Ulrike Folkerts

Ulrike Folkerts is a German actress who was born on May 14, 1961, in Kassel, Hesse, Germany. She is best known for her role as police officer Lena Odenthal in the German crime television series Tatort. Her character's storylines in the series are set in the town of Ludwigshafen.

In addition to her television work, Folkerts has achieved notable milestones on the stage. In 2005 and 2006, she made theatrical history by becoming the first woman to play the role of Death in Jedermann, Hugo von Hofmannsthal's adaptation of Everyman, performed at the Salzburg Festival.

Folkerts is also an author. She published her autobiography in 2005. Later, in October 2008, she co-authored and published her second book, titled Glück gefunden (Happiness found), alongside her partner, Katherina Schnitzler.

Beyond acting and writing, Folkerts is an athlete who has competed in international LGBT sports events. She participated in the 2002 Gay Games in Sydney, where she earned a silver medal and a bronze medal in swimming relay events, though she was disqualified in the single competition due to a false start. In July 2004, she earned another bronze medal while competing at the EuroGames in Munich.

Over the course of her career, Folkerts has received several awards and honors. She won the Jugendhörbuchpreis in 2001 and received the Publikums-Bambi in 2002 for her portrayal of Hauptkommissarin Lena Odenthal. In 2007, she was awarded the Verdienstkreuz am Bande as well as the Courage-Preis, the latter recognizing her support for organizations such as burundikids e.V. and alliance Landmine.de.