldier Monika (Doclisboa 2024, Torino Film Festival 2024), she has played her first leading role in a cinema film.
EDUCATION
1999-2003 Federal Grammar School Hallein (language focus)
2003-2008 Commercial Vocational College Hallein (International Business - English & French)
2008-2012 University of the Arts Graz (Performing Arts)
2021-2025 University of Regensburg (Master of Speech Communication and Rhetoric)
CREDITS
FILM
Soldier Monika (2024)
The First Wife
directed by Paul Poet
FreibeuterFilm - Doclisboa 2024, Hof International Film Festival 2024, 42° Torino Film Festival
Woodland (2023)
Ulrike
directed by Elisabeth Scharang
WEGA Film - Toronto International Film Festival 2023, Hof International Film Festival 2023, Zurich Film Festival 2023
No Exit (2022)
Inès
directed by Lukas Benjamin Engel
Gone Astray Films - Hof International Film Festival 2022
SHORT FILM
Dear Mother (2024)
directed by Sabrina Hickl
University of Applied Sciences Salzburg, Austria
Crossdressing (2014)
directed by Lixi Frank
Film Academy Vienna, Austria
TELEVISION
Gnadenlos (2025)
Cosma Wecker
Regie: Umut Dağ
Prater Film
Fast Forward - Angelika Who (2023)
Sardes
directed by Gerald Liegel
MR Film
Mountain Rescue - Höhenfeuer (2023)
Tina Schlosser (alpine climber)
directed by Franziska Jahn
NDF
Crime Series Altaussee - Letzte Bootsfahrt (2022)
Manuela Reitmaier
directed by Julian Pölsler
Film AG
Vienna Crime Squad - Verloschen (2022)
Season 17, Episode 6
Anna Wenzel
directed by Katharina Heigl
Satel Film
Crime Series Altaussee - Letzter Kirtag (2020)
Judith Naglreiter
directed by Julian Pölsler
Coop99
The Plumber - Die Wahrheit kann erst wirken, wenn ... (2019)
Season 1, Episode 2
Frauke Schindler
directed by Michael Wenning
Amalia Film
Vienna Crime Squad - Über den Dächern von Linz (2017)
Season 12, Episode 10
Lucille Jelinek
directed by Olaf Kreinsen
Satel Film
Mountain Medic - Alte Wunden (2015)
Season 8, Episode 1
Lena Strickler
directed by Axel Barth
NDF
Vienna Crime Squad - Schneewittchen (2013)
Season 9, Episode 6
Daria
directed by Erhard Riedlsperger
Satel Film
THEATRE
Odyssey • Homer / Nuran David Calis
Pallas Athena
directed by Nuran David Calis
Salzburg State Theatre, Austria
The Red of the Egg • Gertraud Klemm, Gabriele Kögl, Grischka Voss
directed by Barbara Herold
Altes Hallenbad Feldkirch & Kosmos Theater Vienna, Austria
The Oresteia - The Eumenides
Megaira
directed by Carl Philip von Maldeghem
Salzburg State Theatre, Austria
The Argonauts • Franz Grillparzer
Medea
directed by Nuran David Calis
Salzburg State Theatre, Austria
The Creation of Light • C. Darwin, E. Wedgwood
Fanny Owen
directed by Carl Philip von Maldeghem
Salzburg State Theatre, Austria
Kasimir & Karoline • Ödön von Horváth
Karoline
directed by Carl Philip von Maldeghem
Salzburg State Theatre, Austria
Die Anschläge von nächster Woche • Thomas Arzt
Eva
directed by Christina Piegger
Salzburg State Theatre, Austria
Black Milk • Vassily Sigarev
The ticket clerk
directed by Jan Stephan Schmieding
Schauspielhaus Graz, Austria
Antigone • Sophokles
Ismene
directed by Lore Stefanek
Stadttheater Klagenfurt, Austria
The Unmarried • Ewald Palmetshofer
Sister #1
directed by Philip Jenkins
Vorarlberg State Theatre, Austria
2015-2017 actress at Coburg State Theatre, Germany
Katzelmacher • Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Helga
directed by Thorsten Köhler
Antigone • Sophokles
Ismene
directed by Konstanze Lauterbach
Anger • Elfriede Jelinek
directed by Axel Sichrovsky
Ich sinnlose so vor mich hin ... • Gerhard Polt
Evelyn
directed by Matthias Straub
Bin nebenan • Ingrid Lausund
A
directed by Mascha Pitz
Über die Grenze ist es nur ein Schritt • Michael Müller
Melle
directed by Constanze Weidknecht
Frau Müller muss weg • Lutz Hübner
Marina
directed by Leila Müller
Danton's Death • Georg Büchner
Julie, Lucile, Marion
directed by Matthias Straub
Love In Thoughts • Arno Meyer zu Küingdorf
Hilde
directed by Johannes Zametzer
Andorra • Max Frisch
Barblin
directed by Michael Götz
The Interview • Theodor van Gogh
Katja
directed by Frederik Leberle
Romeo & Julia rebooted • William Shakespeare
solo performance
directed by Valentin Werner
contribution to “HeForShe” by UN Women
ARGEkultur Salzburg, Austria
invited to Perspektiven Attersee Festival 2015
Cabaret • John Kander, Fred Ebb, Joe Masteroff
Texas
directed by Ingo Berk
Schauspielhaus Graz, Austria
Gawain • opera of Harrison Birtwistle
directed by Alvis Hermanis
Salzburg festival, Austria
The Appointment • Herta Müller
German: “Heute wär ich mir lieber nicht begegnet”
dramatization and German debut performance of the novel by Herta Müller
Scriptwriter, Director & Leading Role
Theater im Palais Graz
invited to Fringe of Ruhr festival Recklinghausen 2013
and Halleiner Stadtfestwochen 2014
Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter • Astrid Lindgren
Ronia
directed by Claudia Meyer
Stadttheater Klagenfurt, Austria
A Midsummer Night’s Dream• William Shakespeare
Helena
directed by Meinhard Zanger
Wolfgang Borchert Theatre Muenster, Germany
Zack ‘n’ Dave: Alpenglühen
written & directed by Sebastian Schwarz and David Ruland
Schaubühne Berlin, Germany
Everyman • Hugo von Hofmannsthal
directed by Christian Stückl
Salzburg Festival, Austria