Biography

Genio de Groot (Maastricht, January 11, 1953) is a Dutch actor, director, writer and television and theater maker. He is the son of the Maastricht artist couple Theo de Groot and Miets Crolla. In 1977 he completed his drama training in Utrecht. He is co-founder of De Ploeg: a collaboration between comedians and actors who create their own performances. He played one of the leading roles (father of Mees) in the film and television series The Penknife by Ben Sombogaart. The Penknife has received many international awards, including the Emmy Award. Played further in numerous TV series, television dramas and feature films.

- IMDb mini biography by: G de Groot

Genio de Groot is a versatile actor and director who works in theater, film, and television with equal eagerness. Throughout his career, he has played a wide range of roles, from touching fathers to complex and dangerous villains.

One of his most notable achievements was the role of Mees' father in the film Het Zakmes (The Penknife), directed by Ben Sombogaart. The film won a Golden Calf, and the accompanying TV series received an Emmy Award. De Groot's performances are often praised for his ability to embody both heroes and villains, capturing the human side of even the darkest characters.

Another significant role was that of mother Else in the theater adaptation of the film Festen, for which he received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In his interpretation, the mother was both complicit and a victim of her husband's heinous crimes. He combined this role with that of the family's demented grandfather, quickly switching between the two characters with just an earring for the mother and reading glasses for the grandfather. These transitions between characters highlight the complexity of human relationships and illustrate De Groot's fascination with the tension between humor and drama, which runs through his work.

In his solo performance of The Philanthropist, Testament of a Serial Killer, he also explores the complex dynamics between good and evil. His work acknowledges the possibility that both heroes and villains can be affected by fate; goodness can die in beauty, while evil can triumph against all reason and moral principles.

In the film The Columnist (2019), De Groot played a small role, but the film represents precisely the themes he seeks in his work. It explores the complexities of online harassment and the moral questions that arise from it, aligning with his interest in the tension between humor and drama.

With a lifelong fascination for this tension, Genio strives to apply the power of catharsis and the liberating force of humor in his work. This enables him to shape the human, and thus relatable, aspects of his characters and delve into the depths of their emotions.

- IMDb mini biography by: G de Groot