Margit Carstensen (Kiel, February 29, 1940 – Heide, June 1, 2023) was a German actress and an iconic figure of the New German Cinema. Her career is inextricably linked to her collaboration with director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, for whom she was a favorite actress, interpreting complex and tormented female characters. She achieved international fame with her leading role in *The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant* (1972), which was followed by other memorable performances in films such as *Martha* (1974), *Fear of Fear* (1975), and *Chinese Roulette* (1976). Also predominantly active in theater, she worked on Germany's most prestigious stages, from Hamburg to Berlin. After Fassbinder's death, she continued to work with directors such as Christoph Schlingensief and Leander Haußmann. Throughout her career, she received major awards, including the Deutscher Filmpreis and the Bayerischer Filmpreis for Best Actress, culminating in 2019 with the Götz-George-Preis for lifetime achievement.