Michiel Huisman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michiel Huisman
Huisman in 2015
Born	(1981-07-18) 18 July 1981 (age 44) Amstelveen, Netherlands
Occupation	Actor, musician
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Tara Elders ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	1

Michiel Huisman (born on July 18, 1981) is an actor and musician from the Netherlands. He is well-known for his roles in many Dutch and international movies and TV shows.

Michiel started his music journey as the singer and guitarist for a Dutch band called Fontane. They released several songs and even had their music featured in movie soundtracks in the early 2000s. After the band broke up, he began a solo music career, releasing his own album and singles.

His acting career began in 1998 with a role in the Dutch TV show Goede tijden, slechte tijden. He then appeared in Dutch films like Costa! (2001) and Black Book (2006). He also starred in Dutch TV series such as De co-assistent (2007–2010).

Michiel's first international acting role was in 2006 in the British TV series Dalziel and Pascoe. He later became famous for playing Sonny in HBO's Treme. He also took over the role of Daario Naharis in the popular series Game of Thrones, becoming a regular cast member. His movie roles include Wild (2014), The Ottoman Lieutenant (2017), and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018). He also appeared in the miniseries Harley and the Davidsons for the Discovery Channel. More recently, he starred in The Haunting of Hill House (2018), The Flight Attendant (2020), and the military series Echo 3 (2022).

Michiel Huisman's Personal Life

Michiel Huisman has a brother named Dustin Huisman, who used to be a professional football player. Michiel has loved playing table tennis since he was a child. He grew up in a Jewish family.

Michiel is married to Tara Elders, who is also an actress from the Netherlands. They have a daughter who was born in 2007. The family used to live in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the US, but they now live in New York City.

Michiel Huisman's Career Journey

Music Career Highlights

Michiel was the singer and guitarist for a Dutch band called Fontane. He started the band with Roland van der Hoofd, Gilles Tuinder, Bas van Geldere, and Donny Griffioen. They released songs like "1+1=2" (2001), "Slapeloos" (2002), and "Neem Me Mee" (2003). Their first song was part of the movie Costa! (2001), and the second was in Full Moon Party (2002). Michiel also starred in both of these movies. The band also recorded a song for the movie Love to Love (2003).

After two members left, Fontane broke up, and Michiel decided to make music on his own. As a solo artist, he released the songs "Deel Van Mij" (2005) and "Geef Je Over" (2006). He also released an album called Luchtige Verhalen in 2005. Michiel said that his solo career felt like a fresh start, and that his new music was more personal.

Acting Career Highlights

Michiel began his acting career with a small role in Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden, which is the longest-running soap opera in Dutch television history. He played a 14-year-old model named Rover. He then acted in TV movies like Suzy Q and Uitgesloten.

He took on supporting roles in Dutch films such as Costa! and Volle Maan. Both of these movies were directed by Johan Nijenhuis and were made for a teenage audience. At the same time, he also had a regular role in the Dutch police TV series Spangen. In 2003, Michiel started playing leading roles, first in the film Phileine Says Sorry. He also starred as a medieval knight named Floris in the movie Floris, which was based on a Dutch TV series.

In the following years, he played a main role in the football comedy Johan. He also had guest roles in the comedy series Meiden van De Wit and the drama series Bloedverwanten. He played the main character in the medical drama series De Co-Assistent. In 2006, he had a small role in the film Zwartboek by Paul Verhoeven, which became the most successful Dutch film ever.

In 2006, Michiel started acting in international projects. He had a supporting role in an episode of the British TV series Dalziel and Pascoe. He then played Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in The Young Victoria and Rudolf Nureyev in the BBC TV drama Margot.

He joined the main cast of the HBO series Treme, playing Sonny, a Dutch street musician. He learned to play New Orleans piano for this role. While working on Treme, Michiel also had a small role in the action film World War Z and started appearing as Liam McGuinnis in Nashville.

Michiel took over the role of Daario Naharis in the fourth season (2014) of Game of Thrones. He became a regular cast member for the fifth season (2015). Michiel also had a recurring role in seasons 2 and 3 of Orphan Black, playing Cal Morrison, a tough outdoorsman.

In 2014, Michiel appeared in the drama film Wild, which was nominated for an Academy Award. He also starred in a commercial for Chanel No.5, directed by Baz Luhrmann. In 2015, Michiel co-starred in the thriller The Invitation and played the main role in the fantasy romance film The Age of Adaline.

In 2016, Michiel was cast as the main character in the war drama The Ottoman Lieutenant. This film tells the story of a Turkish officer (Michiel) who falls in love with an American nurse during World War I. The movie also stars Josh Hartnett and Ben Kingsley. It was released in March 2017.

Also in 2016, Michiel played Walter Davidson in the Discovery Channel miniseries Harley and the Davidsons. This series showed how the Harley-Davidson Inc. company began. The three-part series came out in September 2016 and received good reviews.

Michiel starred in the thriller film 2:22, which was released on June 30, 2017. That same year, Michiel was cast as Sam, the male lead in the romantic drama Irreplaceable You. The film also starred Gugu Mbatha-Raw as his childhood sweetheart. It was released on February 16, 2018, on Netflix. In 2018, Michiel also starred opposite Lily James as Dawsey Adams in the romantic drama The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, based on a popular book.

In 2018, Michiel starred in the Netflix horror series The Haunting of Hill House. This 10-episode drama, released on October 12, 2018, is a modern version of a 1959 novel. Michiel plays Steven Crain, the oldest sibling, who writes books about supernatural events, including a book about his family's time living at Hill House. In 2019, Michiel had a supporting role in the Netflix film The Red Sea Diving Resort, playing an Israeli agent.

Michiel Huisman's Music

Songs with Fontane

• "1+1=2" (2001)
• "Slapeloos" (2002)
• "Neem Me Mee" (2003)

Solo Songs

• "Deel Van Mij" (2005)
• "Geef Je Over" (2006)

Solo Albums

• Luchtige Verhalen (2005)

Michiel Huisman's Movies

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Michiel Huisman's TV Shows

See also

In Spanish: Michiel Huisman para niños