Jan Decleir

Jan Decleir

Jan Decleir in August 2009 at Jazz Middelheim.
Born Jan Amanda Gustaaf Decleir
14 February 1946
Niel, Belgium

Jan Decleir (born 14 February 1946) is a prolific Belgian (Flemish) movie and stage actor born in Niel, Antwerp (Flanders, Belgium).

He had his first big role in Fons Rademakers Mira (1971). Since then, he has appeared in countless Flemish and Dutch films and TV productions. He starred in Academy Award winning movies including Karakter and Antonia and the Oscar-nominated social drama Daens. More recently he turned down roles in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut (due to commitments to other projects) and the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. Decleir is also Belgium's national performer of Sinterklaas since 1993.

In 2003 he had the starring role in the critically acclaimed thriller The Memory of a Killer (The Alzheimer Case) 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 under way 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 his role in The Barons, he received the Magritte Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Filmography

He is also known from Flemish TV series such as:

External links