Karis van Houten is a Dutch actress known to every loyal fan of the popular television saga Game of Thrones. Her mysterious character Melisandra appears in the second season of the series. Of course, shooting in the film adaptation of the work of George Martin is far from the only achievement of this charming brunette. What is known about the life of the star, what roles did she manage to play by the age of 39?
Caris van Houten: biography of a star
"Melisandra" was born in the Netherlands, there was a joyful event in September 1976. The mother and father of the girl became creative people - a TV presenter and writer. Karis van Houten received her unusual name at the request of her father, who wanted to name her just like the name of the daughter of his beloved composer Elgar.
Almost in the first years of her life, the girl became interested in music, learned to play the clarinet excellently. However, Karis van Houten dreamed of connecting her life with the world of cinema, which she fell ill at the age of five, being with her father in the theater. The future star was pleased to attend the school theater club, a rare school play was held without her participation. It is not surprising that Karis played her first serial heroine as a schoolgirl. She got a minor role in the television project "Labyrinth".
After graduating from school, Caris van Houten spent several years comprehending the basics of acting, choosing one of the theater universities in Amsterdam. She successfully combined her studies with performances on stage.
Star role
Fans of "Melisandra" will be interested to know which film made the Dutch actress a star. It was the Black Book, released in 2006 by such a famous director as Paul Verhoeven. The anti-Nazi drama gave the sultry brunette world recognition.
The film received rave reviews from critics, the game Karis van Houten was separately noted, films with the participation of which had not made such a sensation before. The girl got a complex character - the Jewish singer Rachel, who lives for revenge. The heroine seeks to pay the Nazis for the death of her parents. An already difficult task is complicated when Rachel is suddenly fascinated by a charming enemy captain.
The series "Game of Thrones"
In 2012, the role of Rachel ceased to be considered the most famous work of the Dutch star in the movie. The second season of the film adaptation of the cult epic George Martin was held with the participation of Karis van Houten. The Game of Thrones was an interesting experience for her, as she had to embody the image of Melisandra, a heroine who was not like any of the characters she had previously played. It is curious that initially the girl claimed the role of Cersei, but the creators of the series chose to stay on Lena Headey's candidacy .
Melisandra is one of the most mysterious characters of Game of Thrones. The red-haired priestess puts on exclusively red, worships the powerful god Rglor. Among her supernatural abilities is the ability to predict the future. In one of her visions, Melisandra saw that only King Stannis was able to bring people to the light. Since then, the priestess has become his faithful companion, prompting the applicant to the throne, certain actions, often unseemly. She cleverly manages not only Stannis, but also his wife Selisa and the royal associates.
In the 6th season of the acclaimed series, Melisandra will have an important mission. Many fans who do not agree to part with the hero John Snow, who was killed in the previous season, hope that the red-haired priestess will be able to bring him back to life.
What else to see
Not all fascinating pictures and television projects featuring Karis van Houten are listed above. The filmography of the Dutch film star also includes the famous film "Operation Valkyrie," in which she got the image of the wife of the character Tom Cruise. She also often plays in horror films, as evidenced by such popular film projects as “Black Death”, “From Time to Time”.
Interestingly, in Black Death, Caris’s colleague on the set was Sean Bean, who later played Eddard Stark in the first season of Game of Thrones. Van Houten also had the opportunity to act in other films with the actor who plays her serial antagonist Davos in the film adaptation “Songs of Ice and Fire”.
Personal life
Not so long ago, the Internet was flooded with rumors that Melisandra would soon become a mother. Caris confirmed the accuracy of this information. She and her partner Guy Pearce (a British actor) are really expecting a child who will be the first for their parents.