Meet the Woman of the Dead cast: Who's who in the Netflix series

Brunhilde (Anna Maria Mühe) holding a gun to another man in Woman of the Dead
(Image credit: Netflix)

Woman of the Dead (also known as Totenfrau) is a Netflix thriller series based on the 2015 novel by Bernard Aichner. In it, we follow Brunhilde Blum, a funeral parlor owner from a ski resort who ends up looking for vengeance after the death of a loved one.

Brunhilde's husband, Mark is an ordinary police officer who was killed one morning in a hit-and-run collision as he leaves the house to go to work on his motorcycle. Brunhilde is convinced that Mark's death is no accident, and sets out to discover why he was killed and to seek her revenge on the driver of the car that struck him. 

As she begins to look into his death, Mark's murder becomes quite a mystery, as details about his appearance stop adding up. Plus, as Netflix teases: "it's not long before the hunter becomes the hunted."

Below you can find out which stars make up the Woman of the Dead cast and read a little bit more about the major characters and the actors that play them in the Netflix series.

Woman of the Dead cast: Anna Maria Mühe as Brunhilde Blum

Brunhilde Blum squats down in the morgue beside a corpse

Brunhilde's world is turned upside down by the death of her partner. (Image credit: Stephan Burchardt/Netflix)

Anna Marie Mühe leads the cast as Brunhilde Blum, the funeral parlor owner out for revenge for her husband's death.

Where else have you seen Anna Maria Mühe? Mühe made her debut in the German film Big Girls Don't Cry in 2002 and has featured in plenty of movies and series since. She's likely best known for her work in NSU: German History X, Love in Thoughts, Dogs of Berlin, Anna and the Prince. She also appeared in two episodes of The Bill!

Yousef 'Joe' Sweid as Reza Shadid

Yousef 'Joe' Sweid portrays Reza Shadid in the show. Reza is Brunhilde's assistant at the funeral parlor, though it seems he has something to do with Mark's murder.

Where else have you seen Yousef 'Joe' Sweid?  Aside from Woman of the Dead, Yousef has appeared in Baghdad Central, The Spy, American Assassin, Agora and the TV series Odyssey.

Robert Palfrader as Wilhelm Danzberger

Brunhild face to face with Wilhelm Danzberger in Woman of the Dead

Brunhild and Wilhelm do not see eye to eye over the investigation into Mark's death. (Image credit: STEPHAN BURCHARDT/Netflix)

Robert Palfrader plays Wilhelm Danzberger, the commander Mark served under. Brunhilde is soon convinced that he's not been investigating Mark's death very seriously. 

Where else have you seen Robert Palfrader? Palfrader has appeared in Wir sind Kaiser, Sedwitz, BÖsterreich, Walking on Sunshine and Abbi Fede, among others.

Luis Vorbach as Jakob

Luis Vorbach plays Jakob, a young man from the community who goes to school with Brunhilde's children.

Where else have you seen Luis Vorbach? Vorbach has featured in Das perfekte Geheimnis, Auf Augenhöhe and Das Glaszimmer.

Simon Schwarz as Pfarrer Jaunig

Simon Schwarz is also part of the Woman of the Dead cast as a local priest, Pfarrer Jaunig, who could well have some secrets of his own.

Where else have you seen Simon Schwarz? Recently, Schwarz has appeared in Tatort, Die Eifelpraxis, Guglhupfgeschwader and Der Onkel, and he's known for his part in The Inheritors.

Who else is in the Woman of the Dead cast? 

Along with the above stars, the Woman of the Dead cast also includes: 

  • Gregor Bloéb as Bertl Puch
  • Felix Klare as Herr Blum
  • Katrin Butt as Anna May
  • Franz Josef Danner as Wachmann
  • Stephanie Lexer as Elena
  • Romina Küper as Dunja
  • Maximilian Krauss as Mark Thaler

Woman of the Dead is now available to stream on Netflix. 

Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin is a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produces a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. 

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.