Left: Van Dosselaere in Aspe. Right: the actor in 2014. — © vtm, belgium
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Flemish actor Michel Van Dosselaere passed away on Monday. He was known for his roles as Commissioner Roger De Kee in ‘Aspe’ and Leo Deschryver in ‘The Divine Monster’. The Gentenaar who lived in Amsterdam with his Dutch wife Irma Wijsman turned 73.
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The actor had suffered from a rare form of progressive aphasia for seven years, a brain disorder that caused him to gradually lose his ability to speak and also deteriorate physically.
In 2018, his wife Irma Wijsman told in a documentary about the disease that he had accepted his condition. Still, Van Dosselaere waited a long time to announce the news.
–Irma Wijsman and Van Dosselaere in 2018. — © Merlin Doomernik
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“Only the actors knew. This was his last role and Michel wanted to do it perfectly. Because he got an earpiece and someone from production prompted the text, the audience didn’t notice anything,” Irma said at the time.
Van Dosselaere said goodbye to the stage and audience in De Roma in Borgerhout in 2018. He is best known to the general public for his roles in ‘Aspe’ and ‘The divine monster’, but the native Gentenaar starred in numerous Flemish films and series. He was also active as a director.
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