Halina Reijn
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Halina Reijn (; born 10 November 1975) is a Dutch actress, writer and film director.


Early life and education

Halina Reijn was born on 10 November 1975 in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
,
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, to Fleur ten Kate and Frank Volkert Reijn (1931-1986). Reijn's parents were both artists. She is the middle child of three daughters, with an older sister named Leonora and a younger named Esther. Her father was
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
despite being in a
heterosexual Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to ...
marriage with her mother. Reijn grew up in an
anthroposophy Anthroposophy is a spiritualist movement founded in the early 20th century by the esotericist Rudolf Steiner that postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world, accessible to human experience. Followers ...
household, and her parents were followers of the
Subud Subud (pronounced ), acronym of Susila Budhi Dharma, is an international, interfaith spirituality, spiritual movement that began in Indonesia in the 1920s, founded by Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo (1901–1987). The basis of Subud is a spir ...
spiritual movement. In her early years, she grew up in a "
Pippi Longstocking Pippi Longstocking ( sv, Pippi Långstrump) is the fictional main character in an eponymous series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Pippi was named by Lindgren's daughter Karin, who asked her mother for a get-well story wh ...
" house with her family in the tiny village of
Wildervank Wildervank is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Veendam, about 3 km south of the centre of Veendam itself. It was founded in 1647 by Adriaan Geerts Wildervanck as a peat colony in the Wilderv ...
,
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...
, which attracted many artists. They lived without television and never visited the cinema, instead they played music, drew and painted; her father built a theater room with a podium and
flats Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), ...
for her. When she was around six or seven years old she and one of her sisters wanted to join the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, to the shock of their parents. After they relented, the children would go to Sunday school, and when Reijn was twelve she was baptised. Reijn developed an interest in acting when her babysitter brought her along for a showing of ''
Annie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...
'', a film adaptation of the Broadway musical, at a local theater when she was six. She stated, "When I saw ''Annie'', I thought, I want that too. I was very jealous of her." With help of her mother, she joined a youth theater in
Veendam Veendam () is a town and municipality with a population of 27,752 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Veendam was established in 1648 as a peat colony by Adriaan Geerts Wildervanck. A Holland America Line cruise ship ...
. Reijn found it inadequate and thought the other children did not take it seriously enough, which led her mother to pursue an audition with the theater collective ''De Voorziening'' (precursor to the ) despite her young age. When she was ten years old, and a year after her parents had amicably separated, her father died suddenly from suffocation caused by undiagnosed
pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of an pulmonary artery, artery in the lungs by a substance that has moved from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream (embolism). Symptoms of a PE may include dyspnea, shortness of breath, chest pain p ...
. Following her father's death, the family moved to a newly built neighborhood of
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...
in order to escape the isolation. She would spend her teenage years at the Vooropleiding Theater in Groningen, which was a grueling youth academy with a highly selective group, where they were giving lessons and had to rehearse every midday.


