Famke Beumer Janssen is a Dutch actress, director, screenwriter, and former fashion model, who portrayed Trillian St. James in the 1998 Hollywood Pictures film Deep Rising and Petra in the 1998 Miramax Films film Rounders. She also appeared as herself in the on-ride video at Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic, as well as the Dutch narration for the ride, at the Walt Disney Studios Park. Additionally, she played Eve Rothlow in the ABC TV show How to Get Away with Murder.
Born in Amstelveen, the Netherlands; Janssen attended University of Amsterdam and studied economics before enrolling at Columbia University's School of General Studies to study creative writing and literature. In 1984, Janssen moved to the United States and began working as a fashion model for Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Chanel, and Victoria's Secret before switching to acting in the 1990s.
She appeared in shows, like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ally McBeal, Hemlock Grove, Nip/Tuck, The Blacklist, and its spinoff The Blacklist: Redemption.
Her first film role was alongside Jeff Goldblum in the 1992 crime drama film Fathers & Sons which led to films, like GoldenEye, The Gingerbread Man, Celebrity, Monument Ave, House on Haunted Hill, The Faculty, Turn the River, and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. Her most notable roles are that of Jean Grey/Phoenix in the first three X-Men films and two cameo appearances in The Wolverine and X-Men: Days of Future Past and Lenore Mills in the Taken film trilogy.
Janssen made her directorial debut with Bringing Up Bobby, which she also wrote.
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Trivia[]
- Famke Janssen was originally cast as Serleena in Men in Black II and had even completed some of the filming, but was forced to drop out of the project due to a death in her family. Lara Flynn Boyle was cast in her place.