Clara Cleymans

Clara Cleymans
Cleymans in 2010
Born (1989-01-05) 5 January 1989 (age 35)
Wilrijk, Belgium
EducationLemmensinstituut
University of Antwerp
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1999–present
Spouse
Jo Mahieu
​
(m. 2014)​
Children2
Parents
FamilyJelle Cleymans [nl] (brother)

Clara Cleymans (born 5 January 1989) is a Belgian actress and musical theatre singer.

Early years and education

She was born on 5 January 1989 in Wilrijk, as the second child of Karin Jacobs and Jan Cleymans. She has an older brother, named Jelle.[1][2] She attended the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven, and then the philosophy department of the University of Antwerp.[3]

Career

She began her acting career when she was 8 years old, and appeared as Klaartje in a 1997 episode of the Belgian television series Samson en Gert.[4] Her film debut came in 1999 by appearing as Liese in De Kabouterschat.[5] She had the same role in the following sequels as well, Plop in de Wolken (2000) and Plop en de Toverstaf (2003).[6][7]

After having minor roles in various television series, she had her first leading role in the one-season VTM series Dag & Nacht: Hotel Eburon (2010) as Amber Claessens. Between 2010 and 2011, she portrayed Nina Oostvoghels, one of the main characters at that time of the Eén series Thuis.[8] She imitated various celebrities and public figures, and had different characters in the VTM satirical series Tegen de sterren op between 2010 and 2018 .[9] For her performances in the series, she was awarded with the Rising Star award in the Vlaamse Televisie Sterren 2011,[9] and nominated for the Best Actress in the 2012 edition of the awards.[10] Cleymans continued her film career with Kill Me Please (2010)[11] and Groenten uit Balen (2011).[12] She portrayed public prosecutor Helena De Ridder, the leading role of the four-season Eén series De Ridder (2013–2016).[13][14] She was nominated for the Best Actress in the 2014 and 2015 editions of the Vlaamse Televisie Sterren, for the performances in De Ridder, and De Ridder and Tegen de sterren op respectively.[15][16]

Between 2018 and 2019, she portrayed Sarah Liebman, a Jewish girl that has a love affair with a non-Jewish guy Louis Segers (Jonas Van Geel) in a dramatic musical theatre '40-'45 that set during World War II.[17][18] In the Belgian comedy horror zombie movie Yummy (2019), she played the hospital director Janja, one of the leading roles in the movie.[19] She appeared as Els and shared the main role with Rik Verheye in We moeten eens praten, the Eén mini-series that started to air in January 2021.[20]

Personal life

She married Jo Mahieu in 2014. The couple has two children, Jeanne (born 2016) and Romy (born 2019).[21][22]

Filmography

Cast and crew of '40-'45
(Clara Cleymans is the one with the green dress, September 2018)
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1999 De Kabouterschat Liese
2000 Plop in de Wolken Liese
2003 Plop en de Toverstaf Liese
2008 Happy Together Julie Daelemans
2010 A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures Snow Voice of the Dutch version
2010 Kill Me Please Mlle Julia
2011 Hammertime Cherry Short film
2011 Chit Chat Anna Short film
2011 Groenten uit Balen Anlice
2011 The Smurfs Smurfette Voice of the Dutch version
2013 The Smurfs 2 Smurfette Voice of the Dutch version
2016 Bottom-Up Eefje Short film
2019 Yummy Janja
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1997 Samson en Gert Klaartje Episode: "De hamster van Octaaf"
1998 Heterdaad Clara Piron Season 3 episode 6
1999 Flikken Cara Goffin Episode: "Partners"
2002 Spoed Sandie Vermeire Episode: "Stadsplannen"
2004 Rupel Rilke Goeminne Episode: "De kroon"
2006 F.C. De Kampioenen Leentje Episode: "De eerste prijs"
2006 Aspe Tania Janssen Episode: "Kinderen van de nacht"
2006–2007 De Kavijaks Episodes: "Marcella" and "Belinda"
2008 Vermist Isabelle Maes Episode: "Baby Alisha"
2010 F.C. De Kampioenen Fien Episode: "Bella Africa"
2010 Dag & Nacht: Hotel Eburon Amber Claessens 12 episodes
2010 Witse Sienna Episode: "Klare Lijn"
2010–2011 Thuis Nina Oostvoghels 159 episodes
2010–2018 Tegen de sterren op Various roles and imitations 88 episodes
2011 Mega Mindy Natalia Tkofschip Episode: "De Bompiano"
2011 Code 37 Vicky Renders 13 episodes
2011 Zonde van de zendtijd Inspecteur de Babe Season 3 episode 8
2011 Quiz Me Quick Monica 10 episodes
2012 Aspe Brenda Schepens / Dorothy Kahn Episode: "Lüger"
2013–2016 De Ridder Helena De Ridder 48 episodes
2018 Connie & Clyde 2 Wendy / Wanda Episode: "Wendy weet van Wanda"
2019–2020 Dit zijn wij Fiona Maas 4 episodes
2021 We moeten eens praten Els
2021 Hidden Assets Carolyn 3 episodes
2021 Match Laura 10 episodes
Stage
Year Title Role Notes
1999 Assepoester Young Assepoester Musical
2001 Kuifje: De zonnetempel Zorrinho Musical
2011 De Koepoort 15 Sara
2011–2012 Fiddler on the Roof Chava Musical
2013 Diep in mij Yasmine [23][24]
2014 Costa Blanca
2015 Figaro Rosine/Contessa
2016–2017 Club 27
2017 Our Mutual Friend (Onze Wederzijdse Vriend) Lizzie/Venuz
2017 Kleinkunsteiland
2018 Così Despina Musical
2018–2019 '40-'45 Sarah Liebman Musical
2019 Les Enfants du Paradis Garance