Career

Halina Reijn was professionally trained at the
Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts The Toneelacademie Maastricht, institute of performative arts is a college of dramatic arts located in the city of Maastricht in the Netherlands. It is part of the Zuyd University (Zuyd Hogeschool). The school is housed in a former Protestant orph ...
, where she graduated in 1998. In the middle of her second year in
Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
, she was asked to join the ensemble at the where she was offered the role of
Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends up in ...
in ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'', Subsequently, Theu Boermans, the
artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...
, offered her a permanent place at the collective. Among her other performances for De Trust, her portrayal of Lulu in ''
Shopping and Fucking ''Shopping and Fucking'' (sometimes billed as ''Shopping and F**king'') is a 1996 play by English playwright Mark Ravenhill. It was Ravenhill's first full-length play. It received its first public reading at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 1 ...
'' she received the prestigious Dutch theater prize, the
Colombina Columbina (in Italian Colombina, meaning "little dove"; in French and English Colombine) is a stock character in the ''commedia dell'arte''. She is Harlequin's mistress, a comic servant playing the tricky slave type, and wife of Pierrot. Rudli ...
, as "Best Supporting Actress" in 1998. She also had parts in ''
The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...
'', '' De laatsten'', '' Koons'' and ''Adel Blank'', the latter one was a co-production with . Throughout her student years, she had various minor roles on the
small screen Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
, and a lead role in ', a thirteen-part comedy series on the Veronica channel, that ran for a single season. She also had a role in a short called ''Temper! Temper!'' written and directed by
Frank Lammers Frank Lammers (born 10 April 1972) is a Dutch television and film actor. In 2006, he won a "Best Actor" Golden Calf for his work in ''Nachtrit ''Nachtrit'' (English ''Night Run'' or ''Night Ride'') is a 2006 Netherlands thriller film about t ...
, which was part of Kort Rotterdams, a five-part series highlighting common elements of
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
's society. In 1998, Reijn branched out into film, with the adaption of the
Jan Wolkers Jan Hendrik Wolkers (26 October 1925 – 19 October 2007) was a Dutch author, sculptor and painter. Wolkers is considered by some to be one of the "Great Four" writers of post-World War II Dutch literature, alongside Willem Frederik Hermans, Ha ...
's short story ''De wet op het kleinbedrijf'', where she had a principal role in the
television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
. The following year she starred in her first in ', an initiative started by the NPO in 1998 to produce films for public television, ''
De Trein van zes uur tien '' De Trein van zes uur tien '' is a 1999 Dutch thriller film directed by Frank Ketelaar. Cast *Peter Paul Muller ... Onno Staling *Roeland Fernhout ... Alex Bickers * Rifka Lodeizen ... Merel Dankmeijer *Halina Reijn ... Mieke Volkers *Rud ...
'', a Dutch thriller directed by that was broadcast by
AVRO AVRO, short for Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep ("General Association of Radio Broadcasting"), was a Dutch public broadcasting association operating within the framework of the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep system. It was the first public broad ...
. It was part of the 2000s
Cologne Conference The Film Festival Cologne (formerly: Cologne Conference) is an international Film and Television Festival that takes place annually in Cologne, Germany. With about 10.000 visitors, the Film Festival Cologne is considered as the best attended festi ...
, where it was selected among the ten programmes at the TopTen section of the festival. That same year she played a bit part as a sex worker in
Martin Koolhoven Martinus Wouter "Martin" Koolhoven (born 25 April 1969) is a Dutch film director and screenwriter. Internationally he is most known for ''Schnitzel Paradise'' (2005), '' Winter in Wartime'' (2008) and '' Brimstone'' (2016), which was his first f ...
's breakout film, Suzy Q, which featured Reijn's lifelong friend
Carice van Houten Carice Anouk van Houten () is a Dutch actress and singer (born 5 September 1976 in Leiderdorp). Her first leading role in the television film '' Suzy Q'' (1999) won her the Golden Calf for Best Acting in a Television Drama; two years later, she ...
in the title role. Despite its warm critical reception and launching the careers of the people involved, the movie was never released on home video, in theaters or shown outside its home country due to music license issues with artists like
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
and
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
among others. Reijn made her big screen acting debut in ''
De Omweg '' De Omweg '' is a 2000 Dutch film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, per ...
'' (also known as "The Detour"), a semi-autobiographical drama directed and written by Frouke Fokkema. It opened in Dutch theaters on 7 November 2000. On 1 January 2001, 3 years after Reijn joined, De Trust would fuse with another theater company named ''Art & Pro'', they would continue under the new name of de Theatercompagnie. The fusion, however, did not prove fruitful in the long term, the newly formed company was steeped in financial difficulties, infighting between the co-founders, overworked actors and in the later years there would be conflict with the government over subsidies. Further that year, she would star in
Nanouk Leopold Nanouk Leopold (born 25 July 1968) is a Dutch film maker. She graduated from Dutch film school in 1997, starting off by making films for Dutch television. In 2001, she released her first feature film ''Îles flottantes'' (''"Floating Islands''), a ...
