Kees Brusse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kees Brusse
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Brusse in 1978
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| Born | 26 February 1925 Rotterdam, Netherlands
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| Died | 9 December 2013 (aged 88) Laren, Netherlands
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| Occupation | Actor Film director |
| Years active | 1936–2004 |
Kees Brusse (born February 26, 1925 – died December 9, 2013) was a famous Dutch actor, film director, and writer. He taught himself how to act. He was special because he acted in a very natural way. At that time, most actors in the Netherlands performed in a more dramatic, theatrical style. Kees Brusse was one of the first Dutch actors to work successfully in plays, movies, TV, radio, and even commercials. He appeared in 47 films and TV shows between 1936 and 2004. Some of his well-known works include Pension Hommeles (1957-1959), Ciske de Rat (1955), and Dokter Pulder zaait papavers (1975).
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Acting
Kees Brusse was born in Rotterdam, a city in the Netherlands. His father, M.J. Brusse, was a writer and journalist. His mother, Antje Ebes, was an opera singer. His parents divorced when he was young. Kees started acting when he was very little. At just 11 years old, he made his first movie appearance in Merijntje Gijzens Jeugd.
A Career on Stage and Screen
When he was 15, Kees ran away from home to become an actor. He wasn't accepted into drama school. Instead, he became a helper at a theater company in Amsterdam. He made his first stage performance in 1941. He played Pietje Puck in a play called Boefje, which his own father had written.
After World War II ended, Brusse performed in a cabaret show. He also traveled to Switzerland and Indonesia with his theater group. In the years that followed, he became a very popular actor. His acting style was different from others. It was more natural and calm, while other Dutch actors often used big movements and dramatic voices. He worked with many different theater groups. From 1952 to 1954, he was the artistic leader of the Rotterdamse Comedie. There, he worked with Mieke Verstraete, who later became his wife.
In 1950, he played the main character in the movie De dijk is dicht. He had leading roles in four of the only eleven Dutch movies released in the 1950s. One of these was Ciske de Rat (1955). This movie is still one of the most watched films in the Netherlands.
From Radio to Television Stardom
Kees Brusse was one of the first Dutch actors to be successful in plays, movies, radio, TV, and commercials all at once. He became very well known to the Dutch public through the radio show De familie Doorsnee (1952-1958). He also starred in Pension Hommeles (1957-1959), which was the first real Dutch TV series. Both of these popular shows were written by Annie M. G. Schmidt. In 1964 and 1965, he played the main character in the Dutch TV version of Maigret. In both Pension Hommeles and Maigret, his wife at the time, Mieke Verstraete, played the role of his character's wife.
In 1962, he directed his first movie, Kermis in de regen. In the same year, he also directed the actors in Paul Rotha's film The Silent Raid. His documentary Mensen van morgen (1964) showed a picture of young people in the early 1960s. It was praised for being very honest. Two years later, he made a German version of this documentary.
In the 1970s, he had leading roles in several films by Wim Verstappen and Pim de la Parra. These included Blue Movie (1971), VD (1972), and Dakota (1974). He also starred in Bert Haanstra's 1975 film Dokter Pulder zaait papavers. This movie was shown at a big film festival in Berlin. Around the same time, he was a regular guest on the game show Wie van de drie. This was the Dutch version of the American show To Tell the Truth. He also appeared in commercials for companies like Shell and Zwitserleven.
Between 1981 and 1985, he starred in Mensen zoals jij en ik. This was a series of short stories based on a German TV show.
In 2002, he released a personal documentary called Vader is zo stil de laatste tijd. It was about getting older. In 2004, he was one of the main actors in the TV drama series De Erfenis.
Personal Life and Later Years
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Kees Brusse was married five times and had two children. From 1948 to 1953, he was married to Pam Henning. In 1954, he married actress Mieke Verstraete, and they had a daughter. In 1975, he married Marlou Peters, and they also had a daughter.
In 1986, he married Sonja Boerrigter. In 1988, they left the Netherlands and lived in places like Bonaire, France, and Australia. Sonja died in 2000. He spent his last years in Perth, Australia, with his fifth wife, Joan St. Clair. In 2008, he briefly returned to the Netherlands for the release of his autobiography. This book was written with Henk van der Horst. Kees Brusse suffered from a lung disease called emphysema and was officially declared blind.
In January 2013, he moved back to the Netherlands. He lived in the Rosa Spier Huis, which is a retirement home for famous Dutch artists. He passed away on December 9, 2013, at the age of 88.
Awards and Special Recognition
For his work in Mensen zoals jij en ik, Kees Brusse won the 1982 Gouden Televizier-Ring. This is the most important award in the Netherlands for TV shows, chosen by the public. In 1987, he was made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau. This is a special honor given by the Dutch government.
Selected Films
- Merijntje Gijzens Jeugd (1936)
- De Dijk is Dicht (1950)
- Ciske de Rat (1955)
- Kleren Maken de Man (1957)
- Jenny (1958)
- Blue Movie (1971)
- Dakota (1974)
- Dokter Pulder zaait papavers (1975)
- Rooie Sien (1975)
- The Right to Know (1996)
- Man, Vrouw, Hondje (1999)
