Mimi Boesnach(1899-1982)

Veteran Dutch stage, screen and television actress Mimi Boesnach was born Maria Alida Pieters on November 4, 1899 into a family of traveling dancers and performers. Adopting her stepfather's last name as stage name, at the age of 11 she performed as a singer and junior magician. At fourteen, she joined the highly successful vaudeville act of Louis Davids in Amsterdam. At fifteen, she did her first silent movie. Through the 1920's and early 1930's she became leading lady in Dutch vaudeville, comical opera and stage musical, eventually moving to The Hague to star in the acclaimed 'Louis Bouwmeester Revue'. In 1934 she switched to 'serious' stage plays and performed continuously for forty years, both in leading and supporting roles. Between her stage work she featured in movies in the 1920's and 1930's, and television drama in the 1950's and 1960's. She was awarded the 'Theo d'Or', Holland's most valued award for stage actors, for best supporting actress in 1957.