Jan Decleir


Jan Decleir is a prolific Belgian movie and stage actor born in Niel, Antwerp.

Career

He had his first big role in Fons Rademakers's Mira. Since then, he has appeared in countless Flemish and Dutch films and TV productions. In the world of theater he gained his fame by acting at the International New Scene for the play Mistero Buffo by Dario Fo.
To the larger audiences of television he became known through his role of Sil de strandjutter in 1976 in the equally named TV series. He starred in Academy Award winning movies including Karakter by Mike van Diem and Antonia and the Oscar-nominated social drama Daens. More recently he turned down roles in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut and the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. Decleir was also Belgium's national performer of Sinterklaas from 1993 until 2019.
In 2003 he had the starring role in the critically acclaimed thriller The Memory of a Killer of which the leading American critic Roger Ebert wrote in his review: "Jan Decleir never goes for the easy effect, never pushes too hard, is a rock-solid occupant of his character. Everything he has to say is embodied, not expressed. Talks are underway for a Hollywood remake, but this performance will not be easily equaled. Gene Hackman, maybe. Morgan Freeman. Robert Mitchum, if he were alive. Decleir is the real thing."
For several years he also led the Studio Herman Teirlinck where he brought in many new teachers: actors from various theater companies.

Personal life

Jan Decleir has been married to Brechtje Louwaard since 1 April 2006. He has three children: Sofie, Jenne and Flor. Two of his siblings – sister Reinhilde Decleir and brother Dirk Decleir involved in acting, too.

Honors and awards

Over the lifespan of his career, Jan Decleir has received several prizes for his acting. He was awarded the Best Actor Award for his role in Off Screen at the Montreal World Film Festival. In 2003 he received Golden Calf Culture Prize and in 2007 a Golden Calf for Best Supporting Actor for the movie Wolfsbergen at the Netherlands Film Festival.
In 2008 he was awarded the best actor prize at the Tiburon International Film Festival for his role in Man zkt vrouw (A Perfect Match).
For his role in The Barons, he received the Magritte Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2013 he also received the Flemish Culture Prize for General Cultural Merit.
Decleir is also known as painter. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and has regular expositions in De Zwarte Panter gallery.

Overview

The movie Karakter in which Decleir played the leading role, won the Academy Award for best international feature film in 1997. Prior, Daens was nominated for this Oscar in 1992.

Filmography

Decleir appeared in more than a hundred Belgian, Dutch, French and German movies.Heeft Geleden onder Pontius Pilatus Geboorte en Dood van Dirk Vandersteen jr. Het Huis met de Maskers De Meeuw Klucht van de Brave Moordenaar Koning Lear Het Helleschip Zeven Miljoen Molekulen De Familie Tot Mira, aka Mira of de Teleurgang van de Waterhoek August, August, August Rolande met de Bles The Conscript De Vrek Verloren Maandag Way Out Verbrande Brug Pallieter De Man in de Rok en de Man zonder Niet Alle Dieven Komen Ongelegen Als Schilders Konden Spreken Une Page d'Amour Doodzonde De Proefkonijnen Grueten Broos Le Grand Paysage d'Alexis Droeven Twee Vorstinnen en een Vorst Tijd om Gelukkig te Zijn Het Verleden Toute une nuit Maria Danneels Zware Jongens De Loteling John The Fearless De Leeuw van Vlaanderen The van Paemel Family De Tijger Het Eerste Mirakel van Kindeke Jesus Het Sacrament Koko Flanel Dilemma Anchoress Daens Beck – De gesloten kamer Antonia's Line Camping Cosmos Character S. Taming the Floods Retour Den Haag Molokai: The Story of Father Damien Shades Kruimeltje Running Free Lijmen/Het Been Mariken De Omweg De Verlossing Villa des Roses Hop Brush with Fate Rosenstraße SuperTex Till Eusterspiegel Vlucht der verbeelding De Zaak Alzheimer L'Autre De Passievrucht Edelweißpiraten De Kus Off Screen Een Ander Zijn Geluk Verlengd Weekend Het Paard van Sinterklaas Crusade in Jeans Wolfsbergen – see Nanouk Leopold
He is also known from Flemish and Dutch TV series such as:Keromar Sil de Strandjutter Adriaen Brouwer Klein Londen, Klein Berlijn Moeder, Waarom Leven Wij? Dag Sinterklaas Ons Geluk Gaston Berghmans Show Kulderzipken Diamant Karakter Retour Den Haag De Grote Boze Wolf Show Stille Waters De 9 Dagen van de Gier Meiden van De Wit W817 Sprookjes Koning van de Wereld Als 't Maar Beweegt De Kavijaks Stellenbosch Sinteressante Dingen Met Man en Macht Nieuw Texas Den Elfde van den Elfde Tytgat Chocolat
  • ''De Bever & Co''

Theatre

Het Goudland De Meeuw Koning Lear Koning Jan De Familie Tót August, August, August Een Blijde Gebeurtenis Mijnheer Puntila en Zijn Knecht Matti De Parochie van Miserie Mistero Buffo Ballade voor Grote en Kleine Poppen Mezcal Obscene Fabels Het Offer is te Kort Wolfsklem DE TIJGER Gilles! De Meeuw Mijn Zoetje Junior Dodendans Repetitie I All for Love Vrijen met Dieren Meneer Paul Edwaar The King Richaar Deuzième Risjaar Modderfokker den Derde Margaretha di Napoli En Verlos Ins van het Kwade Lulu Bloedarm Onder het Melkwoud Lucifer Bloedarm Onvoltooid Verleden Risjaar Drei
  • MARX
  • ''Landru''