Famke Jansen

Famke Beumer Janssen was born in Amsterdam in 1965. Her 1.80 meter height and her beauty made it easy for her to have a career in the world of fashion. But her interests, like those of her two brothers, went through acting. So she traveled to the United States where she settled in New York. She there she graduated in Literature from Columbia University while studying acting with Harold Guskin. She continued her acting studies with Roy London , for which she moved to Los Angeles. And it was there, in the movie mecca, that she Famke she got her first chance at it. She came at the hands of Paul Mones , who offered her a role in the thriller Fathers & Sons .(1992). Unlike many, the cinema led Famke to television where she participated in several series. Her great moment came in 1995, when she was chosen to participate in GoldenEye , a Martin Campbell film that would mark Pierce Brosnan ‘s debut under the skin of James Bond. Famke Janssen was one of those femme fatales who make life miserable for the agent, becoming one of the villains with the most substance, personality and character in the entire series. It was shown that the girl was not only beautiful and capable of performing in sensual roles, but that she also felt like a fish in water in scenes of action, risk and speed.

Throughout her career, Famke Janssen has been able to combine secondary roles in films such as Dead Girl (1996), Loyalty Code (1998), Not a Word (2001) or Eulogy (2004), with leading roles. Not everything is in the work of the protagonist and thanks to many of these secondary jobs, the actress has been making a name for herself in the world of cinema while having the opportunity to work with established directors such as Robert Altman ( Conflict of Interest ), Woody Allen ( Celebrity ) or Robert Rodríguez ( The Faculty). In addition, it was a secondary role that allowed her to meet her husband of five years: Tod Williams , who wrote and directed The Adventures of Sebastián Cole (1998), where Famke Janssen appeared as secondary.

The actress’ wishes are clear: “I will continue looking for as many different characters as there are genres.” Well it is true, that until now she has not been able to fulfill this maxim to the letter, since most of the films in which she has intervened are thrillers or action films. This is the case in Deep Rising: The Mystery (1998) where a group of thieves assaults a luxury ship, in which they have to fight against what would be said to be a reincarnation of Alien; in House on Haunted Hill (1999), a horror film with a cash prize included for the bravest; Hide and Seek (2005) with Robert DeNiro, where terror and thriller revolve around the presumed imaginary friend of the fashionable girl Dakota Fanning. It is also true that you have to be especially grateful to the action, not only because of 007 who gave it the push, but also because of the X-Men saga . Her role as Jean Gray has served her to be a fixture in the Marvel mutant movies. Her powers are telepathy and telekinesis, and she is one of the few characters in the trilogy to undergo a complex evolution. It is in X-Men 3: The final decision (2006) where Jean Gray becomes a danger to herself and to all humanity, for being under the influence of the dark Phoenix. The development of the character delighted Famke Janssen, who says: “I love the darkness. I am drawn to the dark side of life. That’s why I found the changes in Jean Gray very interesting.”

There must be something about this girl that inspires directors for action characters, strong and determined. So much so that she was about to accompany Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 3. Rise of the Machines , but ultimately turned down the role. Not everything is going to be action and risk, and titles like Amor y sexo (2000), a comedy in which Famke is a journalist who has to write about relationships; or The Treatment (2006), which narrates in a light tone the relationship of a widow with a depressive addicted to the psychiatrist.

Lately, Famke has participated in various chapters of the television series Nip/Tuck and has just shot two new titles to add to his filmography: Turn the River , a drama that marks the directorial and scriptwriting debut of Chris Eigeman , with whom he actress already coincided in The Treatment . And The Ten , a comedy directed by David Wain , which includes ten stories, each of which refers to one of the Ten Commandments. Famke Janssen is also rumored to be the lead in the new Danny DeVito – directed comedy I Married a Witch .