's directorial debut,
tragicomedy Tragicomedy is a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragedy, tragic and comedy, comic forms. Most often seen in drama, dramatic literature, the term can describe either a tragic play which contains enough comic elements to lighten the ov ...
', it follows the dysfunctional lives of three friends who all recently turned thirty. The lowbudget film was part of No More Heroes, an initiative started in order to produce films from upcoming Dutch filmmakers. The film was selected for and first premiered at the 2001's
International Film Festival Rotterdam The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Since its foundation in 1972, it has maintained a focus on independent and experimental fi ...
, where it was nominated for the Tiger Award. Between her two film releases in 2001, she also participated in ''De acteurs'', a seven part weekly series where fourteen young actors were interviewed and paired up with each other to rehearse scenes from a miniseries created by
Kim van Kooten Kim van Kooten (born 26 January 1974 in Purmerend, North Holland) is a Dutch actress and screenwriter. In international cinema, she is best known for the 2003 Dutch/US co-production ''Phileine Says Sorry'', filmed partly in New York City, in wh ...
. that same year, Reijn gained further notoriety with her role in the tragicomedy, ''
Zus & Zo ''Zus & Zo'' is a 2001 Dutch film directed by Paula van der Oest. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Plot The film deals with three sisters stopping their gay brother's new bride from inheriting the family hot ...
'', alongside De Trust peers, which was written and directed by
Paula van der Oest Paula van der Oest (born 1965) is a Dutch film director and screenwriter. Her 2001 film '' Zus & Zo'' was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. With her final exam at the Dutch Film and Television Academy, ''Zinderend' ...
. The movie revolves around three sisters trying top stop their gay brother from marrying a woman and in doing so securing the family's seaside estate for his own. Reijn played the unsuspecting fiancée. The movie was nominated for
Academy Award for Best International Feature Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...
at the
75th Academy Awards The 75th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 23, 2003, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonl ...
, even though it received mixed reviews. She also starred in her second short, ''Flicka'', as the title role, in which she played a computer programme who is in relationship with a lonely building supervisor, it was produced as part of NTR . And lastly she appeared in the
VARA Vara or VARA may refer to: Geography *Vara (river), in Liguria, Italy * Vara Parish, former municipality in Tartu County, Estonia * Vara, Estonia, village in Peipsiääre Parish, Tartu County, Estonia * Vara Municipality, municipality in western S ...
TV Movie ''Herschreven vriendschap''. In 2002, Reijn featured in four projects. First she played a minor part in
Frank Van Passel Frank Van Passel (born 23 June 1964) is a Belgian film director and producer. In 1995, he made his directorial film debut with ''Manneken Pis'', which premiered at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival and won the Mercedes-Benz Award, Grand Golden Rail, A ...
's ''
Villa des Roses ''Villa des Roses'' is a 2002 film by Frank Van Passel, adapted from the 1913 novella by Belgian writer Willem Elsschot and starring Julie Delpy, Shaun Dingwall, Shirley Henderson, Timothy West, Harriet Walter and Albert Delpy. It won Best Featu ...
'', her first role in an English/French language international co-production, based on the novel of the same name by
Willem Elsschot Alphonsus Josephus de Ridder (7 May 1882 – 31 May 1960), was a Belgian writer and poet who wrote under the pseudonym Willem Elsschot (). One of the most prominent Flemish authors, his most famous work, ''Cheese'' (1933) is the most translated ...
. Her next two projects were on television with the short TV drama ''De afrekening'' and the TV Movie ''Ware Liefde''. She also had a very small role in ''
Moonlight Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes. Illumination The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ful ...
'', Paula van der Oest's follow-up movie, an English-language thriller. Meanwhile, back on stage she performed her first role for
Toneelgroep Amsterdam Toneelgroep Amsterdam is the largest repertory company in the Netherlands. Its home base is the Amsterdam Stadsschouwburg, a classical 19th century theatre building in the heart of Amsterdam. History The Dutch Company Toneelgroep Amsterdam sta ...
, with Ivo van Hove as director she took on the role of courtesan Poppea in '' Con Amore''. At the time, while she was still connected with De Trust, she got 'loaned out' to TGA. For De Theatercompagnie she returned to the role of Ophelia in Hamlet, a character she played previously, for a new rendition of the Shakespearean classic. In 2003, she joined the ensemble at
Toneelgroep Amsterdam Toneelgroep Amsterdam is the largest repertory company in the Netherlands. Its home base is the Amsterdam Stadsschouwburg, a classical 19th century theatre building in the heart of Amsterdam. History The Dutch Company Toneelgroep Amsterdam sta ...
, under the direction of future long-time collaborator
Ivo van Hove Ivo van Hove (born 28 October 1958) is a Belgian theatre director known as the artistic director of Toneelgroep Amsterdam in the Netherlands and for his Off-Broadway avant-garde experimental theatre productions. On Broadway, he has directed re ...
. Around that time she also completed her final performance for De Theatercompagnie, with a new production of ''
The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises t ...
