Paul Verhoeven facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Verhoeven
Verhoeven in 2016
Born	(1938-07-18) 18 July 1938 (age 86) Amsterdam, Netherlands
Alma mater	Leiden University
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter
Years active	1955–present
Spouse(s)	Martine Tours ​ (m. 1967)​
Children	2
Awards	Saturn Award for Best Director (1987) Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film (2016)

Paul Verhoeven (born 18 July 1938) is a famous Dutch film director. His movies are known for their exciting action and social commentary. He started his career in the Netherlands with the TV series Floris.

His first big movie success was the romantic drama Turkish Delight (1973). He often worked with actor Rutger Hauer. Verhoeven also directed other successful Dutch films. These include the historical drama Keetje Tippel (1975) and the war film Soldier of Orange (1977). He also made the teen drama Spetters (1980) and the thriller The Fourth Man (1983).

Later, Verhoeven made movies in Hollywood. He directed big action films like RoboCop (1987) and Total Recall (1990). He also directed the thriller Basic Instinct (1992). After some time, he returned to Europe. He made the Dutch war film Black Book (2006). He also directed the French thriller Elle (2016) and the historical drama Benedetta (2021). These films all received good reviews.

Black Book and Elle were nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language. Elle won a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and a César Award for Best Film. In 2008, the Dutch public voted Black Book the best Dutch film ever made.

Verhoeven also won some less positive awards. He received Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Picture and Worst Director for his film Showgirls (1995). He was one of the few people to accept these awards in person. Showgirls did not do well at first, but later became a cult classic on home video. Verhoeven's films have been nominated for nine Academy Awards, mostly for editing and special effects.

Early Life and Education

Paul Verhoeven was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on July 18, 1938. His father, Wim Verhoeven, was a schoolteacher. His mother, Nel van Schaardenburg, was a hatmaker. The family first lived in the village of Slikkerveer.

In 1943, his family moved to The Hague. This city was where the German headquarters were during World War II. Their house was close to a German military base. This base had V1- and V2-rocket launchers. Allied forces often bombed the area. Their neighbors' house was hit by bombs. Paul's parents were almost killed when bombs fell on a street nearby. As a young child, he saw the war as an exciting adventure. He has compared himself to a character in the film Hope and Glory.

Paul's father became the headteacher at the Van Heutszschool in The Hague. Paul went to this school. Sometimes, they watched educational films at home using the school's film projector. Paul and his father also enjoyed watching American films. These films were shown in cinemas after the war ended. One of their favorites was The Crimson Pirate (1952).

Verhoeven and his father watched The War of the Worlds (1953) ten times. Paul was a fan of the Dutch comic Dick Bos. Dick Bos was a detective who fought crime using jujutsu. Paul also liked to draw comics. He created a character called 'The Killer' in a detailed revenge story. He also enjoyed stories like Frankenstein and the Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom series.

Paul went to the public secondary school Gymnasium Haganum in The Hague. In 1955, he started studying at Leiden University. He earned a master's degree (MSc). He studied both Mathematics and Physics.

Starting His Film Career

Paul Verhoeven did not use his math and physics degrees for a job. Instead, he chose to work in film.

Early Short Films and TV

Verhoeven made his first film, Één hagedis teveel (One Lizard Too Many), in 1960. He made it for his students' club anniversary. While at university, he also took classes at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy. After that, he made three more short films: Nothing Special (1961), The Hitchhikers (1962), and Let's Have a Party (1963).

After his studies, he joined the Royal Dutch Navy. He made a documentary called Het Korps Mariniers (The Marine Corps, 1965). This film won a French award for military films.

Verhoeven on the set of Floris (1968)

When he left the Navy, Verhoeven started working in Dutch television. First, he made a documentary about Anton Mussert called Mussert (1968). His first big success was the 1969 TV series Floris. This show starred Rutger Hauer. The idea for Floris came from foreign series like Ivanhoe.

First Big Movies in the Netherlands

Verhoeven's first full-length movie, Business Is Business, came out in 1971. It was not very popular. His first national success was in 1973 with Turkish Delight. This film starred Rutger Hauer and Monique van de Ven. It was based on a book by Dutch author Jan Wolkers. The movie tells a strong love story between an artist and a young woman. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1974. In 1999, the film won a Golden Calf for Best Dutch Film of the Century. Verhoeven's 1975 film Katie Tippel also starred Hauer and van de Ven. However, it was not as successful as Turkish Delight.