Awards and nominations

Award Ceremony date Category Work Result
Vlaamse Televisie Sterren 25 February 2011 Rising Star Tegen de sterren op Won
24 March 2012 Best Actress Tegen de sterren op Nominated
15 March 2014 Best Actress De Ridder Nominated
18 April 2015 Best Actress De Ridder, Tegen de sterren op Nominated

References

  1. ^ De Wandeleer, Stijn (30 May 2020). "Clara Cleymans en vader Jan: 'Structuur, dat hebben wij nooit gekend'". De Morgen (in Dutch).
  2. ^ "Clara Cleymans en haar mama Karin Jacobs over het moederschap: "Als actrice is de timing nooit perfect"". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 4 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Clara Cleymans binnenkort als Nina in 'Thuis'" (in Dutch). TVvisie. 9 March 2010.
  4. ^ Lambrechts, Stefan (8 April 2020). "Kijk: Clara Cleymans kan borstvoeding geven en schilderen tegelijk". PNWS (in Dutch).
  5. ^ Meijer, Monica (8 July 1999). "Plop en de kabouterschat (1999)". Cine Magazine (in Dutch).
  6. ^ "Nieuwe Plop-film in de maak". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). 24 March 2000.
  7. ^ "Alle acteurs in Kabouter Plop en de toverstaf (2003)" (in Dutch). FilmVandaag.nl.
  8. ^ Vandendaele, Rudy (18 December 2012). "'Tegen de sterren op': Clara Cleymans tussen hemel en aarde". HUMO (in Dutch).
  9. ^ a b "'Tegen de sterren op' grote winnaar bij Vlaamse televisiesterren". De Morgen (in Dutch). 25 February 2011.
  10. ^ "'De Ronde' grote favoriet voor Vlaamse Televisie Sterren". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 13 February 2012.
  11. ^ Weissberg, Jay (7 November 2010). "Kill Me Please". Variety.
  12. ^ Ruëll, Niels (14 December 2011). "Groenten uit Balen". De Standaard (in Dutch).
  13. ^ "Clara Cleymans speelt opnieuw Helena De Ridder: "Maar geen 10 jaar zoals Witse"". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). 6 September 2014.
  14. ^ "Vierde seizoen van De Ridder start binnenkort" (in Dutch). Showbizzsite.be. 24 August 2016.
  15. ^ "Meeste nominaties voor 'Safety First' en 'Eigen Kweek' op Vlaamse Televisie Sterren". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 13 February 2014.
  16. ^ "OVERZICHT. Dit zijn de winnaars van de Vlaamse Televisie Sterren". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). 18 April 2018.
  17. ^ Debie, Eline (28 June 2019). "HOERA: '40-45'-actrice Clara Cleymans zwanger van tweede kindje". Flair (in Dutch).
  18. ^ "'40-'45 doet het weer: spektakelmusical vestigt absoluut record met 650.000 verkochte tickets". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 29 September 2019.
  19. ^ "Clara Cleymans toont in 'Yummy' een heel andere kant van zichzelf: "Mijn inspiratiebronnen? Kim Kardashian en Melania Trump"". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 25 December 2019.
  20. ^ "We moeten eens praten: Clara Cleymans en Rik Verheye" (in Dutch). VlaamsKijken. 4 January 2021.
  21. ^ "Clara Cleymans heeft groot nieuws". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 27 June 2019.
  22. ^ "Clara Cleymans bevallen van tweede kindje". Metro (in Dutch). 5 November 2019.
  23. ^ "Clara Cleymans brengt ode aan Yasmine". De Standaard.
  24. ^ "MUZIEK. Diep in mij (Ode aan Yasmine)". Het Nieuwsblad.