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Halina Reijn is a renowned director, actress, author and producer. She is the winner of multiple awards, including the Dutch film Award, the Golden Calf for Best Actress , the Dutch theater awards Theo D'Or and Colombina, as well as the Courbois pearl, an oeuvre award which honours an actress who has made an indelible impression, both on stage as in film and television. Since 2017 she is also the proud owner of the Theo Mann-Bouwmeester Ring, an award to honour an actress who has contributed greatly to the Dutch theatre.

Her critically acclaimed directorial feature film debut INSTINCT (2019), starring Carice van Houten (GAME OF THRONES) and Marwan Kenzari (ALADDIN) has been selected for film festivals in Locarno (winner Variety Piazza Grande Award and special mention First Feature Competition), Toronto (world cinema competition), BFI Londen (Sutherland competition), Gent and Chicago, and is the foreign language Oscar submission of The Netherlands. INSTINCT is the first outing for Man Up, the production banner of Halina and Carice. MAN UP's goal is to create films and television drama with high current value and relevance, told from a female perspective. To explore darker, edgy stories that, through shame or fear, often remain untold. Quality, artistic integrity and openness to their audiences defines the productions of MAN UP.

Halina was professionally trained at the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts and in 1997 debuted on stage as Ophelia in Hamlet, directed by Theu Boermans. She continued to act on stage in such productions as Shopping & Fucking, Three Sisters, Mourning Becomes Electra, Hedda Gabler, La Voix Humaine, The Fountainhead and recently Obsession, opposite Jude Law. Halina works with internationally acclaimed director Ivo van Hove at the International Theatre Amsterdam, performing their plays all over the world. She starred in the Oscar nominated film ZUS & ZO, in Paul Verhoeven's critically acclaimed BLACK BOOK and in Bryan Singer's VALKYRIE, opposite Tom Cruise. She can also be seen in the Swedish series CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE, directed by Charlotte Brändström.

In 2005, her first novel Prinsesje Nooitgenoeg (Prometheus) debuted, followed by Halina: doen alsof ik iemand anders ben (Prometheus, 2009), Antiglamour (co-written with Carice van Houten, Nijgh & Van Ditmar, 2013), and Loos (Nijgh & Van Ditmar, 2016). She is working on film scripts and television series based on original ideas. In 2019, Halina was named one of 20 most influential people in the Dutch media by a leading Dutch newspaper. She writes columns for Dutch and Belgian magazines and newspapers and is regularly a co-host on one of the best watched daily news shows on Dutch TV.

Katja Herbers is the daughter of violinist Vera Beths and oboist Werner Herbers. Growing up she spent time in America, accompanying her mother on tour with the chamber music group L'Archibudelli. Her mother remarried cellist Anner Bylsma and her father remarried costume designer Leonie Polak, who introduced her to the theater. She had a Canadian au pair and learned to speak Dutch, German, and English growing up.

Herbers went to the Ignatius Gymnasium in Amsterdam. She studied psychology at the University of Amsterdam. During her psychology studies she attended the local theatre school De Trap. She moved to New York and went to the HB Studio. She then got accepted to the Theaterschool in Amsterdam.

During her studies, she starred in the films Pietje Bell (2002) and Brush with Fate (2003). After graduation, Herbers became a member of Johan Simons' Theater Company NTGent in Ghent. She then joined the renowned Munich Kammerspiele in Germany. She worked with directors such as Alex van Warmerdam, Ivo van Hove and Theu Boermans under whose direction she performed many Schnitzler plays, including his monologue Fräulein Else, for which she received rave reviews. In 2013, she won the Guido de Moor Award for young talent, for her portrayal of Irina in Chekhov's Three Sisters. She played a lead role in Theu Boermans' The Chosen, which won an International Emmy and the prestigious Prix D'Europe.

Katja is also a gifted singer and has performed Im Wunderschönen Monat Mai - a composition inspired by the great Schubert and Schumann songs by Reinbert de Leeuw especially written for an actress.

