Mary Dresselhuys facts for kids
Mary Dresselhuys (born January 22, 1907 – died May 19, 2004) was a famous Dutch actress. She was mostly known for her amazing work on stage. She also acted in a few movies. Mary was born in Tiel, a city in the Netherlands. She passed away in Amsterdam.
Mary Dresselhuys had a very long acting career. She played over 150 different characters! People often called her the Queen of Comedy. She was so dedicated that she kept acting even when she was in her 90s. When she was 80, she asked Paul Haenen to write a play for her. It was called Een bijzonder prettig vergezicht (which means 'A particularly pleasant view'). In this play, she acted alongside her daughter, Petra. At 85, she appeared in the movie Eline Vere. When she turned 90, she returned to the stage. She performed a show looking back at her career, again with Paul Haenen.
Becoming an Actress
Mary Dresselhuys loved acting from a young age. She started performing while she was still a student in high school. During her school breaks, she often stayed with her grandmother in The Hague. She used every chance she got to visit the theatre. She always tried to get a front-row seat.
By the time she was a teenager, Mary had already seen about 200 plays. She kept a special notebook throughout her life. In it, she wrote notes about the plays and actors she watched. This showed how much she loved the theatre.
Drama School Days
After finishing high school, Mary spent six months at an English boarding school. When she returned, she secretly took an entrance exam. It was for the Toneelschool, which is a drama school in Amsterdam. Her parents did not know she was doing this. She passed the exam and was accepted into the school.
Mary graduated from drama school in 1929. She quickly got her first acting job. It was in a play called Men trouwt geen meisjes zonder geld. This means 'One Doesn't Marry Girls Without Money'. From 1931 to 1945, she was part of the Centraal Tooneel acting company. In 1958, she appeared on stage in Wie is Janus?. This play was a Dutch version of Carolyn Green's play Janus.
Mary's Film Roles
Even though Mary Dresselhuys was best known for her stage work, she also acted in several movies. Here are some of the films she appeared in:
- The Cross-Patch (De Kribbebijter) (1935) – She played a character named Mary.
- The Village on the River (Dorp aan de rivier) (1958) – She played Mrs. Van Taeke.
- Vroeger kon je lachen ('You used to be able to laugh') (1983) – She was a woman at a train station.
- Eline Vere (1991) – She played Mevrouw van Raat.
