# Georgina Verbaan

**Georgina Verbaan** (Georgina Carolina Verbaan; born 1979 in [The Hague](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hague)) is a Dutch actress, writer, singer, and presenter who became known to the Dutch public at seventeen as Hedwig Harmsen in the soap opera *Goede tijden, slechte tijden* and later built a career across film, television, theater, and voice work, winning the Golden Calf (The most prestigious award in the Netherlands for film and television) for both a supporting and a leading film role.<sup>[1](https://beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Georgina_Verbaan)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://allstarsagency.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/240819-Bio-NL-Georgina-Verbaan.pdf)</sup> In the Netherlands she has more than 100 television and film credits.<sup>[3](https://hollandfestival.nl/en/georgina-verbaan)

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name, born | Georgina Carolina Verbaan, The Hague, 1979<sup>[1](https://beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Georgina_Verbaan)</sup> |
| Breakthrough | Hedwig Harmsen in *Goede tijden, slechte tijden* from 1997, after a failed 1996 audition for the role of Kim Verduyn<sup>[1](https://beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Georgina_Verbaan)</sup> |
| Film credits | *Costa!* (2001), *Oogverblindend* (2009) with Rutger Hauer, *De Marathon* (2012), *De Surprise* (2015), *Klem* (2023)<sup>[3](https://hollandfestival.nl/en/georgina-verbaan)</sup> |
| Golden Calves | Best Supporting Actress for *De Marathon* (2013) and Best Actress for *De Surprise* (2015)<sup>[4](https://www.filmfestival.nl/en/person/georgina-verbaan)</sup> |
| Television awards | Beeld en Geluid Award, best actress 2007 (fiction), for *'t Schaep met de 5 pooten*; Gouden Notenkraker 2017 for playing Kitty in *Klem*<sup>[1](https://beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Georgina_Verbaan)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://hollandfestival.nl/en/georgina-verbaan)</sup> |
| Writing | Weekly column in NRC from 2013 to 2019; collected in *Loze ruimte* (2016) and *Iets om naar uit te kijken* (2018)<sup>[2](https://allstarsagency.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/240819-Bio-NL-Georgina-Verbaan.pdf)</sup> |
| 2024 stage work | *The Second Woman* at the Holland Festival: one ten-minute love scene performed a hundred times over 24 hours<sup>[5](https://www.hollandfestival.nl/en/the-second-woman)</sup> |

## Early life and training

Verbaan grew up partly in [Zoetermeer](https://www.edgepedia.org/zoetermeer). At eleven she joined the musical group Harlekijn there and appeared in children's musicals until she was twelve; from 1991 she took lessons at the Jeugdtheaterschool Rabarber in The Hague.<sup>[6](https://flixpatrol.com/person/georgina-verbaan/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.theater.nl/artiesten/georgina-verbaan)</sup> After finishing her mavo she considered herself too young for drama school and worked as a waitress.<sup>[1](https://beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Georgina_Verbaan)</sup>

## Breakthrough in television

In 1996 she auditioned for the role of Kim Verduyn in *Goede tijden, slechte tijden*, the first Dutch-language daily soap; Angela Schijf got the part. At a second screen test in 1997, for the role of Hedwig, Verbaan was cast.<sup>[1](https://beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Georgina_Verbaan)</sup> She played Hedwig Harmsen for three years, left in 2000 to pursue a singing career, and returned briefly in 2000 for a few episodes in which her character visited her sick uncle.<sup>[6](https://flixpatrol.com/person/georgina-verbaan/)</sup> She later described those early years as intense: she lived on her own as a teenager while working in the soap, and she has said she lost large stretches of memory from that period.<sup>[8](https://www.rtl.nl/rtl-boulevard/entertainment/artikel/5362001/georgina-verbaan-hele-stukken-van-haar-leven-kwijt)</sup>

## Film and television career

Her film debut was *Enigma* in 1999, followed two years later by the successful *Costa!*, in which she played Janet, a role carried over from the soap of the same name in which she had also appeared.<sup>[1](https://beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Georgina_Verbaan)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://flixpatrol.com/person/georgina-verbaan/)</sup> A string of Dutch films followed, including *Volle maan*, *Adrenaline*, *Erik of het klein insectenboek*, *Joyride*, *Oogverblindend* with [Rutger Hauer](https://www.edgepedia.org/rutger-hauer), *Brasserie Valentijn*, *Lotus*, *Mannenharten*, and *Buiten is het Feest*.<sup>[1](https://beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Georgina_Verbaan)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://hollandfestival.nl/en/georgina-verbaan)</sup>

Television brought some of her most recognized work: leading roles in *Van God Los*, *'t Schaep met de 5 pooten*, *Floor Faber*, and the crime series *Klem*, in which she played Kitty van Mook opposite Barry Atsma and Jacob Derwig; *Klem* aired on [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4) in Britain as *The Blood Pact*.<sup>[3](https://hollandfestival.nl/en/georgina-verbaan)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://allstarsagency.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/240819-Bio-NL-Georgina-Verbaan.pdf)</sup> Recent credits include *Onopgelost* (2024), *Nordin* (2025), and *Dag & Nacht* (2023–), with *Paaz* announced for 2026.<sup>[9](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0893620/)</sup>