While achieving many successes on stage, Katja continued filming as well. She worked with the Oscar Nominated and International Emmy Awarded Director Ben Sombogaart on the Dutch blockbuster feature De storm (2009). Critics raved about her portrayal of the Dutch Queen (then Princess) Maxima in the mini-series Beatrix, Oranje onder Vuur (2012). Rudolf van den Berg directed her in the feature film Süskind (2012), in which she played the right hand of Dutch war hero Walter Süskind, who helped escape over a thousand children during World War II. Jelle de Jonge directed her in the romantic comedy Love Over Distance (2017), which she co-wrote.

Really all of Holland knows her for her portrayal of the emotionally unstable but lovable Joyce in the TV hit series Divorce (2012), which glues a record breaking 25% of all Dutch television viewers to the screen every Sunday evening.

Internationally, Katja is known for playing physicist Helen Prins on Sam Shaw's Manhattan (2014). She had a recurring role on season three of FX's The Americans (2013). She played Dr. Eden on the final season of HBO's The Leftovers (2014), and starred opposite Mark Duplass in Manhunt (2017).

In 2018 she joined HBO's Westworld (2016) as Grace/Emily.

Katja divides her time between Los Angeles, New York and Amsterdam.

Cleft-chinned, steely-eyed and virile star of international cinema who rose from being "the ragman's son" (the name of his best-selling 1988 autobiography) to become a bona fide superstar, Kirk Douglas, also known as Issur Danielovitch Demsky, was born on December 9, 1916 in Amsterdam, New York. His parents, Bryna (Sanglel) and Herschel Danielovitch, were Jewish immigrants from Chavusy, Mahilyow Voblast (now in Belarus). Although growing up in a poor ghetto, Douglas was a fine student and a keen athlete and wrestled competitively during his time at St. Lawrence University. Professional wrestling helped pay for his studies as did working on the side as a waiter and a bellboy. However, he soon identified an acting scholarship as a way out of his meager existence, and was sufficiently talented to gain entry into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his Broadway debut in "Spring Again" before his career was interrupted by World War II. He joining the United States Navy in 1941, and then after the end of hostilities in 1945, returned to the theater and some radio work. On the insistence of ex-classmate Lauren Bacall, movie producer Hal B. Wallis screen-tested Douglas and cast him in the lead role in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). His performance received rave reviews and further work quickly followed, including an appearance in the low-key drama I Walk Alone (1947), the first time he worked alongside fellow future screen legend Burt Lancaster. Such was the strong chemistry between the two that they appeared in seven films together, including the dynamic western Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), the John Frankenheimer political thriller Seven Days in May (1964) and their final pairing in the gangster comedy Tough Guys (1986). Douglas once said about his good friend: "I've finally gotten away from Burt Lancaster. My luck has changed for the better. I've got nice-looking girls in my films now."

After appearing in "I Walk Alone," Douglas scored his first Oscar nomination playing the untrustworthy and opportunistic boxer Midge Kelly in the gripping Champion (1949). The quality of his work continued to garner the attention of critics and he was again nominated for Oscars for his role as a film producer in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and as tortured painter Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), both directed by Vincente Minnelli. In 1955, Douglas launched his own production company, Bryna Productions, the company behind two pivotal film roles in his career. The first was as French army officer Col. Dax in director Stanley Kubrick's brilliant anti-war epic Paths of Glory (1957). Douglas reunited with Kubrick for yet another epic, the magnificent Spartacus (1960). The film also marked a key turning point in the life of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who had been blacklisted during the McCarthy "Red Scare" hysteria in the 1950s. At Douglas' insistence, Trumbo was given on-screen credit for his contributions, which began the dissolution of the infamous blacklisting policies begun almost a decade previously that had destroyed so many careers and lives.

