'How that' young people experience their story: Willem, 18, actor


"I'm Willem. I'm 18 years old. I study drama at 'KASK' (School of Arts), here in Ghent. Aside from that, I'm usually busy with scouting, I'm a leader there. And I am... I read a lot, I try to write a lot of scripts, theatre scripts, poems, but just on an amateur level. Furthermore, I've got a brother and a sister. My friends and family are important to me. So, violà!"

  • "How did you get into acting?"

"I got into acting, a bit because of my... I went to acting classes every Wednesday afternoon, - what's it called - 'drama' at 'KAT' in Tervuren. I did that for about three years, then I quit, because I thought: "This isn't it for me". I started at 'SMO', back at 'GITO' in Overijse, again acting in my spare time on Wednesday afternoons. My teacher then came to me and asked: "Isn't 'Lemmens' a good fit for you?". That's an acting school in Leuven, high school, art school. But I thought: "I don't want to leave, I want to stay with my friends". I wanted to stay at "SMO" - where I was at the time - in Overijse. But eventually, because my brother kept pushing me, I applied for the admission test. I got through, I studied there for three years. And now, I am where I am now. I think it was in my last year, that I realized that this is what I was born to do, or something. What I love doing. What I want to put my time and energy in."

  • "Can you tell us something about your new tv show 'Déjà-Vu'?"

"We finished filming a few weeks ago. We shot everything during Corona times, which wasn't an easy task. We had to stick to the measures. For me, it was a new experience, a new step in the process I want to make as an actor. To grow. It's my dream to reach that. I portray the role of 'Max', a pubescent boy, who needs a lot of attention from his mom. The story is about his mom, who's thriving on a professional level. She's a radio show host, she made it - let's put it that way. Until something intense happens to her daughter, but I'm not going to spoil too much about that yet... Let's keep it exciting."

  • "Do you notice you're getting more well-known?"

"If I took the train in Ghent on a Friday evening to go home, I could predict for 100% that someone would ask me for a picture or to verify: "Aren't you the one from ... ?" Or, or... It's funny how people might think they're subtle, but they really aren't. When they pass me on their bikes and go: *shocked face* "OMG, that's him from...". Like that? And they think I don't notice. But, in the end, it's great that people enjoy the work you've done."

  • "Theatre or television?"

"The choice between television and theatre, is a tough one for me. You can state: 'but it's both acting', yet it's completely different. With television, it's a bit more technical. 'Okay, what shot do we want, what story do we want to tell, which angle do we want to portray'. While, with theatre, it's more a story from one point of view. The audience. You can still play with that, of course - put the audience in a circle around you, higher, lower. But I have the feeling that theatre is more 'one shot'. It's do or die. Like that. That feeling. The excitement, the adrenaline boost to be on stage and to know that you'll have to say an entire monologue or entire script without making a single mistake. That's a boost I'd never want to miss out on."

  • "Do you have tips for starting actors?"

"Don't stress about things like 'Am I doing this right? Or this or that?' It's of course hard to stop... I still have it every day, with the eyes of the audience, a teacher, the jury, on me. But a wise lesson I was taught at school, is to embrace the audience, put them into your acting. It'll give you more freedom, it'll give you more of a natural technique. Then, acting will be the most amazing thing that ever existed."