Verhoeven (center) in 1983

Verhoeven became more well-known. He achieved international success with his film Soldier of Orange. This movie was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. It starred Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbé. The film is based on a true story about the Dutch resistance during World War II. It won the 1979 LA Film Critics Award for best foreign-language film. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe in 1980.

In 1980, Verhoeven made the film Spetters. It starred Renée Soutendijk and Rutger Hauer. Verhoeven's film The Fourth Man (1983) is a horror film. It stars Jeroen Krabbé and Renée Soutendijk. This was Verhoeven's last Dutch film until Black Book in 2006.

The Seattle Times newspaper once said that Verhoeven "often appears to be a one-man Dutch movie industry." The San Diego Union-Tribune called him "a busy bee whose movies pollinate the festival circuit."

Making Movies in Hollywood

Gerard Soeteman also wrote the script for Verhoeven's first English-language film. This was Flesh and Blood (1985). It starred Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Verhoeven moved to Hollywood for more filmmaking chances. In the U.S., he changed his style. He directed big-budget, action-packed films with many special effects. These included RoboCop and Total Recall. RoboCop won an Academy Award for Sound Effects Editing. Total Recall won one for Visual Effects.

Presentation of Basic Instinct at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. Left to right: Jeanne Tripplehorn, Michael Douglas, Martine Tours (Verhoeven's wife), Verhoeven, Sharon Stone and Mario Kassar.

Verhoeven then directed Basic Instinct (1992). It was the ninth-highest-grossing film of that year. The movie explored themes similar to his earlier films. It received two Academy Award nominations. These were for Film Editing and Original Music.

During this time, Verhoeven also planned a historical epic about the Crusades. It was supposed to star Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film started getting ready in 1993. But a year later, the studio stopped funding it. Verhoeven continued to talk about this film throughout the 1990s.

Verhoeven's next film was Showgirls (1995). The film won seven 1995 Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Film and Worst Director. Verhoeven was the first director to accept his award in person. Later, the film became very popular on home video. It made over $100 million from video rentals. It became one of MGM's top 20 bestsellers of all time.

After Basic Instinct and Showgirls, Verhoeven returned to science fiction. He made Starship Troopers (1997). This film was loosely based on a novel by Robert A. Heinlein. He also made Hollow Man (2000). Both films received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.

Back to Europe

After about 20 years in the United States, Verhoeven returned to the Netherlands. He went there to film a new movie. He worked with his screenwriter Gerard Soeteman again. They made Black Book (2006). The host of the Netherlands Film Festival welcomed him back as "The return of a hero." Black Book won six Golden Calves at this festival. This included Best Director.

Verhoeven at a press conference at Berlinale 2017

In 2007, Verhoeven was honored as a knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

After Black Book, Verhoeven was linked to many film projects. However, for ten years, none of them were made. Some of those films were later made by other directors. In 2016, Verhoeven directed a French film called Elle. It was based on a novel by Philippe Djian. This thriller starred Isabelle Huppert. It was chosen for the Cannes International Film Festival. It received very good reviews there.

In December 2016, it was announced that Verhoeven would lead the jury for the 67th Berlin International Film Festival. This festival took place in February 2017.

In April 2017, it was announced that filming for Benedetta would start in August. This is his next French film. It is a true story about Benedetta Carlini. Elle co-star Virginie Efira plays Benedetta. The film is based on the book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy. In May 2018, it was announced that Charlotte Rampling would also be in the film. The movie premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.

Verhoeven is now preparing his next film, Young Sinner. He is working with RoboCop screenwriter Edward Neumeier again. Verhoeven hopes to start filming Young Sinner in 2024.

Personal Life

In 1967, Paul Verhoeven married Martine Tours. They have two daughters together.

Filmography

Awards and Recognition

Academy Awards

Golden Globe Awards

BAFTA Awards

César Awards

Saturn Awards

Golden Raspberry Awards

See also

In Spanish: Paul Verhoeven para niños