Michael Ostrowski

Michael Stockinger, known professionally as Michael Ostrowski, is an Austrian actor and screenwriter. He was born on January 3, 1973, and grew up in Rottenmann. Beginning in 1991, he pursued studies in English and French, attending institutions in Graz, Oxford, and New York. Between April and December 2000, he was employed as a research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Science, Technology and Society located in Graz.

Ostrowski initiated his acting career during the late 1990s at a small theater in Graz. His screen debut arrived in 2001 when he secured a role in a short film directed by Barbara Albert. He subsequently adopted his stage name, Michael Ostrowski, to avoid confusion with an existing cabaret performer who shared his legal surname.

He achieved his industry breakthrough in 2004 through the movie Slugs, contributing to the project as both an actor and a screenwriter. His work in film writing received formal recognition in 2011, when he won the Austrian Film Award for Best Screenplay for The Unintentional Kidnapping of Mrs. Elfriede Ott.

Throughout his film career, Ostrowski has appeared in various feature productions. His selected filmography includes roles in the 2015 movie Help, I Shrunk My Teacher and the 2018 film Cold Feet.

In public broadcasting engagements, the Austrian national broadcaster ORF announced on January 29, 2026, that Ostrowski would serve as a host for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, co-hosting the event alongside Victoria Swarovski.