Johan Heldenbergh

Johan Heldenbergh — Biography

Johan Heldenbergh helped found the theatre initiative Compagnie Cecilia with writer Arne Sierens in 2006, while on screen he had already debuted in the 1995 film Antonia as Tom. He appeared in Flemish television series such as Flikken, Witse and De Ridder, and in 2011 both wrote and directed the production Schellebelle 1919. Alongside acting, he wrote the stage play behind The Broken Circle Breakdown and starred in its film adaptation, winning the Panorama Audience Award at the 2013 Berlin Film Festival and a European Film Award nomination for Best Actor. He spent nineteen years with fellow actress Joke Devynck, with whom he has three children, including twins; their separation was made public in 2013. Sources differ on his date of birth, giving either 11 May or 9 February 1967. He built international recognition through Moscow, Belgium, A Day in a Life and The Misfortunates, later appearing in The Zookeeper's Wife and, as Colonel Karremans, in the Bosnian War drama Quo Vadis, Aida?.