The Empress cast: Who stars in the German regal drama?

The Empress is a lavish German period drama coming to Netflix this week. The upcoming series has a lot of people excited as they anticipate a series that could become a significant hit for the streaming service. From the platform that brought us the acclaimed Emmy Award-winning The Crown, The Empress appears to have all the necessary ingredients to become an addicting and enchanting saga.

Following the story of former princess Elisabeth of Bavaria, known as “Sisi,” The Empress will chronicle Sisi’s life from her teenage years onward. Her journey to the Habsburg court began when she was just 15, with her family intending to wed her older sister Helene to their cousin Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. But Franz only had eyes for Sisi.

Despite becoming beloved by her people, Sisi’s transformation into Empress was not all smooth sailing. She discovered that navigating court politics is no easy feat, especially with an overbearing mother-in-law breathing down your neck. The Empress will follow not only Sisi’s life but the extraordinary romance between her and Franz.

The Empress cast list

Devrim Lingnau will lead the cast as Empress Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, or “Sisi,” as she’s nicknamed. Her role is based on the real Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Lingnau is the show’s lead alongside Philip Froissant, who will portray Emperor Franz Joseph.

German-Iranian actress Melika Foroutan will play Sophia, the emperor’s controlling mother, who will cause all sorts of problems for Sisi and Franz. Additionally, the cast includes Johannes Nussbaum as Archduke Maximilian, Elisa Schlott as Elisabeth’s sister Helene, and Jördis Triebel as Elisabeth and Helen’s mother, the Princess Ludovika of Bavaria.

Here’s the full cast list:

• Devrim Lingnau as Empress Elisabeth von Wittelsbach
• Philip Froissant as Emperor Franz Joseph
• Melika Foroutan as Sophia
• Johannes Nussbaum as Archduke Maximilian
• Elisa Schlott as Helene
• Jördis Triebel as Princess Ludovika of Bavaria
• Hanna Hilsdorf as Amalia
• Svenja Jung as Louise
• Alexander Finkenwirth as  Alexander von Bach
• Raymond Tarabay as  Ambassadeur De Bourqueney

The Empress premieres worldwide on Thursday, September 29 on Netflix.