'', where she played Nina. In her first year, with the Toneelgroep Amsterdam, she starred in two plays: She played Irina in the '' Three Sisters'', based upon the play of
Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
of the same name, and
Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier ...
's ''
Mourning Becomes Electra ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...
'', a co-production with the Toneelschuur, for the latter performance, in which she played Lavinia, she was nominated for a
Theo d'Or The Theo d'Or is a Dutch acting award, given annually to the actress with the most impressive leading role of the theater season. It is awarded by the Vereniging van Schouwburg- en Concertgebouwdirecties (VSCD), the main trade organisation for the ...
for "Best Female Actress" in 2004. On television she starred in two telefilms, she played Ewouds's girlfriend in ''Boy Ecury'' and Hostess Patty in ''Het wonder van Máxima'', they were aired on public television on 2 and 9 April respectively. Reijn had three big screen releases in 2003. Her first appearance was as Polleke's mother, Tina, in the
family film A children's film, or family film, is a film genre that contains children or relates to them in the context of home and family. Children's films are made specifically for children and not necessarily for a general audience, while family films are ...
Polleke ''Polleke'' is a 2003 Dutch family film, based on the children's book by Guus Kuijer. It received a Golden Film for 100,000 visitors. The book ''Camera loopt... Actie!'' by Bibi Dumon Tak Margaretha Anna (Bibi) Dumon Tak (born 21 December ...
, a film adaption of
Guus Kuijer Guus Kuijer (; born 1 August 1942) is a Dutch author. He wrote books for children and adults, and is best known for the ''Madelief'' series of children's books. For his career contribution to "children's and young adult literature in the broadest ...
's children's book. At first, she was bewildered why she approached by director Ineke Houtman for the role of Polleke's mother, at the time she viewed herself too young to play a mother, but later accepted the role when delving into the character's story. The movie premiered on October, 11 as the opening film of the Cinekid festival. Her next feature film was with director-writer
Alex van Warmerdam Alex van Warmerdam (born 14 August 1952) is a Dutch screenwriter, film director, and actor. He is also a painter. Life and career Van Warmerdam was born in Haarlem, a city in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. He was cofounder of ...
, called ''
Grimm Grimm may refer to: People * Grimm (surname) * Brothers Grimm, German linguists ** Jacob Grimm (1785–1863), German philologist, jurist and mythologist ** Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), German author, the younger of the Brothers Grimm * Christia ...
'', in which she had the female leading role. The story is loosely based on
Grimm Brothers The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...
's ''
Brother and Sister "Brother and Sister" (also "Little Sister and Little Brother"; German: ''Brüderchen und Schwesterchen'') is a European fairy tale which was, among others, written down by the Brothers Grimm (KHM 11). It is a tale of Aarne–Thompson Type 450. In ...
'', in which a brother and sister are abandoned by their father in a forest; in a note their mother urges them to go to Spain to meet up with their uncle. The movie was first shown at SSIF, before released nationwide in the Dutch theaters in early December. Compared to the directors earlier work, ''Grimm'' was a critical and financial disappointment. Dissatisfied with the original cut, director Alex van Warmerdam together with editor
Job ter Burg Job ter Burg (born 13 September 1972 in Maarn) is a Dutch film editor, best known for his long-term collaborations with directors Martin Koolhoven, Paul Verhoeven and Alex van Warmerdam. He was invited to join the Film Editors Branch of the Acad ...
went back to the original and reworked the entire film. The new cut premiered at 2019's
Netherlands Film Festival The Netherlands Film Festival ( nl, Nederlands Film Festival) is an annual film festival, held in September and October of each year in the city of Utrecht. During the ten-day festival, Dutch film productions and co-productions are exhibited. Be ...
. Reijn then starred in Maarten Treurniet's directorial debut ''
Father's Affair ''Father's Affair'' ( nl, De Passievrucht) is a 2003 Dutch drama film. It received a Golden Film award for 100,000 visitors and a Golden Calf According to the Bible, the golden calf (עֵגֶל הַזָּהָב '' ‘ēgel hazzāhāv'') was ...
'', where she played Ellen, the girlfriend of
Peter Paul Muller Peter Paul Muller (born 30 May 1965) is a Dutch actor and voice actor. In 2017, Muller won the Golden Calf for Best Actor award for his role as South African lawyer Bram Fischer in the film '' Bram Fischer''. Career Television Muller made ...
's character and best friend of his deceased wife, who is notified by his GP that he is infertile, which leads to a desperate search for the biological father of his fourteen-year-old son. For her performance as Ellen, Reijn was nominated for best actrice at the Golden Calfs. In March 2004, both ''Polleke'' and ''Father's Affair'', were awarded the Golden Film by the Netherlands Film Festival for having sold 100,000 tickets at the box office. Compared to her previous years, 2004 was a year of rediscovery and recuperation for Reijn. During a production of ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' she approached and told Ivo van Hove: "Take me out of everything, remove me from all your plans, because I can't handle it anymore". She started to resent her work and needed a time-out from her work, friends and home. She was granted unpaid leave by Toneelgroep Amsterdam. In April of that year, on invitation of
Renée Missel Renee C. Missel (born 1947) is a Canadian-born film producer and former photojournalist who has been active since the 1970s. She is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Motion Picture Academy, and serves as a judge f ...