Douglas remained busy throughout the 1960s, starring in many films. He played a rebellious modern-day cowboy in Lonely Are the Brave (1962), acted alongside John Wayne in the World War II story In Harm's Way (1965), again with The Duke in a drama about the Israeli fight for independence, Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), and once more with Wayne in the tongue-in-cheek western The War Wagon (1967). Additionally in 1963, he starred in an onstage production of Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," but despite his keen interest, no Hollywood studio could be convinced to bring the story to the screen. However, the rights remained with the Douglas clan, and Kirk's talented son Michael Douglas finally filmed the tale in 1975, starring Jack Nicholson. Into the 1970s, Douglas wasn't as busy as previous years; however, he starred in some unusual vehicles, including alongside a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in the loopy western comedy The Villain (1979), then with Farrah Fawcett in the sci-fi thriller Saturn 3 (1980) and then he traveled to Australia for the horse opera/drama The Man from Snowy River (1982).

Unknown to many, Kirk has long been involved in humanitarian causes and has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the US State Department since 1963. His efforts were rewarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1981), and with the Jefferson Award (1983). Furthermore, the French honored him with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. More recognition followed for his work with the American Cinema Award (1987), the German Golden Kamera Award (1987), The National Board of Reviews Career Achievement Award (1989), an honorary Academy Award (1995), Recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999) and the UCLA Medal of Honor (2002). Despite a helicopter crash and a stroke suffered in the 1990s, he remained active and continued to appear in front of the camera. Until his passing on February 5 2020 at the age of 103, he and Olivia de Havilland were the last surviving major stars from the Golden Years of Hollywood.

Arthur Freed discovered Lucille when she was working in a nightclub doing a specialty dance act, and decided to cast her as Rose Smith in Meet Me in St. Louis, and began building up her career which never really took off despite being put in 3 big musical productions at MGM. When she married, she decided to retire.

Paul Verhoeven graduated from the University of Leiden, with a degree in math and physics. He entered the Royal Netherlands Navy, where he began his film career by making documentaries for the Navy and later for TV. In 1969, he directed the popular Dutch TV series, Floris (1969), about a medieval knight. This featured actor Rutger Hauer, who has appeared in many of Verhoeven's later films. Verhoeven's first feature, Wat zien ik (1971) (trans. "What do I See?"), was released in 1971. However, it was his second, Turkish Delight (1973), with its combination of raw sexuality and a poignant story-line, that gained him great popularity in the Netherlands, especially with male audiences. When his films, especially Soldier of Orange (1977) and The 4th Man (1983), received international recognition, Verhoeven moved to the US. His first US film was Flesh+Blood (1985) in 1985, but it was RoboCop (1987) and, especially, Total Recall (1990) that made him a big box office success. Sometimes accused of portraying excessive violence in his films, Verhoeven replies that he is only recording the violence of society. Verhoeven has co-scripted two of his films: Soldier of Orange (1977) and Flesh+Blood (1985). He also directed an episode of the HBO The Hitchhiker (1983) TV series. Several of his films have been photographed by Jost Vacano, including the hit cult film, Starship Troopers (1997), starring Casper Van Dien.

Jeroen Krabbe was born in Amsterdam to a family of painters. His grandfather was a famous impressionist, his father a talented artist and his mother a qualified interpreter responsible for translating Dutch films into English. He was destined to be a painter but after high school and a year of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts decided at 17 to change to acting and became the youngest pupil to be accepted at Toneel School - the Academy of Performing Arts'. He graduated in 1965 and spent 6 years in repertory theatre distinguishing himself in classical and contemporary roles such as Bierowne in 'Loves Labours Lost', Cassio in 'Othello' and Chance Wayne in 'Sweet Bird of Youth'. In the early 7-'s he formed his own theatre group and toured in such as 'Relatively Speaking'and 'How the Other Half Loves'. He established himself at the top of the tree when he directed'The Diary of Anne Frank'in which he starred as Otto Frank which became one of the biggest successes of the Dutch stage.He also had his own chat show on Dutch television and a music programme on radio. After playing a leading role in Paul Verhoeven's 'Soldier of Orange' on radio he left for America to play opposite Rock Hudson in the television series 'World War Three' then two films with Paul Verhoeven 'spotters' and Fourth Man' His performance in the latter won him the 'Vittorio de Sica prize in Italy and a special award at the film festival at Avoriazi in Spain. He decided to return to the academy of Fine Arts to see how good a painter he was . After 3 years of painting, filming and stage acting he graduated from the academy and decided to quit the theatre in favour of painting and film making. He was given an exhibition together with his father and grandfather at the Singler Museum in Laren which was a huge success and established him as a true painter.

