HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Famke Beumer Janssen (; born ) is a Dutch actress. She played
Xenia Onatopp Xenia Zaragevna Onatopp (russian: Ксения Сергеевна Онатопп, Kseniya Sergeevna Onatopp) is a fictional character and Bond girl in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye'', played by actress Famke Janssen. She is a fighter pilot a ...
in '' GoldenEye'' (1995), Jean Grey / Phoenix in the ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2014), and Lenore Mills in the ''Taken'' film trilogy (2008–2014). In 2008, she was appointed a
Goodwill Ambassador Goodwill ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a publ ...
for Integrity by the United Nations. She made her directorial debut with '' Bringing Up Bobby'' in 2011. She is also known for her roles in the Netflix original series '' Hemlock Grove'' (2013–2015), FX’s ''
Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...
'' (2003–2010), and ABC's '' How to Get Away with Murder'' (2014–2020). Janssen starred in the 2017 NBC crime thriller '' The Blacklist: Redemption''.


Early life and education

Famke Beumer Janssen was born in
Amstelveen Amstelveen () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands with a population of 92.353 as of 2022. It is a suburban part of the Amsterdam metropolitan area. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the historical villag ...
, the Netherlands. She has two sisters, director
Antoinette Beumer Antoinette Beumer (born Janssen; 1962) is a Dutch film director. She is notable for having directed the 2010 films '' The Happy Housewife'' and ''Loft''. Biography Beumer was born as Antoinette Janssen in Nieuwer-Amstel, North Holland, the Ne ...
and actress Marjolein Beumer, both of whom changed their surnames to Beumer after their parents divorced. In addition to her native Dutch, Janssen speaks English and French. She learned German, but has not kept up with it. Following her high school graduation, Janssen studied economics for a year at the
University of Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...
, which she later called "the stupidest idea I ever had." In the early 1990s, she enrolled at
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
's School of General Studies to study creative writing and literature.


Career


Modelling and early 1990s

In 1984, Janssen moved to the United States to begin her professional career as a fashion model. She signed with Elite Model Management and worked for Yves Saint Laurent,
Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer. He first gained notoriety working for Cerruti and then for many others, including Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expande ...
,
Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chane ...
, and
Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing, and beauty retailer known for high visibility marketing and branding, starting with a popular catalog and followed by an annual fashion show with supermodels dubbed Angels. As the largest ...
. She starred in a 1988 commercial for the perfume Exclamation by
Coty, Inc. Coty Inc. is an American-French multinational beauty company founded in 1904 by François Coty. With its subsidiaries, it develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes fragrances, cosmetics, skin care, nail care, and both professional and reta ...
Her looks have been compared to 1940s movie stars like
Hedy Lamarr Hedy Lamarr (; born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; November 9, 1914 January 19, 2000) was an Austrian-born American film actress and inventor. A film star during Hollywood's golden age, Lamarr has been described as one of the greatest movie actress ...
. After retiring from modelling in the early 1990s, Janssen had guest roles on several television series, including a starring role in the 1992 '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "
The Perfect Mate "The Perfect Mate" is the 21st episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', the 121st overall. The episode was credited to Gary Percante and Michael Piller from a story by Per ...
", as empathic metamorph Kamala, opposite
Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor who has a career spanning seven decades in various stage productions, television, film and video games. He has been nominated for Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actors ...
, with whom she later starred in the ''X-Men'' film series. That same year, Janssen was offered the role of Jadzia Dax in ''
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...
'', but turned it down to pursue film roles. Her first film role was alongside Jeff Goldblum in the 1992 crime drama film ''
Fathers & Sons Father and Son or Fathers and Sons may refer to: Literature * ''Father and Son'' (book), a 1907 memoir by Edmund Gosse * Father and Son (comics), cartoon characters created by E. O. Plauen * ''Fathers and Sons'' (novel), an 1862 novel by Ivan Tu ...
''.