, who she met at the
Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
that spring, she travelled to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. While staying in
Los Feliz LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significance ...
, and with a scholarship of the VandenEnde Foundation and Fonds Podiumkunsten, she attended an actors and directors lab under the guidance of Judith Weston. The following year, she returned to the stage with
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...
'', where she played the title character. The new interpretation of the play received glowing reviews, Reijn in particular got acclaim for her part as Katherina. Reijn also took part in ''Masterclass'', a
hidden camera A hidden camera or spy camera is a camera used to photograph or record subjects, often people, without their knowledge. The camera may be considered "hidden" because it is not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another obje ...
fake documentary-style television film written and directed Hans Teeuwen. It follows
Pierre Bokma Pierre Henri Martin Bokma (born 20 December 1955 in Paris) is a Dutch stage, television and film actor. Bokma received his professional training at the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts. In November 2007 he won an International Emmy Award fo ...
playing as himself giving a
master class A master class is a Class (education), class given to students of a particular Academic discipline, discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are b ...
together with his reclusive former mentor
Peer Mascini Petrus Johannes Maria "Peer" Mascini (23 March 1941 – 16 May 2019) was a Dutch actor and writer. He is well known for his work in Blind Date (1996) and De eenzame oorlog van Koos Tak (1996). He was a recipient of Golden Calf award. Career ...
to six theatre students. In the film, Reijn is one of the actors interviewed about their previous experiences with Mancini, the actors involved, however, aren't made aware that they are secretly being recorded. Also in 2005, she starred in
Erik de Bruyn Erik de Bruyn (born 27 October 1962) is a Dutch film director and actor. His 2000 film '' Wild Mussels'' was entered into the 23rd Moscow International Film Festival. Selected filmography * ''Mates Mates is an English surname, and may refer ...
's poetry short ''Lentelied'', based upon the poem ''Frühlingslied'' by J.C. van Schagen. In 2006, she starred in '' A Thousand Kisses'', directed by
Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen (Arnhem, 13 November 1957 – Amsterdam, 27 September 2005) was a Dutch film director. He made his acting debut in the 1986 Academy Award-winning movie '' The Assault''. His directing debut came in 1990, with th ...
, the final film before his death. It was released on March 9 in Dutch theaters. That same week, ''Huis van de toekomst'' (House of the Future) had its premiere at the Compagnietheater, Amsterdam. The multimedia play, written and directed by Carina Molier, stars a group of actors living in Big Brother-style house playing fictionalized versions of intellectuals, who Molier had previously interviewed, engaging in a science experiment. The piece also included video that was recorded prior and the actors could be viewed from every angle by the audience, who were also followed by a camera crew. Reijn played a media expert named Anna Tabaknikova that was based on Maja Kuzmanovic. She next played as the central character in ''
Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been can ...
''. In contrast with other portrayals, Reijn approached the character in a more messy, unkept way who is more direct and frank in her dealings with others. While her performance received praise, the play itself was viewed less favourably. Reijn then starred in '' Black Book'', a World War II drama-thriller co-written and directed by
Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch director, producer and screenwriter, active in the Netherlands, France and the United States. His blending of graphic violence and sexual content with social satire is a trademark of both his dram ...
and co-starring Carice van Houten and
Sebastian Koch Sebastian Koch (born 31 May 1962) is a German television and film actor. He is known for roles in the 2007 Academy Award-winning film ''The Lives of Others'', in Steven Spielberg's '' Bridge of Spies'', and as Otto Düring in the fifth season of ...
. Set in Nazi occupied Netherlands, the film featured her as Ronnie, an opportunist who prioritizes her own luxury and survival during the war in contrast with Rachel Steinn (van Houten), a Jewish woman on the run, who gets involved with the Dutch resistance. She originally auditioned for the lead role, but was passed over in favour of van Houten and was given the part of Ronnie instead; Verhoeven found her appearance a better match for the latter character, they wanted a softer less pronounced look for the protagonist. The international co-production, with a total production cost of 21 million dollars, is the most expensive Dutch film every made. The movie had its world premiere at the 63rd Venice Film Festival, where it was nominated for the
Golden Lion The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguishe ...
. It was the 2007's Dutch entry for the Academy Awards as Best Foreign Language Film, but was not selected. For her performance, she was nominated for her second Golden Calf and a
Rembrandt Award The Rembrandt Award was a Dutch film award. Initially created in 1993, it was not awarded between 1999 and 2006, but was recreated in 2007 by René Mioch.. It has not been awarded since 2015. 2007 *''Zwartboek'' – Best Dutch Film * Daniël ...
. She would return to the stage with ''
Oresteia The ''Oresteia'' ( grc, Ὀρέστεια) is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BCE, concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of th ...
'', where she portrayed the character of Elektra under the direction of