After his career as a child actor, Meeno moved into photography, and has shot covers for major recording artists and ad campaigns for national brands. He's assisted by his wife and they travel with their two daughters, who he calls "his muses". He's also worked with politicians and, as he says, "all manner of real work-a-day folk".

Gijs Blom is one of the most promising young actors in The Netherlands. At the age of 17, he played the lead role in the critically acclaimed film Boys, directed by Mischa Kamp. The film was shown at multiple international film festivals and was eventually bought by Netflix. For his role in Boys, Gijs earned a nomination for a Gouden Kalf award for Best Actor at The Netherlands Film Festival. He also appeared in the feature film Nena directed by Saskia Diesing, and he played the lead role in Pijnstillers, based on the book by Carry Slee, for which he won the Sir-Peter Ustinov Newcomer Award at the Luca Film Festival.

Gijs also stands out across the European border. He featured in Netflix's The Letter for the King as the warmongering prince of the realm, Viridian. This year, he stars in Matthijs van Heijningen's The Forgotten Battle, a WWII saga written by Paula van der Oest which tells the story of a young Dutch man who goes off to fight for Hitler. He also leads an international cast in David Verbeek's 'Dead & Beautiful', which premiered in Februari 2021 at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Jonas Smulders was born on 15 January 1994 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He is an actor and director, known for Tex (2017), Obesk (2022) and The Dinner (2013).

Whoopie Van Raam was born in Amsterdam and grew up in The Netherlands, Spain and the UK. After graduating as a classical pianist from the Conservatoire in The Netherlands she went on to train as an actor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Interested in Martial Arts she frequently follows intense Muay Thai training programs in Thailand.

She most recently played opposite Jason Statham in Meg 2: The Trench directed by Ben Wheatley for Warner Bros, which came out during the 2023 SAG strike.

Renée Soutendijk was born on 21 May 1957 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. She is an actress, known for Suspiria (2018), Eve of Destruction (1991) and Private Resistance (1985). She is married to Thed Lenssen. They have two children.

Susan Radder was born on 20 March 1999 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She is an actress, known for The Forgotten Battle (2020), Oogappels (2019) and Bestseller Boy (2022).

Raymond Thiry is a European actor. He started out in theatre in 1987 with his theatre group Alex d'Electrique, a well known group with success in the Netherlands as well as in Germany.

After starring in several prime time TV series, he takes up the lead in 2006 in the art house film Langer Licht by David Lammers and receives a prestigious Golden Calf Nomination at the Dutch Filmfestival. In 2009 he wins this same award for his brilliant work in Winter in Wartime (Martin Koolhoven) and in 2015 he is again awarded, for his role in Blood , Sweat & Tears (2015) by Diederick Koopal.

Raymond impresses as Luther in the Dutch Crime series Penoza (Diederik van Rooijen). He also starred in the feature film Wolf , the Dutch nomination for the European Film Awards in 2014 and in The Paradise Suite (Joost van Ginkel), submitted for Best Foreign Language at the Oscars in 2016. In 2016 Raymond worked on several films like Een Echte Vermeer by Rudolf van den Berg and the last season of Penoza.

