Tjitske Jacoba Reidinga (born 20 February 1972) is a Dutch actress and comedian. Reidinga began her career on stage and acted in numerous plays. She won a Colombina award for her role in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 2002. She made her screen debut in 1996. Her first major film role was as "Jet" in Ja Zuster, Nee Zuster (2002). She is probably known best for her role as 'Claire' in the successful Dutch series Gooische vrouwen.

Early life She was born in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, but grew up in Africa. Her parents moved to Uganda shortly after they got together. Her father who had just graduated from Academie Minerva, an art school in Groningen, found a job at an advertising agency in Kampala. They moved back to the Netherlands to flee Idi Amin's reign of terror. Her mother was pregnant at the time, and a few months later she was born in the Frisian capital.

After she was born her parents wanted to go back to Africa, and the three went to Malawi where she lived until the age of 8. She remembered it as a beautiful country with a glittering lake (Lake Nyasa), where she could play freely. Her brother Hesling was born there and a few years later they returned to the Netherlands. She had a hard time trying to adjust herself to the cold and crowded country where she was born.

Becoming an actress

Ever since she was a little girl she knew she wanted to be an actress. Her parents had always fully supported their daughter's dream. Strengthened by her parents confidence, she never considered the possibility her dream wouldn't come true. If so she'd have quite a problem, having nothing in reserve. The only moment she had her doubts was at the academy. She noticed her teachers did not share her parents' trust. They had no idea what to make of her and as a result she had to do the year all over again. Though being very disappointed, she was strong an resilient and finally graduated in 1997. On her time at the Amsterdamse Toneelschool she commented: "Op de Toneelschool word je klaargestoomd om de keiharde praktijk aan te kunnen. Maar na m'n afstuderen heb ik de praktijk eigenlijk als een stuk makkelijker ervaren dan de opleiding." ("At the academy you are crammed for the real thing, but after I graduated I actually found my training a lot harder than acting as a job.")

Career Theatre After her graduation she made a flashy start on stage at RO Theater, one of the major theatrical companies in the Netherlands, in the play "De ziekte die jeugd heet". Since then she has appeared in almost twenty different plays. One of those was 2001 production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Hummelinck Stuurman. For the latter she received a Colombina award for "Best Female Supporting Role" as child-wife Honey in 2002.

Theatre credits

Year Title Role Director Production company 1997 De ziekte die jeugd heet (The illness called youth) Peter de Baan Ro Theater 1998 Sterrenstof (Stardust) Kim Zeegers Spuitheater Trainspotting Peter Pluymaekers ZAP Productie 1999 Een stukje time out (A piece of time out) Marije Gubbels Fact Het vissenkind (The fish kid) Judith de Rijke Het Paleis Midzomernachtsdroom (A Midsummer Night's Dream) Mark Rietman Ro Theater Ja zuster, nee zuster (Yes nurse! no nurse!) Jet Pieter Kramer Ro Theater 2000 Hollandse revue (Dutch revue) Rieks Swarte Spuitheater 2001 Trojaanse Vrouwen (The Trojan Women) Mirjam Koen Onafhankelijk Toneel Wie is er bang voor Virginia Woolf? (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) Honey Lodewijk de Boer Hummelinck Stuurman 2002 Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler Ivo van Hove Trust 2003 Da Vinci en de drol (Da Vinci and the turd) Jennifer Drabbe Toneelschuur Haarlem Treinen kunnen keren (Trains can turn) Fréderique Mette Bouhuijs Hummelinck Stuurman 2005 Amadeus Constanze Weber Matthijs Rümke Bos Theaterproducties Uit liefde (Out of love) Kees Hulst Hummelinck Stuurman 2007 De geschiedenis van de familie Avenier (The history of the Avenier family) Toos Jaap Spijkers Het Toneel Speelt 2009 De ingebeelde zieke (The Imaginary Invalid) Béline Jos Thie DUS References:

Film Her first role was a walk-on in the 1996 production De Zeemeerman. Later she appeared in a few more feature films such as "Ja Zuster, Nee Zuster" (2000 Pieter Kramer), "Young Kees" (2003 André van Duren), "Father's Affair" (2003 Maarten Treurniet) and "Ellis in Glamourland" (2004 Pieter Kramer).

Film credits Year Title International Title Rolewest 1996 De zeemeerman Emily 2002 Ja zuster, nee zuster Yes Nurse! No Nurse! Jet 2003 Sale Woman in mall Kees de jongen Young Kees Juffrouw Dubois De Passievrucht Father's Affair Anke Neerinckx 2004 Ellis in glamourland Alice in Glamourland Roosje 2005 Geluk Jackie 2006 'n Beetje verliefd Happy Family Aafke 2011 Gooische Vrouwen Claire van Kampen 2012 De Verbouwing The Renovation Tessa van Asselt 2014 Gooische Vrouwen 2 Claire van Kampen 2016 De Zevende Hemel Silke 2019 April, May en June June

Television She is seen weekly in Children's television series Klokhuis (NPS) as "prinsesje Petronella", as well as "dochter konijn" ("daughter rabbit" -being the daughter of mother rabbit (Loes Luca). She also seen in "FIT" (IDTV), "Spangen", "Ibbeltje" (BOS BROS), "De Band" (VARA) and "Keyzer en de Boer Advocaten" (NCRV/KRO). She is without a doubt best known for her starring role in the successful television series "Gooische Vrouwen" (Endemol).

Television credits Year Title Role Notes 1998 Goede daden bij daglicht:Zwerfvuil Sylvia Baantjer Puck Geldermans De Cock en de XTC-moord (13 March 1998) 2002 De vloer op Various 2004 De Band Belinda De Code (25 February 2004) Hormonen (17 March 2004) FIT Various 10 episodes Ibbeltje Mientje 2005 Keyzer & De Boer Advocaten Linda Waar rook is, is vuur (10 October 2005) Gooische vrouwen Claire van Kampen 24 episodes (First 30 October 2005) (running) 2006 Klokhuis Prinsesje Petronella, dochter konijn Training vredesmissie (20 December 2006) Portretschilderen (12 April 2007) 2007 Allemaal film Self De magie van het witte doek Reference:

Personal life Reidinga was married to actor Vincent Croiset for six years. Together they have three sons. In March 2014 it was announced that she had started a relationship with colleague Peter Blok. They met each other during the filming of De verbouwing.nu.nl - Tjitske Reidinga noemt scheiding 'verdrietig en zwaar' - 13 juni 2015 They got married in 2021.Tjitske Reidinga onthult al tijdje getrouwd te zijn: 'Heel klein, maar ook fijn', RTL Boulevard.

References

External links

Details on the Colombina award she won in 2002 at Moose.nl Killendoornse Courant Interview (2002) Moov Interview (2005)