Johan Simons Johan Simons (born 1 September 1946) is a Dutch theatre director. Simons received his education at the Rotterdam Dance Academy and the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts. He also taught directing in Maastricht for a number of years. Since 200 ...
. ''Oresteia'' was collaboration between TGA and the Belgian theatre company NTGent. Following a three-year absence of the play, she would reprise her role in ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' for a new season in the first half of 2007. Also that spring, at the
57th Berlin International Film Festival The 57th Berlin International Film Festival was held from 8 to 18 February 2007. The opening film of this year's festival was Olivier Dahan’s '' La Vie En Rose''. ''Angel'' by François Ozon served as the closing night film. American director ...
, Reijn was one of the actors selected by the
European Film Promotion European Film Promotion (EFP) is an international promotion organisation and a unique network of 38 national film promotion institutes who represent films and talent from their respective territories. Under the EFP flag, the members team up on in ...
for the annual
Shooting Stars Award The Shooting Stars Awards are presented annually by the pan-European network organization European Film Promotion (EFP) to emerging actors from Europe. "Shooting Stars" is an initiative of the EFP for the international promotion and networking of p ...
. Her next film role was in Tamar van den Dop's first feature film, '' Blind''. In the film she played a withdrawn
albino Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albino. Varied use and interpretation of the term ...
woman, whose face is fully scarred and who has severe insecurities about her appearance that one day gets hired to read for a recently gotten blind man. The role was noted to be a departure for Reijn, at the time she was primarily known for portraying extroverted characters. In 2008, she portrayed
Margarethe von Oven Margarethe von Oven (11 March 1904, Berlin – 5 February 1991, Göttingen) was a secretary in the Bendlerblock and an accomplice in the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Early life Margarethe's parents were Prussian nobility. Her ...
in ''
Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997:36) ...
'' starring
Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...
. In 2010 she starred as Lara in ', the Dutch version of the Israelian ''
BeTipul ''BeTipul'' ( he, בטיפול; lit. ''In Therapy'') is an Israeli television drama revolving around the personal and professional life of an Israeli psychologist, Reuven Dagan, played by Assi Dayan. The series portrays a psychologist who treats ...
'', and in two Dutch book adaptions. '' De Eetclub'', directed by
Robert Jan Westdijk Robert Jan Westdijk (born 2 November 1964) is a Dutch film director. He was born in Utrecht. His 1995 directorial debut film, '' Little Sister'', won a Golden Calf for Best Feature Film. Filmography *'' Little Sister'' (1995, released in Dutch as ...
and '' Isabelle'' by director Ben Sombogaart. In the summer of 2011 Halina is added to the cast of '' Goltzius & The Pelican Company'', directed by
Peter Greenaway Peter Greenaway, (born 5 April 1942) is a Welsh film director, screenwriter and artist. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Flemish painting in particular. Common traits in his films are th ...
. In 2013 she plays the title role in the weekly TV series '' Charlie'', a Dutch remake of Showtime's ''
Nurse Jackie ''Nurse Jackie'' is an American medical comedy-drama television series. It premiered on Showtime on June 8, 2009, and its seventh and final season premiered on April 12, 2015. The series finale aired on June 28, 2015. The show stars Edie Fal ...
''. In 2014 she could be seen in box office hit '' Pak van mijn hart'', a romantic comedy for the holiday season. In 2016/2017 she could be seen in the musical film '' De Zevende Hemel'', It was released in theaters to a mixed critical reception. On stage in the play '' Obsession'' next to
Jude Law David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He received a British Academy Film Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, two Tony Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2007, he received an Honorary Césa ...
, this play was a coproduction between
Toneelgroep Amsterdam Toneelgroep Amsterdam is the largest repertory company in the Netherlands. Its home base is the Amsterdam Stadsschouwburg, a classical 19th century theatre building in the heart of Amsterdam. History The Dutch Company Toneelgroep Amsterdam sta ...
and the
Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhi ...
London. In 2019 she released ''
Instinct Instinct is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behaviour, containing both innate (inborn) and learned elements. The simplest example of an instinctive behaviour is a fixed action pattern (FAP), in which a v ...
'', her debut feature as a film director starring Carice van Houten in the leading role. The film won the Variety Piazza Grande Award and received a special mention for best first feature at the
Locarno Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, s ...
and was selected as the Dutch entry for the
92nd Academy Awards The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 2019 and took place on February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, beginning at 5:00  ...
. Following the release of Reijn's English-language directorial debut, ''
Bodies Bodies Bodies ''Bodies Bodies Bodies'' is a 2022 American black comedy horror film directed by Halina Reijn (in her English-language debut) and with a screenplay by Sarah DeLappe from a story by Kristen Roupenian. It stars Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, M ...
'',
A24 A24 is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. It is based in New York City. A24 was founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges. Pr ...
acquired rights for the film.


