Famke Beumer Janssen (pronounced) Fahm-Kuh Yan-Sin) stands 5' 11" and wears size 11 shoes. What does that have to do with anything? Honestly, I haven't a clue. It just felt as if I should open with that fact. Seriously dudes, don't ask me why because I truly do not know.
From my research of this hot Dutch actress, I have learnt that she pretty much knows what she wants and goes after it. She was born in Amstelveen (North Holland) in the Netherlands and speaks four languages including her native Dutch (French, English and German).
Did I mention that she was hot? I sure that I must have mentioned that somewhere. And she's got a daring gaze which renders you uncomfortable. Not in a discomforting way; but in a sexy mischievous way. When she cast that gaze on you, your mind cannot help but go 'there'. There as in to that happy place. That place where you imagine 'things'. And the discomfort then stems from knowing that with that gaze she's seeing right through you *insert sly smile and very faint blush here*.
And in my list of adjectives, did I mention sexy?
Or sophisticated?
Or Chic?
The woman is sexy and appealing even when she's not trying.
*Is it just me and my sick eternal obsession with Jill Bennett or is she looking very Jill Bennett in these pics?*
She comes from a very movie talented family. She's got two sisters; Antoinette Beumer who is a director and Marjolein Beumer who is an actress. Interestingly, both of her sisters are blond and blue-eyed whereas she's brunette and hazel-eyed. I can imagine the teasing that she (and probably her sisters) received while growing up as a result of this anomaly.
She began her career as a model in her native country but moved the to U.S. in 1984 to further her modeling career and was shortly thereafter signed with Elite Model Management and worked for Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel and Victoria's Secret.
She made her filmed debut in 1992 when she starred opposite Jeff Goldbum in Fathers & Sons. However her breakthrough role came in 1995 when she was cast in the role of femme fatale Xenia Onatopp alongside Pierce Brosnan in the Bond film GoldenEye. Her performance was awesome. I loved her in this role. I had only one problem with her in this movie though - what the hell was up with that hair! Did she manage to offend the hair stylist for the movie in some way? That hair really needed to go. Outside of that, two thumps up baby.
Her role in a Bond film launched her into stardom, however it was her roles in the X-Men trilogy that catapulted her into super-stardom. She took the role of Dr. Jean Grey/Phoenix and in a lot of ways kinda made it a show of its own. Of the movies I've seen, this is the role that was most compelling for me. She made the character very credible. You were angst when the character was, you understood and could empathize, and when appropriate sympathize with the character.
In X-2 when she remained behind to face her death so that she could save the others, I wanted to hold her hand through it all. I was begging her not to, all the while understanding why she needed to, why she had to and admiring for it. (Can anyone say pitiful?).
Janssen is also well renown for her role in Nip/Tuck where she took on the role of Ava Moore a seductive and manipulative transsexual life coach for 9 episodes in season 2 which ran from 2004-2005. She has openly stated that she does not want to be stereotyped in her career and as a result has made it a personal goal to take on roles that are diverse as well as versatile.
Other films include Lord of Illusions, The Faculty, House on Haunted Hill, I Spy, Rounders, Deep Rising, Hide and Seek, The Treatment, Alibi and Turn the River (one of her personal favorites). She was offered the lead in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines but turned it down. The role was eventually played by Kristanna Loken. She was also cast in Men in Black II but declined due to a family crisis.
Most recently she was cast in The Wackness a comedy drama (August 2008), 100 Feet - horror trhiller, Taken - action, crime drama thriller (to be released 23 Jan 2009), filming of Kiddie - drama romance thriller has just been completed, it is rumored that she will play the lead in The Possiblity of Fireflies which is now in pre-production phase and ItW is currently in production. She is also currently negotiating with FOX to star in a television series (Chameleon) and is currently filming a UPN TV movie Queen B.
As can be seen from her body of work completed and those that are in the works, Janssen has built up quite a reputation for herself and is currently in demand. In 2007 she won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for X-Men: The Last Stand. In 2006 at the High Falls Film Festival she won the Susan B. Anthony 'Failure is Impossible' Award.
Janssen is an achiever. This is evidenced by her being awarded the International Star of the Year in 2003. In 2004, she won the Hollywood Life Breakthrough Artist of the Year for her work on Nip/Tuck. In 2006 at the Hamptons International Film Festival she was awarded the Golden Starfish Award for career achievement in acting and in 2007 they awarded her with a Special Jury Prize - Special Recognition Best Actress for her work in Turn the River.
On January 28, 2008, Janssen was appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Integrity at the Second Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, held in Nusa Dua, Bali.
Personal quotes:
I would rather not work than play in a movie that nobody watches.
Looking back, boy, has there ever been a stigma in being a Bond Girl. That's what my mission in life is, just to prove them wrong. That's why I have such an urge to keep going and proving that. It's so silly. What on earth does the way you look have anything to do with whether you can act or not.
I'm a firm believer in taking risks in life, because you'll never get anywhere unless you do, and the more risk involved the greater the outcome - or the worse, but you never know so you've got to go for it.
Famke has proven that she's got staying power. She's got what it takes to make it in the biz. In fact not just to make it in the biz but to be consistently successful at it. She has become one of the very seasoned actresses of her time and I definitely am one to look out for a Famke Janssen movie.