1990s

In 1995, Janssen appeared in
Pierce Brosnan Pierce Brendan Brosnan (; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He is best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 ('' GoldenEye'', '' Tomorro ...
's debut
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
film, ''GoldenEye'', as ''
femme fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype o ...
'' Xenia Onatopp. She appeared in ''
Lord of Illusions ''Lord of Illusions'' is a 1995 American neo-noir supernatural horror film written and directed by Clive Barker, based on his own short story "The Last Illusion" published in 1985 in the anthology ''Books of Blood'' Volume 6. The same story introd ...
'' with
Scott Bakula Scott Stewart Bakula (; born October 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in two science-fiction television series: as Sam Beckett on '' Quantum Leap'' and as Captain Jonathan Archer on '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. For ''Quantu ...
. In an attempt to fight against
typecasting In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...
after her Bond girl performance, Janssen began seeking out more intriguing support roles, appearing in
John Irvin John Irvin (born 7 May 1940) is an English film director. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, he began his career by directing a number of documentaries and television works, including the BBC adaptation of John le Carré's '' Tinke ...
's ''
City of Industry City of Industry is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is almost entirely industrial, containing over 3,000 businesses employing 67,000 people, with only 264 residents as of t ...
'',
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's ''
Celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in spor ...
'',
Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New ...
's ''
The Gingerbread Man The Gingerbread Man (also known as The Gingerbread Boy) is a fairy tale about a gingerbread man's escape from various pursuers until his eventual demise between the jaws of a fox. "The Gingerbread Boy" first appeared in print in the May 1875, is ...
'', and Ted Demme's ''
Monument Ave. ''Monument Ave.'', originally titled ''Snitch'' in the United States and titled ''Noose'' in Australia, is a 1998 American neo-noir crime film directed by Ted Demme and starring Denis Leary. The film also stars Famke Janssen, Martin Sheen, Ian ...
''
Denis Leary Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. A native of Massachusetts, Leary first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song "Asshole") and throu ...
, her co-star in ''Monument Ave.'', was impressed by how easily she blended in, initially not recognizing her, as she was already in character. In the late 1990s, she appeared in ''
The Faculty ''The Faculty'' is a 1998 American science fiction horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, B ...
'', '' Rounders'', ''
Deep Rising ''Deep Rising'' is a 1998 American action horror film written and directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Treat Williams, Famke Janssen and Anthony Heald. It was distributed by Hollywood Pictures and Cinergi Pictures and released on February ...
'', and '' House on Haunted Hill''.


''X-Men'' films

In 2000, Janssen played
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
Dr. Jean Grey in the
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...
film ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
''. She later reprised the role in the 2003 sequel, '' X2'', where her character shows signs of increasing powers, but at the end of the film, she is presumably killed. Janssen returns as Jean, whose death in ''X2'' awoke her dark alternate personality, Phoenix, in '' X-Men: The Last Stand'' (2006). For that role, she won a
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress The following is a list of Saturn Award nominees and winners for Best Supporting Actress, which rewards the best female supporting performance in a genre film. Anne Ramsey and Tilda Swinton are the only actresses to win this award multiple tim ...
. She returned as Jean in the 2013 film '' The Wolverine'' as a hallucination of Wolverine, followed by a brief cameo for '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'' (2014).


