Carice van Houten
Biography
Carice Anouk van Houten, born on September 5 1976 in Leiderdorp, Zuid‑Holland, Netherlands, is a Dutch stage and film actress. She is widely recognized for portraying Melisandre in the television series Game of Thrones, a performance that earned her an Emmy Award nomination in 2019. Her film work includes roles in Paul Verhoeven’s Black Book and Bryan Singer’s Valkyrie, where she acted opposite Tom Cruise. Recent television projects feature the Sky series Instinct and the show Temple, the latter starring alongside Mark Strong and confirmed for a second season. Van Houten’s Dutch‑language feature Love Life garnered critical acclaim and achieved notable box‑office success. Her career encompasses over sixty credited performances across film and television.
Career overview
Carice Anouk van Houten, born September 5, 1976, in Leiderdorp, Zuid‑Holland, Netherlands, is a Dutch stage and film actress. TMDB records list her gender as female and note that she has accumulated 60 credited roles to date. She is described as one of Europe’s most celebrated actresses and is widely recognized for her work in both Dutch‑language and international productions. Van Houten achieved global visibility through her portrayal of the Red Priestess Melisandre in the television series Game of Thrones, a performance that earned her an Emmy Award nomination in 2019 and contributed to the show’s worldwide popularity.
Her filmography includes appearances in Paul Verhoeven’s award‑winning Black Book and Bryan Singer’s Valkyrie, where she acted opposite Tom Cruise. Recent television work features roles in Instinct and the Sky series Temple, the latter starring alongside Mark Strong and being renewed for a second season. In Dutch cinema she headlined the feature Love Life, a film that received critical acclaim and broke box‑office records. Across stage, film, and television, van Houten’s career reflects a versatile range of characters and
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- A Family (2026) as Maria
- A Family (2026) Executive Producer
- A Beautiful Mess (2026) as Self - Host / Jury
- Malice (2025) as Nat Tanner
- Miss Moxy (2025) as Pink (voice)
- Quota (2024) as (voice)
- Grandpa Cor (2024)
- Occupied City (2023) as Narrator (2024 version)
- Dangerous Liaisons (2022) as Jacqueline de Montrachet
- Red Light (2020) as Sylvia Steenhuyzen
- Red Light (2020) Creator
- Lost Girls & Love Hotels (2020) as Ines
- Instinct (2019) as Nicoline
- Temple (2019) as Anna
- Domino (2019) as Alex Boe
- The Glass Room (2019) as Hana
- Brimstone (2016) as Anna
- Race (2016) as Leni Riefenstahl
- Incarnate (2016) as Lindsey
- Verhoeven Versus Verhoeven (2016) as Self - Actress
- Holland: The Living Delta (2015) as Narrator (voice)
- Game of Thrones: Spanish Kingdom Special (2015) as Self
- Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience (2015) as Melisandre
- The Magic of the Diary of Anne Frank (2015) as Self
- The Fifth Estate (2013) as Birgitta Jonsdottir
- Jackie (2012) as Sofie
- Family Way (2012) as Winnie de Roover
- Game of Thrones (2011) as Melisandre
- Intruders (2011) as Susanna
- Black Butterflies (2011) as Ingrid Jonker
- In therapie (2010) as Aya
- Repo Men (2010) as Carol
- Black Death (2010) as Langiva
- Otto Frank, the Father of Anne (2010) as Diary fragments (voice-over)
- Kleinste Kortste Film (2010) as Woman
- The Happy Housewife (2010) as Lea Meijer
- Van Der Vorst Ziet Sterren (2009)
- From Time to Time (2009) as Maria Oldknow
- Stricken (2009) as Carmen
- Gewoon Hans (2009) as Carice van Houten
- Valkyrie (2008) as Nina Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg
- Dorothy Mills (2008) as Jane Van Dopp
- Love Is All (2007) as Kiki Jollema
- Pauw & Witteman (2006)
- Black Book (2006) as Rachel Stein / Ellis de Vries
- Koppensnellers (2006) as Georgina Verbaan
- A Thousand Kisses (2006) as Samarinde
- De Wereld Draait Door (2005) as Self
- De Wereld Draait Door (2005) as zelf
- Spoon (2005) as Juffrouw Broer
- Black Swans (2005) as Marleen
- Bonkers (2005) as Lis
- Father's Affair (2003) as Monika
- Miss Minoes (2001) as Minoes
- Luifel & Luifel (2001) as Roos
- Storm in mijn hoofd (2001) as Titania
- Acteurs, De (2001)
- Acteurs, De (2001) as Ellie
- AmnesiA (2001) as Sandra
- Suzy Q (1999) as Suzy
- Ivoren wachters (1998)
- The Simpsons (1989) as Annika Van Houten (voice)
- Zomergasten (1988)
- German Film Award (1951) as Self