Carice van Houten

Carice Anouk van Houten, born on 5 September 1976, is a highly accomplished Dutch actress. Her initial breakthrough came with the television film Suzy Q (1999), where she secured her first leading role and earned the prestigious Golden Calf for Best Acting in a Television Drama. Just two years later, she further showcased her talent, winning the Golden Calf for Best Actress for her role in Miss Minoes (2001).


Van Houten's career reached new heights with her remarkable performance in Black Book (2006), the most commercially successful Dutch film to date. This achievement earned her a second Golden Calf for Best Actress, along with nominations from esteemed organizations such as the Chicago Film Critics Association, the European Film Academy, and the Online Film Critics Society. Notably, her exceptional acting skills also garnered her a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Valkyrie (2008).


The actress continued to shine, securing her fourth and fifth Golden Calf Awards for Best Actress for The Happy Housewife (2010) and Black Butterflies (2011). Venturing into English-language films, she left a lasting impact with roles in Repo Men (2010), Black Death (2010), and Brimstone (2016).


Van Houten's international acclaim reached its pinnacle with her portrayal of Melisandre in the HBO television series Game of Thrones (2012–2019). This role not only brought her widespread recognition but also earned her nominations for two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Her contributions to the world of acting reflect a career marked by versatility and excellence.


Van Houten originated in Leiderdorp. Growing up, she immersed herself in silent films, expressing a preference for enacting scenes devoid of verbal exchanges in a given interview. She possesses a younger sibling, Jelka van Houten, who also pursues a career in acting. Her paternal grandmother hailed from Scottish roots. Van Houten attended St. Bonifatiuscollege (secondary school) in Utrecht, where she assumed the protagonist's role in Hugo Claus' Tijl Uilenspieghel, under the direction of Ad Migchielsen. Although Van Houten briefly enrolled at the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts, she chose to further her professional training after a single year at the Kleinkunstacademie in Amsterdam.

Acting career

Van Houten took on her inaugural leading role in Martin Koolhoven's television production, Suzy Q. Her portrayal of Suzy earned her a Golden Calf, alongside the Pisuisse Award and Top Naeff Award for her prowess in stage acting. Adding to her accolades, she secured another Golden Calf for her role as the feline-turned-woman in Miss Minoes (2001).


The first glimpse of her on U.S. screens came with the limited release of Martin Koolhoven's AmnesiA.Van Houten's triumphs continued as she clinched a Golden Calf for her performance as Rachel Stein in Black Book (2006) at the Netherlands Film Festival. Director Paul Verhoeven praised her in a television interview, declaring her the most talented actress he had ever worked with.


He distinguished her from Sharon Stone, stating, "Carice can really act." The global press echoed their enthusiasm for her role in Black Book.In December 2006, van Houten withdrew from a theater production by Alex van Warmerdam due to personal reasons attributed to work overload, as stated by a theater spokesperson.


The year 2008 saw her in the non-commercial short film Zingen in het donker (Singing in the Dark), addressing domestic violence. She graced the pages of Vanity Fair's March 2008 issue, photographed by Wayne Maser. Despite her role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Body of Lies, her scenes were omitted from the final cut of the movie.


Announcements in April 2009 revealed van Houten's involvement in Black Death by British director Christopher Smith, the Dutch film Komt een vrouw bij de dokter (Stricken), and the science fiction thriller Repo Men.July 2011 marked van Houten's casting as the priestess Melisandre in HBO's Game of Thrones, garnering her acclaim and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Noteworthy is her self-submission and payment of entry fees for Emmy consideration, attracting media attention after HBO did not do so on behalf of the actors.


She also received three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2014, 2016, and 2017. In 2012, van Houten featured in Antony and the Johnsons' "Cut the world" video, directed by Nabil Elderkin, alongside Willem Dafoe and Marina Abramović.


Her 2019 endeavor, Instinct, directed by Halina Reijn, showcased van Houten as a prison therapist infatuated with a serial rapist patient. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, earning the Variety Piazza Grande Award and representing the Dutch submission for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards. Guy Lodge of Variety praised van Houten's "electrifying form" and Reijn's direction, likening it to her breakthrough in Black Book.Van Houten lent her voice to the Dutch version of Steve McQueen's 2023 film De Bezette Stad.


Van Houten's romantic involvement centers on Australian actor Guy Pearce, a connection forged during their collaboration on Brimstone. In August 2016, their union welcomed the arrival of their son, Monte Pearce. Prior to her relationship with Pearce, she was romantically involved with German actor Sebastian Koch, whom she met on the set of the 2006 film Black Book.


Linguistically versatile, Van Houten fluently communicates in Dutch, English, German, and French.Expressing her sentiments toward Hollywood, Van Houten revealed that the environment does not bring her joy: "I have seen Hollywood, and although I have nothing against it, it's not my kind of life. My agent is shocked that I want to stay in Europe," she remarked. "If Hollywood offers me a great part, of course, I'll take it, but I just don't want to live there.


In terms of companionship, Van Houten has cultivated a lasting friendship with fellow Dutch actress Halina Reijn since 1994. Their collaborative ventures include Black Book and Valkyrie. In 2013, the duo co-authored a book titled Anti Glamour, a satirical style guide and a celebration of their camaraderie. The publication provides a candid glimpse into the less glamorous aspects of their backstage lives.

References

1.  "Zwartboek beste film aller tijden – Cinema.nl Nieuws" (in Dutch). Cinema.nl. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
2. ^ "Carice – vijfde Gouden Kalf" [Carice – Fifth Golden Calf]. NOS (Dutch Broadcast Foundation) (in Dutch). 1 October 2011. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017. Actrice Carice van Houten heeft vanavond voor de vijfde keer een Gouden Kalf gewonnen. Het is nog nooit eerder voorgekomen dat een Nederlandse actrice vijf Gouden Kalveren won.
3. ^ "Carice van Houten". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
4. ^ Van Houten, Carice (5 April 2013). "College Tour" (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Twan Huys. Amsterdam: NTR. 3:00 minutes in. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
5. ^ Slater, Lydia (5 March 2010). "Euro star: Carice van Houten". London Evening Standard.
6. ^ Fitzherbert, Elizabeth (1 April 2011). "An Actress Suffering Butterflies". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
7. ^ Rooney, David (25 March 2001). "Amnesia". Variety. Retrieved 7 October 2006.
8. ^ Winnaars Gouden Kalveren 2006 Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine, 6 October 2006. Retrieved 7 October 2006.
9. ^ De Wereld Draait Door Archived 13 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine, 7 September 2006
10. ^ Stigter, Bianca (4 September 2006). "Carice van Houten slaat in als een bom" [Carice van Houten hits like a bomb] (in Dutch). NRC newspaper. Archived from the original on 7 January 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2006.