2002–present

In 2002, Janssen landed the role of villainess Serleena in '' Men in Black II'', but had to abandon the film due to a death in her family and was replaced by Lara Flynn Boyle. Janssen had a prominent role in the second season of the TV series ''
Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...
'', as the seductive and manipulative life coach Ava Moore, which earned her Hollywood Life's Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award. She reprised her role in the final two episodes of the series. In 2007, she starred in ''
Turn the River ''Turn the River'' is a 2007 drama film written and directed by Chris Eigeman. It stars Famke Janssen, Jaymie Dornan, Rip Torn, Matt Ross, Lois Smith, Marin Hinkle, Terry Kinney, Jordan Bridges, and Ari Graynor. The film debuted at the Hamptons ...
'', for which she was awarded the Special Recognition Best Actress Award at the
Hamptons International Film Festival The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is an international film festival founded in 1992, by Joyce Robinson. The festival has since taken place every year in East Hampton, New York. It is usually an annual five-day event in mid-October ...
. The following year, she starred in Luc Besson's ''Taken''. Janssen continued to work in television, appearing in TV pilots for NBC's police drama ''Winters'' and Showtime's ''The Farm'', a spinoff of ''
The L Word ''The L Word'' is a television drama that aired on Showtime from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated with Ile ...
'' set in a women's prison. Both pilots were rejected by their networks. Janssen provided the
Dutch language Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language, after its close relatives German and English. '' Afrikaans'' ...
narration for the Studio Tram Tour at all
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
theme parks. In 2011, Janssen made her directorial debut with the drama '' Bringing Up Bobby''. She wrote the screenplay to the film, which stars
Milla Jovovich Milica Bogdanovna Jovovich; sr-Latn, Milica Bogdanovna Jovović; russian: Милица Богдановна Йовович; uk, Милиця Богданoвна Йовович ( ; born December 17, 1975), known professionally as Milla Jovo ...
, Bill Pullman, and Marcia Cross. She reprised her role as Lenore Mills in '' Taken 2'' (2012) and '' Taken 3'' (2014). She starred as the main villain Muriel in '' Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters'' (2013). Janssen has starred in the Netflix original horror thriller television series '' Hemlock Grove'' since 2013, wherein she plays the role of family matriarch Olivia Godfrey. Janssen had a recurring role in the ABC crime thriller television series '' How To Get Away With Murder'', appearing in 10 episodes throughout the series, beginning her role in season two of the show and concluding it in the series finale. Janssen was cast in a starring role in the NBC crime thriller, '' The Blacklist: Redemption'', a spin-off of the NBC series '' The Blacklist'', in March 2016; it was picked up to series in May 2016. In 2019, she served as a juror for the
Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. Tribeca was f ...
. Also in 2019, Janssen joined Jeffrey Dean Morgan in '' The Postcard Killings'', which was released in 2020. In 2021, Janssen will star in the Christian romantic drama film ''
Redeeming Love ''Redeeming Love'' is a historical romance novel by Francine Rivers set in the 1850s Gold Rush in California. The story is inspired by the Book of Hosea from the Bible, and its central theme is the redeeming love of God towards sinners. In 202 ...
'' and the upcoming action-thriller '' Dangerous''. In a March 2021 interview, she revealed to
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
some details about her involvement with the live action adaptation of ''
Saint Seiya , also known as ''Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac'' or simply ''Knights of the Zodiac'' (translated from the French title ''Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque''), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. It w ...
'', a popular anime and manga. Janssen declared that filming was supposed to take place in Europe the previous year, but production had been postponed twice due to the Coronavirus pandemic. She also hinted that she will play one of the main characters, but did not specify their name.


Personal life and activism

In 1995, Janssen married writer and director
Kip Williams Kip Williams is an Australian theatre and opera director. Williams is the current Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company. His appointment at age 30 made him the youngest artistic director in the company's history. Biography Williams has be ...
, son of architect Tod Williams. They divorced in 2000. She has stated that she does not want to have children. Janssen appeared with her dog, Licorice, a brindle
Boston Terrier The Boston Terrier is a breed of dog originating in the United States of America. This "American Gentleman" was accepted in 1893 by the American Kennel Club as a non-sporting breed. Color and markings are important when distinguishing this breed f ...
, in a 2007
PETA Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, a ...
campaign to raise awareness for animal rights. The campaign used the slogan "Be an Angel for Animals." On 28 January 2008, she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for Integrity for the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC; French: ''Office des Nations unies contre la drogue et le crime'') is a United Nations office that was established in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the ...
at a United Nations anticorruption conference held in Nusa Dua,
Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and ...
. In 2016, Janssen showed frustration in not being cast in the new ''X-Men'' movie '' X-Men: Apocalypse'', saying Hollywood was sexist toward older women. She said, "Women, it's interesting because they're replaced, and the older versions are never to be seen again... whereas the men are allowed to be both ages."


Filmography


Film


Television


As director

* '' Bringing Up Bobby'' (2011), as director, producer, writer


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Janssen, Famke Age controversies 1960s births Living people 20th-century Dutch actresses 21st-century Dutch actresses HIV/AIDS activists Dutch expatriates in the United States Dutch female models Dutch film actresses Dutch television actresses Dutch people of Frisian descent People from Amstelveen Columbia University School of General Studies alumni