The Book Thief Cast

Geoffrey Rush plays Hans Hubermann, a compassionate and gentle German house painter who becomes Liesel's foster father.

Sophie Nélisse portrays Liesel Meminger, a young girl who develops a passion for books and learns to read during her time with her foster parents.

Emily Watson plays Rosa Hubermann, the stern yet caring foster mother of Liesel, who has a complex relationship with her.

Nico Liersch takes on the role of Rudy Steiner, Liesel's best friend and neighbor with whom she shares her childhood adventures.

Ben Schnetzer plays Max Vandenburg, a Jewish fighter hiding from the Nazis in the Hubermanns' basement.

Heike Makatsch appears as Liesel's mother, a woman forced to give up her daughter to keep her safe in wartime Germany.

Barbara Auer plays Ilsa Hermann, the wife of the Bürgermeister who develops a complex relationship with Liesel over their shared love of books.

Roger Allam provides the voice for the Narrator / Death, giving perspective to the story's events with a mixture of wisdom and poignance.

Rainer Bock portrays Bürgermeister Hermann, Ilsa's husband and the stern mayor of the town.

Gotthard Lange plays the Grave Digger, a minor character who appears in the backdrop of the film's wartime setting.

Rainer Reiners appears as the Priest in the film, involved in several of the ceremonies throughout.

Kirsten Block plays Frau Heinrich, the staunch bureaucrat involved with foster care.