Inside Vienna Blood actor's romance with famous co-star on BBC ...

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Inside Vienna Blood actors romance with famous costar on BBC

Vienna Blood series four will see a familiar face return in Therese Thanhofer - but what about the actress who plays her, Maria Kostlinger, and her romance with co-star Juergen Maurer?

Juergen Maurer, known for his role as Oskar Rheinhardt in the BBC drama Vienna Blood, is set to return to our screens at 9pm tonight (Sunday, August 4) with a fresh mystery for the detectives to solve.

Matthew Beard and Juergen Maurer will once again portray the crime-solving duo Doctor Max Liebermann and Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt, investigating a double murder involving an arms dealer in police custody and a high-ranking public official.

However, series three sees the return of a familiar face who could play a crucial role in the plot - Therese Thanhofer. Therese is the former love interest of Oskar and will be involved in a plot that could involve turmoil that could bring down the Austro-Hungarian Empire?

Off-screen, actress Maria Kostlinger, who plays Therese, the former love interest of Oskar, is in a relationship with Juergen. Here's what we know about her and their relationship.

Who is Maria Köstlinger?

Acting duo Juergen Maurer and Maria Koestlinger (Image: Gisela Schober/Getty Images)

Born in Stockholm, Sweden on July 6, 1972, the Austrian actress is the daughter of tenor Josef Köstlinger and his Swedish wife Kerstin. The family relocated to Salzburg when Kostlinger was two years old.

Köstlinger began her respectable theatre career when she was hired by the Salzburg State Theater in 1994. Since 1996, she has been part of the ensemble at the Theater in der Josefstadt, where she made her debut in Barfu im Park.

Maria has featured in various TV shows including Spuren des Bosen Schande, Vorstadtweiber, Tatort: Gier, Die Chefin and Vienna Blood.

In 2011, Maria Köstlinger received a nomination for the prestigious Nestroy Theater Prize as best actress.

The actress tied the knot with fellow actor and director Karlheinz Hackl in 1997, and the couple welcomed a daughter into their lives. Sadly, Karlheinz Hackl passed away on June 1, 2014.

How Maria Köstlinger and Juergen Maurer met

Oskar Rheinhardt (Juergen Mauerer) with Therese Thanhofer (Maria Kostlinger) on Vienna Blood (Image: BBC/Endor Productions/MR Film/Petro Domenigg)

Before his relationship with Maria, Juergen Maurer was romantically involved with Sonja Romei, with whom he shares a daughter, the actress Mara Romei.

Maria Köstlinger and Juergen Maurer's romance blossomed in 2016, and they both starred in the hit series Vorstadtweiber. When they went public with their relationship, they shared with Krone: "Love is excellent. We are doing great, thank you. Yes, we love each other very much,".

This year saw the couple sharing the stage in Yasmin Reza's play 'James Brown Wore Curlers', which delves into the life of a boy named Jacob who has seen himself as Celine Dion since the tender age of five and is currently in a clinic.

Reflecting on their joint performance as parents, Maria Köstlinger expressed: "It's just really, really nice that we're getting the chance to play together. You're nervous, but you always are anyway."

She also added, "It is also particularly great that we are playing together for the first time at the Austrian premiere of Yasmina Reza's play."

Who does Maria Köstlinger play in Vienna Blood?

Maria Kostlinger will return to Vienna Blood series four (Image: BBC)

In the acclaimed series Vienna Blood, Maria Köstlinger portrays Therese Thanhofer, who encounters Oskar by chance. The spark between Therese and Oskar ignites, leading them to date and enjoy an outing to the "moving pictures" to watch Queen of Carthage.

The film's leading lady, Ida Rego, tragically died both on and off screen simultaneously.

In a shocking twist during the sixth episode, Oskar visits Therese's home for a romantic date, only to discover another man in her house - her husband. Heartbroken, Oskar departs from the house, cursing his unfortunate love life.

Juergen, discussing his character and the impact of Therese on the storyline, revealed: "Therese Thanhofer comes back into the story, having dumped him, at the end of Series 3. It's exciting when she enters his life again, but it's also going to cause trouble for him, specifically within the case, as she plays a key role in the plot."