[4] In 1967, she made her debut as the whore Betty (later the Polly) in Erich Engel's production of Brecht's Dreigroschenoper.

[4][8] She obtained her stage maturity examination (Bühnenreifeprüfung) as a master student of Helene Weigel, Berliner Ensemble.

[4] In 1976, Thalbach moved with her partner Thomas Brasch to West Germany, because he was protesting against Wolf Biermann's expatriation.

[10] She had success with the role of Maria in Volker Schlöndorff's 1979 film adaptation of Grass' The Tin Drum.

[10] Since 1997, she was opera director, with productions of Mozart's Don Giovanni and Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen in Berlin.