## Music, presenting, and writing

After leaving the soap in 2000 she released the single *Ritmo!*, followed by two more [Top 40](https://www.edgepedia.org/top-40) hits, *Yo Quiero Bailar / This Christmas* (2001) and *Denis* (2002).<sup>[10](https://www.top40.nl/jarig-nieuws-jarig-georgina-verbaan)</sup> She has also presented programs including *Ik wed dat ik het kan!*, *Ben Ik Hier Alleen?*, and *Date Smakelijk*, and served as a jury member on *Project Rembrandt*, *Streetlab Niet Te Geloven*, and *Popster!*.<sup>[1](https://beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Georgina_Verbaan)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[11](https://tvblik.nl/dossier/georgina-verbaan)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.top40.nl/jarig-nieuws-jarig-georgina-verbaan)</sup>

**Writing** became a parallel career. She wrote the *Hollands Dagboek* column in NRC Handelsblad in 2009, which brought publisher offers within a week, and from 2013 to 2019 wrote a weekly column for the newspaper.<sup>[12](https://www.nporadio1.nl/nieuws/cultuur-media/0835751b-f8ab-4f52-9387-692f3c021166/georgina-verbaan-is-heel-vaak-gelukkig-en-staat-daar-zelf-ook-van-te-kijken)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://allstarsagency.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/240819-Bio-NL-Georgina-Verbaan.pdf)</sup> Her collections are *Loze ruimte* (2016) and *Iets om naar uit te kijken* (2018).<sup>[2](https://allstarsagency.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/240819-Bio-NL-Georgina-Verbaan.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[13](https://www.bnnvara.nl/varagids/artikelen/in-gesprek-met-georgina-verbaan-over-klem-haar-column-en-twitter)</sup>

## Awards

- Golden Calf, Best Supporting Actress, for *De Marathon* (2013); Golden Calf, Best Actress, for *De Surprise* (2015)<sup>[4](https://www.filmfestival.nl/en/person/georgina-verbaan)</sup>
- Rembrandt Award for the leading role in *Hartenstraat* (2015); Gouden Notenkraker for *Klem* (2017)<sup>[3](https://hollandfestival.nl/en/georgina-verbaan)</sup>
- Beeld en Geluid Award, best actress 2007 in the fiction category, for *'t Schaep met de 5 pooten*<sup>[1](https://beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Georgina_Verbaan)</sup>

## The Second Woman

At the Holland Festival in June 2024, Verbaan played the leading role in *The Second Woman*, a 24-hour durational work by Australian theater makers Anna Breckon and Nat Randall, itself influenced by [John Cassavetes](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-cassavetes)'s film *Opening Night*. From 4 p.m. on 28 June to 4 p.m. on 29 June she performed the same ten-minute love scene a hundred times at Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, each time with a different counterpart; the performance was recorded, edited, and shown live on the big screen of the Tuschinski cinema in Amsterdam.<sup>[5](https://www.hollandfestival.nl/en/the-second-woman)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[14](https://www.martijngijsbertsen.com/actueel-/2024/6/22/georgina-verbaan-the-second-woman)</sup> The counterparts were recruited by public call and intended as a cross-section of society, and the makers described the work as a mix of theater, performance, and video art in which each country's version becomes a kind of sociological experiment.<sup>[14](https://www.martijngijsbertsen.com/actueel-/2024/6/22/georgina-verbaan-the-second-woman)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://www.hollandfestival.nl/en/the-second-woman)</sup>

## References

1. [Georgina Verbaan, Beeld en Geluid Wiki](https://beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Georgina_Verbaan)
2. [Georgina Verbaan biography, All Stars Agency (PDF)](https://allstarsagency.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/240819-Bio-NL-Georgina-Verbaan.pdf)
3. [Georgina Verbaan profile, Holland Festival](https://hollandfestival.nl/en/georgina-verbaan)
4. [Georgina Verbaan, Nederlands Film Festival](https://www.filmfestival.nl/en/person/georgina-verbaan)
5. [The Second Woman, Holland Festival](https://www.hollandfestival.nl/en/the-second-woman)
6. [Georgina Verbaan, FlixPatrol](https://flixpatrol.com/person/georgina-verbaan/)
7. [Georgina Verbaan, Theater.nl](https://www.theater.nl/artiesten/georgina-verbaan)
8. [Doorbraak in GTST zorgde bij Georgina voor eenzaamheid, RTL Boulevard](https://www.rtl.nl/rtl-boulevard/entertainment/artikel/5362001/georgina-verbaan-hele-stukken-van-haar-leven-kwijt)
9. [Georgina Verbaan, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0893620/)
10. [Jarig: Georgina Verbaan, Top40](https://www.top40.nl/jarig-nieuws-jarig-georgina-verbaan)
11. [Georgina Verbaan dossier, TVblik](https://tvblik.nl/dossier/georgina-verbaan)
12. [Georgina Verbaan is heel vaak gelukkig, NPO Radio 1](https://www.nporadio1.nl/nieuws/cultuur-media/0835751b-f8ab-4f52-9387-692f3c021166/georgina-verbaan-is-heel-vaak-gelukkig-en-staat-daar-zelf-ook-van-te-kijken)
13. [In gesprek met Georgina Verbaan over Klem, haar Column en Twitter, VARAgids/BNNVARA](https://www.bnnvara.nl/varagids/artikelen/in-gesprek-met-georgina-verbaan-over-klem-haar-column-en-twitter)
14. [Georgina Verbaan - The Second Woman, Martijn Gijsbertsen Fotografie / interview by Ally Smid](https://www.martijngijsbertsen.com/actueel-/2024/6/22/georgina-verbaan-the-second-woman)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Soap operas and continuing serials › European continuing serials › European serial cast and creators*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license
