Dutch actor Cees Geel has died suddenly at the age of 61 from a cardiac arrest. The award-winning star was best known for his roles in films like Simon and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, as well as TV shows like Day and Night. He had just finished filming the final series of crime drama Flikken Rotterdam, in which he played detective Stan Vroom, before his death.
Career Highlights and Tributes
Geel won the Golden Calf for Best Actor at the American Tribeca Film Festival for his role in Simon, and was praised by Hollywood star Robert De Niro. His management announced the tragic news on behalf of his family. Tributes have flooded in, with one fan writing: “Top actor! I’m going to miss him on TV. Strength to the bereaved.” Another said: “I once spoke to him... He was a sweet, very nice man with a lot of (sharp) humour and a strong personality.”
Personal Life and Divorce
The star leaves behind two children, but had divorced his ex-wife in 2019. In a 2021 interview with Nieuwe Revu, he admitted the “wound” of the divorce “is there for the rest of my life.” He said: “I see so often that people get stuck on the 10% they find annoying about someone. You started loving each other because of that other 90%, didn't you? Just focus on that and don't make such a big deal out of that 10%. That's how I felt in my relationship too. My ex-wife thought differently about it.” Though he admitted he “made mistakes,” he added: “I still don’t understand why she just left. On the other hand, I know that I sometimes reacted incorrectly, misinterpreting her behaviour. Instead of talking about that behaviour or a specific remark, I would quickly get into an argument.”