Languages: Dutch, German, English

Raymond Thiry is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

At the age of twelve, Tygo was seen on television for the first time in a promotion video to get the Olympic Games to the Netherlands. His role in the youth series Fort Alpha (1996) made him famous in the Netherlands. After that, many guest appearances followed, as well as leading parts in television series like De garage (2000), Van Speijk (2006) and Schnitzelparadijs - De serie (2008). Tygo starred in feature films Wasted! (1996), De dominee (2004), A Thousand Kisses (2006) and Dunya & Desie (2008). For his leading role in the feature film Godforsaken (2003), Tygo was granted with a Golden Calf (the Dutch Oscars) for Best Actor in 2003. In 2005 he won a Golden Calf for his role in the feature film Het schnitzelparadijs (2005), but this time he shared the award with his four co-stars.

On stage, he is starring the leading role in the successful theatre production RAAF (2009).

Tygo is a professional voice actor, giving sound to many Disney animation characters.

Edward Van Halen was a musician who along with his brother Alex Van Halen, and Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth, formed the band Van Halen in the early '70s, with Eddie on guitar, Alex on drums, Michael on bass and David on vocals. The band had different members over the years, but the core (brothers Edward and Alex) stuck together.

Tara Elders was born on 17 January 1980 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. She is an actress, known for Interview (2007), Sextet (2007) and May 6th (2004). She has been married to Michiel Huisman since February 2008. They have one child.

Willeke van Ammelrooy was born on 5 April 1944 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. She is an actress and director, known for The Lake House (2006), Antonia's Line (1995) and 't Schaep Met De 5 Pooten (1969). She has been married to Marco Bakker since 20 November 1989.

Maja van den Broecke was born on 16 June 1956 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She is an actress, known for Vrouwenvleugel (1993), Gwang tin lung fo wooi (1989) and Looking for Eileen (1987).

Maarten Heijmans is an Emmy Award winning actor from The Netherlands. Born in Amsterdam he was active in children's theatre and choir performances. From 2003 he attended the Amsterdam Theatre School and Arts Academy for four years. Since then he has been in film, television and theatre. In 2015 he won the International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his performance of the title role in the Dutch drama series Ramses (2014).

Holly Mae Brood was born on 25 November 1994 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. She is an actress, known for Amsterdamned 2 (2025), The Takeover (2022) and Dare (2017).

Cindy Kimberly was born on 16 November 1998 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She is an actress, known for Lake George (2025), Kygo Feat. DNCE: Dancing Feet (2022) and Tyga & YG & Santana: Mamacita (2019).

Bianca Stigter was born in 1964 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. She is a writer and producer, known for Three Minutes: A Lengthening (2021), Widows (2018) and 12 Years a Slave (2013). She is married to Steve McQueen. They have two children.

Maas Bronkhuyzen was born on 26 February 2001 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He is an actor, known for Mike Says Goodbye! (2012), Dolfje Weerwolfje (2011) and Bellicher (2010).

Wimie Wilhelm was born on 21 August 1961 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. She was an actress and director, known for Black Book (2006), Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005) and Koen Kampioen (2012). She died on 16 September 2023 in Netherlands.

Benja Bruijning's (1983) star-turn in the Dutch romantic comedy Family Way (2012) opposite Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones) marked his break through to a wide audience.

From an early age on Benja has played roles in various films and TV series such as The Cave and Poet on the Zeedijk. After graduating from the Academy of Dramatic and Performing Arts in Amsterdam in 2008, Benja landed roles in several popular Dutch TV series and films. He is the star of Dutch box office hits such as the romantic comedies Street of Hearts and Gift from the Heart and plays one of the lead roles in the critically acclaimed show Fighter's Heart, about K1 fighters, which has been picked up for a second season and is the Dutch submission for the International Emmy Awards.

Benja is also at home on stage - he played lead roles in the Dutch stage adaptations of Rain Man, Much Ado About Nothing, Monsters, Lulu and performed in a play written by himself: Not Meant That Way. His recent projects included a lead role in two seasons of the TV series Black Tulip, the Dutch feature film The Fury (De Helleveeg) and the television film The Return of the Honey Buzzard.

In 2017 he played the lead role in TV series Dr. Anne's Men and the second season of Fighter's Heart.