Emilio Sakraya Biography: Age, Movies, Music and Family

Emilio Sakraya is a German actor and singer who has gained recognition through German cinema, international Netflix productions and his own pop music. He is known for roles in Warrior Nun, Tribes of Europa, Rheingold and Sixty Minutes, as well as for playing Tarik in the Bibi & Tina film series. Alongside acting, he has built a music career under the name Emilio, releasing albums that combine pop, electronic sounds and personal songwriting.

Born in Berlin in 1996, Sakraya entered the entertainment industry as a child and gradually moved from German television and film into international productions. His career also reflects a long-standing interest in music and martial arts, both of which influenced his development as a performer.

Emilio Sakraya Age, Real Name and Early Life

Emilio Sakraya was born Emilio Sakraya Moutaoukkil on June 29, 1996, in Berlin, Germany. He is 30 years old as of October 2026. He grew up in a multicultural family, with a Moroccan mother and a father of Serbian background.

His mother, Meryem Moutaoukkil, has been described publicly as an important influence in his life. Sakraya grew up primarily with her after his parents separated. Although he has discussed parts of his upbringing in interviews, he generally keeps many details of his family life private.

Sakraya developed an interest in performing from an early age. He appeared in a commercial as a child and began pursuing acting professionally while still young. Outside the entertainment industry, he trained in karate and other martial arts, and he won a German championship in full-contact karate in 2010.

His childhood interests extended to music as well. He learned to play instruments including guitar, piano and drums, and began writing songs during his teenage years. These interests later developed into parallel careers in acting and music.

Emilio Sakraya’s Acting Career

Sakraya began appearing on screen at around nine years old. His early work included commercial appearances before he made his feature-film debut in the German production Zeiten ändern dich in 2010, a biographical film about rapper Bushido. The role introduced him to cinema and helped him secure further opportunities in German film and television.

From 2014, he played Tarik Schmüll in the Bibi & Tina film series. The popular youth films introduced him to a wider German audience and gave him recurring screen experience. He subsequently appeared in projects such as Rock My Heart (2017), a drama about a young woman with a heart condition who becomes involved in horse racing, and the horror film Heilstätten (2018).

His work also included crime dramas such as Tatort, where his performance in Das verschwundene Kind earned him a nomination for the Studio Hamburg Young Talent Award. These roles helped establish him as a versatile young actor capable of working across family films, thrillers, comedy and serious drama.

Emilio Sakraya Movies

Sakraya’s film career includes German-language productions and international releases. Some of his notable movies include:

• Zeiten ändern dich (2010): His feature-film debut, based on the life of German rapper Bushido.
• Bibi & Tina: Voll verhext! (2014): One of the films in which he played Tarik Schmüll.
• Rock My Heart (2017): A drama involving horse racing and a young woman facing a serious heart condition.
• Heilstätten (2018): A German horror film set in an abandoned sanatorium.
• Cold Feet (2018): A comedy in which Sakraya played Denis.
• The Salvation of the World as We Know It (2021): A drama directed by Til Schweiger.
• One Night Off (2021): A comedy in which he played a young man who must care for a baby.
• Dear Kurt (2022): A drama directed by Til Schweiger.
• Rheingold (2022): A crime drama directed by Fatih Akin, in which Sakraya portrayed rapper Xatar.
• Sixty Minutes (2024): A Netflix action film in which he played Octavio Bergmann, a mixed martial arts fighter racing against time to reach his daughter’s birthday.

His portrayal of Xatar in Rheingold was a particularly prominent role. The film follows the rapper’s journey from a difficult upbringing to the German music industry and brought Sakraya significant attention for his physical transformation and performance.

Emilio Sakraya TV Shows

Sakraya expanded his career beyond German cinema through roles in television dramas and streaming series. In 4 Blocks (2017), a crime series about an Arab family involved in organised crime in Berlin, he played Issam. The production received strong critical attention and helped strengthen his profile in German television.

His international breakthrough came with Netflix’s fantasy series Warrior Nun, in which he played JC. The series follows a young woman who discovers that she has been chosen to fight supernatural forces. Sakraya also starred in Tribes of Europa (2021), a post-apocalyptic science-fiction series set in a divided Europe.

He later appeared in Those About to Die (2024), a historical drama set in ancient Rome. His television work has allowed him to move between crime, fantasy, science fiction and historical storytelling, broadening his audience beyond Germany.

Emilio Sakraya’s Music Career and Albums

Music has been a central part of Sakraya’s life since childhood. He began releasing songs professionally in 2016, initially recording in English before focusing more heavily on German-language music. He performs under the name Emilio and writes songs that draw on pop, alternative and electronic influences.

His debut album, Roter Sand, arrived in September 2020. The album marked a major step in his development as a recording artist and demonstrated that music was not simply an occasional extension of his acting career.

He followed it with 1996 in 2022, named after his birth year. The album included personal songwriting and further developed his sound. In April 2024, he released Blessings, his third studio album, which continued his work as a singer and songwriter.

His earlier releases include “Down by the Lake,” “Bisschen allein,” “Berlin an der Spree” and “Drauf bist.” His music has given fans another way to engage with his work, while allowing him to express personal themes outside the characters he portrays on screen.

Emilio Sakraya’s Family and Child

Sakraya is the son of Meryem Moutaoukkil and a father of Serbian background. His parents separated during his childhood, and he was raised primarily by his mother. He has half-siblings, including actor Ilyes Raoul, although he does not frequently discuss his extended family in detail.

In 2024, Sakraya publicly revealed that he had become a father, explaining that he had kept the experience private for some time. He has not widely disclosed the identity of his child’s mother or shared extensive details about his child’s life.

His decision to maintain privacy around fatherhood reflects a broader approach to personal matters. While his acting and music careers are public, he generally keeps his family life away from constant media attention.

Sakraya was also linked romantically to Spanish singer Rosalía in 2025, when the pair were photographed together. He has not made his private relationships the centre of his public identity, and details should be treated carefully where there is no direct confirmation.

Emilio Sakraya’s Awards and Recognition

Sakraya received the European Shooting Stars award in 2022, a distinction that recognises emerging European actors with international potential. The award reflected the growing attention around his performances in German film and streaming productions.

His nomination for the Studio Hamburg Young Talent Award also recognised his work in television drama. Together, these milestones highlight the gradual development of a career that began in childhood and expanded into more demanding leading roles.

His combination of acting, music and martial arts has also helped distinguish him from performers who focus exclusively on one area of entertainment.

Conclusion

Emilio Sakraya has built a multifaceted career as a German actor and singer. From early appearances in German films to international productions such as Warrior Nun, Tribes of Europa and Sixty Minutes, he has steadily expanded his screen presence. His portrayal of Xatar in Rheingold further demonstrated his ability to take on demanding roles.

Outside acting, his albums Roter Sand, 1996 and Blessings establish him as a recording artist with an independent musical identity. As a father who keeps much of his personal life private, Sakraya continues to balance family matters with a career spanning film, television and music.