Personal life

Reijn has a close friendship with fellow Dutch actress
Carice van Houten Carice Anouk van Houten () is a Dutch actress and singer (born 5 September 1976 in Leiderdorp). Her first leading role in the television film '' Suzy Q'' (1999) won her the Golden Calf for Best Acting in a Television Drama; two years later, she ...
, whom she has known since about 1994. They worked together in movies ''Black Book'' and ''Valkyrie''. In 2013 the two published a book together called ''Anti Glamour'', a (mock)
style guide A style guide or manual of style is a set of standards for the writing, formatting, and design of documents. It is often called a style sheet, although that term also has multiple other meanings. The standards can be applied either for gene ...
and a celebration of their friendship, as well as a candid look into the unglamourous back-stage side of their lives. Although the two occasionally kiss on camera, and have joked about being lesbians, there is no actual romantic involvement.


Filmography


Film

Directorial credits * ''
Instinct Instinct is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behaviour, containing both innate (inborn) and learned elements. The simplest example of an instinctive behaviour is a fixed action pattern (FAP), in which a v ...
'' (2019) * ''For the Birds'' (2021) (short) * ''
Bodies Bodies Bodies ''Bodies Bodies Bodies'' is a 2022 American black comedy horror film directed by Halina Reijn (in her English-language debut) and with a screenplay by Sarah DeLappe from a story by Kristen Roupenian. It stars Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, M ...
'' (2022)


Television

TV movies


Theatre


References


External links


Halina Reijn at Toneelgroep Amsterdam

Homepage Halina Reijn

Interview with Halina Reijn at european-films.net
*
Halina Reijn
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Reijn, Halina 1975 births 20th-century Dutch actresses 21st-century Dutch actresses Actresses from Amsterdam Dutch film actresses Dutch film directors Dutch screenwriters Dutch stage actresses Dutch television actresses English-language film directors Golden Calf winners Living people Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni