Career
She appeared in more than 170 films between 1906 and 1955. She was one of the few German actress of the era to enter film without having stage experience. Her father, Franz Porten, was also an actor and film director
In 1921, she remarried, to Wilhelm von Kaufmann.
When she resolved on emigration, she was denied an exit visa to prevent a negative impression. She made ten films during the Nazi era.
Her placid and reassuring persona helped calm audiences confronted with Allied bombardment. She starred in the 1924 film Gräfinance Donelli, which was directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst.