Merab Ninidze Biography: Net Worth, Wife, Height, Movies, Ethnicity, Awards, Age

Merab Ninidze is a Georgian actor celebrated for his versatile performances in international cinema, earning acclaim for roles like Walter Redlich in the Oscar-winning Nowhere in Africa, Oleg Penkovsky in The Courier, and Vadim Kalyagin in the series McMafia.

With a career rooted in Georgian theater and film, he transitioned to European and Hollywood productions, bringing depth to characters in dramas spanning historical, thriller, and contemporary genres.

Profile

• Full Name: Merab Ninidze
• Stage Name: Merab Ninidze
• Born: 3, November 1965
• Age: 60 years old
• Birthplace: Tbilisi, Georgia
• Nationality: Georgian
• Occupation: Actor
• Height: 1.78m
• Parents: Unknown
• Siblings: Unknown
• Spouse: Unknown
• Children: 1
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $5 million

Early Life and Education

Merab Ninidze was born on November 3, 1965, in Tbilisi, Georgia. He grew up in an artistic family, with his grandmother Zeinab Ghoghoberidze, a music teacher who introduced him to classical music studies for seven years, and his grandfather Sergo Akhaladze, a theater director who sparked his early involvement in stage work.

Details about his parents and siblings remain private. He graduated from the Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University in Tbilisi between 1982 and 1984. Of Georgian descent, information about his religious beliefs is unknown.

Career

Merab Ninidze began his career on stage at age 13, auditioning successfully for Prince Edward in a production of Shakespeare’s Richard III at the Rustaveli State Academic Theatre, which toured internationally with great success.

He debuted in film with Tengiz Abuladze’s Repentance in 1984, a critically acclaimed work that won prizes at Cannes, followed by several Georgian films before civil unrest prompted his move to Austria in the early 1990s.

He gained international prominence with the lead role in Caroline Link’s Nowhere in Africa in 2001, which earned the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2003.

Ninidze expanded into German, Russian, and English-language projects, including collaborations with directors like Steven Spielberg in Bridge of Spies and appearances in series such as McMafia and Homeland, showcasing his range in historical and thriller roles.

Merab Ninidze delivers compelling performances in recent works like The Courier, Jupiter’s Moon—where he won Best Actor at Batumi—and Conclave.

His contributions to Georgian cinema, European theater, and global film festivals have established him as a respected figure known for nuanced portrayals of complex characters.

Social Media

Merab Ninidze does not have widely verified personal social media accounts.

Personal Life

Merab Ninidze is married, though he keeps his wife’s name and details private, with rare public appearances together, such as at film festivals in 2008 and 2020. The couple has one son, occasionally seen with them at events. He has no publicly documented prior marriages or relationships.

Known for a discreet lifestyle split between Vienna and Berlin after emigrating during Georgia’s civil war, Ninidze focuses on family and his craft while rarely sharing personal insights.

Filmography

• Repentance (1984)
• Nowhere in Africa (2001)
• Bridge of Spies (2015)
• My Happy Family (2017)
• Jupiter’s Moon (2017)
• McMafia (2018)
• The Courier (2020)
• Conclave (2024)

Net Worth

Merab Ninidze has an estimated net worth of $5 million. His primary sources of income include decades of acting in international films such as the Oscar-winning Nowhere in Africa and The Courier, television series like McMafia and Homeland, stage work, and awards from European and Russian film prizes.