Famke Janssen

Famke Janssen by Gage Skidmore 2

Dutch actress and former fashion model

Famke Janssen

Name	Famke Janssen
Birth name
Birth date	Birth date -1st March 1966
Birth place	Amstelveen, Netherlands
Death date
Death place
Alma mater	Columbia University
Occupation	Actress, former model
Years active	1984–present
Organization
Known for
Notable works	GoldenEye, X-Men series, Taken series
Spouse(s)
Website

Famke Beumer Janssen (born 5 November 1964) is a Dutch actress and former model. She is best known for her roles in the James Bond film GoldenEye (1995) as Xenia Onatopp, and as Jean Grey / Phoenix in the X-Men film series (2000–2014). She also starred in the Taken film series (2008–2014) as Lenore Mills.

Early life

Famke Janssen was born in Amstelveen, Netherlands. She has two sisters, Antoinette Beumer, a director, and Marjolein Beumer, an actress. Janssen attended the University of Amsterdam for a year, studying economics, which she later called "the stupidest idea I ever had." She then moved to the United States to study creative writing and literature at Columbia University.

Career

Modeling

Janssen began her career as a fashion model in the 1980s, working for Elite Model Management. She modeled for Chanel and other notable fashion houses.

Acting

Janssen's transition from modeling to acting began in the early 1990s. Her first film role was in Fathers & Sons (1992). She gained international fame for her role as Xenia Onatopp in the James Bond film GoldenEye (1995).

She is widely recognized for her portrayal of Jean Grey / Phoenix in the X-Men film series. Janssen's other notable film roles include appearances in House on Haunted Hill (1999), I Spy (2002), and the Taken series.

Television

Janssen has also appeared in several television series. She starred in the Netflix original series Hemlock Grove (2013–2015) and had a recurring role in How to Get Away with Murder (2015–2016). She also appeared in the NBC crime drama The Blacklist: Redemption (2017).

Personal life

Janssen was married to writer and director Kip Williams from 1995 to 2000. She is fluent in Dutch, English, and French. Janssen is an advocate for animal rights and has worked with PETA.

Filmography

Film

• Fathers & Sons (1992)
• GoldenEye (1995)
• X-Men (2000)
• X2 (2003)
• X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
• Taken (2008)
• X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
• Taken 3 (2014)

Television

• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1992)
• Nip/Tuck (2004–2010)
• Hemlock Grove (2013–2015)
• How to Get Away with Murder (2015–2016)
• The Blacklist: Redemption (2017)

Awards and nominations

Janssen has received several awards and nominations throughout her career, including a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in X-Men: The Last Stand.

See also

• List of Dutch actors