“Former GTST Soap Stars: Where Are They Now?”

Marjolein Keuning (Maxime Sanders)

Marjolein makes herself unforgettable for nine years, from 2008 to 2017, as the sister of Ludo Sanders. The actress is ready for a new challenge and that is why her character dies in a fire. During GTST is Marjolein also in movies (The Heineken Kidnapping, Made for each other) and her own theater performance Turf to see. She will participate in 2018 The smartest person, in which she loses weight in the fifth episode. Then Marjolein changes course. She throws herself into giving theater and music performances on small stages and in nature. And mountain hiking. “I have become a bit stricter when it comes to the choices I make,” says Marjolein at the end of last year the Telegraph. “For example, it’s about why I occasionally say goodbye to the hectic world and prefer to work it out in the rain, scorching sun, or on muddy paths,” she says about her theater performance Songs in the silence. Did you know that Marjolein has been married to Henk Poort since 1993? Together they have two daughters.

Ruud Feltkamp (Noud Alberts)

Twelve years is a lot GTSTviewer in love with Noud Alberts, Laura’s grandson. In 2018 Ruud leaves the soap – what he calls the ‘most difficult decision of my life’ – to take a completely different direction. He becomes an IT specialist and throws himself into their crypto business with his brother. In 2019, Ruud is still diving in Kees van der Spek: Scammers Tackled. A bitcoin scammer misuses the name and a photo of Ruud and poses as him to steal a lot of money from those interested in bitcoin. John de Mol is also going to court in this case. You can that episode look back here at Videoland. Ruud also joins RTL Boulevard several times as an IT specialist.

Sebastian Labrie (Ray Groenoord)

Sebastiaan Labrie plays the role of the tough cop Ray for two years, from 2003 to 2005. After GTST the actor can be seen in, among other things On the way to Tomorrow, but he mainly focuses on presenting. So he travels with 3 on Journey over the world. His most recent big TV job is his participation in the all stars edition of Expedition Robinson in 2022. Out last post on Instagram it turns out that Sebastiaan is trying to raise money for making documentaries.

Micky Hoogendijk (Cleo de Wolf)

After playing the intense character of Cleo for two years – from 2000 to 2002 – Micky Hoogendijk left for the United States. Here she takes acting lessons and in 2004 scores a supporting role in the film Raising Helen. Her American Dream is not continuing. After that, Micky can only be seen in Dutch series. In 2009 she makes a career change: to this day Micky is a photographer and artist. In between the companies she gets into a relationship with Adam Curry. They married in 2012, but divorced in 2015.

Gigi Ravelli (Lorena González)

Gigi plays the bitchy Lorena for seven years. In 2014, at Gigi’s request, this came to an end: her character leaves the soap with Stefano (Bas Muijs), but in 2016 it appears in the GTST Meerdijk app that Lorena eventually ran off with someone else and lives with him in Barbados. Gigi disappears after her GTSTtime completely out of the spotlight. That has everything to do with her partner in real life, whom she met in 2013. She leads an anonymous existence with the wealthy stockbroker Roger Hodenius, whom she marries in Ibiza in 2016. The two would now have a child together. In 2018, Gigi briefly returns to the spotlight. She scores a role in the film All You Need Is Love, and then crawl back into her cocoon. Gigi has also not been heard from on Instagram for a long time. There are still shots of her GTSTtime to see. Remember the jewelry line she had with bestie Marly van der Velden?

Casper van Bohemen (Frits van Houten)

For the older generation GTSTviewers, Frits van Houten will probably remain a favorite soap villain. In 1995, after four years, his sinister practices in Meerdijk came to an end. He is killed by his mistress and secretary, who electrocutes him by throwing a TV into his bath. In 2005 Casper briefly returns to the soap as Frits’ twin brother. Beside and after GTST Casper pops up in other series (On the way to Tomorrow, Westenwind, Rozengeur & Vodka Lime, Cops Maastricht) and musicals. In 2023, Casper teaches at the Youth Theater School Rabarder in The Hague, records radio and TV commercials and has his own theater production company.

Want to see Frits van Houten in action? At Videoland you can GTST look back from the first season.

Sabine King (Anita Dendermonde)

Sabine Koning made her debut in 1992 GTST. After her exit in 2003, she made her comeback in 2006. In 2009, her beloved character Anita, the great love of Rik (Ferri Somogyi), dies. In the same year, Sabine emigrated to America with her partner. Here she eventually takes a completely different path: she becomes a tour guide and manager of a dog grooming salon. After seven years, her relationship ends and in 2015 Sabine discovers that she cannot have children, she tells Bridget Maasland in 2016 in Bridget in Hollywood. In 2022, Sabine will share photos and videos with her followers that show that she is happy again in love and is coming back to the Netherlands. At the moment Sabine lives with her partner and their dogs in Bergen.

Aukje van Ginneken (Charlie Fischer)

Aukje breaks through to the general public in 1999 as Charlie GTST. In 2003 she says goodbye to Meerdijk and Lieke van Lexmond takes over from her. Aukje is now a mother of three children and works as a pregnancy teacher. She has not completely let go of the showbiz profession: Aukje also speaks cartoons such as Winx in.

Koert-Jan de Bruijn (Dennis Alberts)

Do you think the romance between Stefano and Merel is a no-go? In the GTSTtime of actor Koert-Jan de Bruijn, his character ends up in a much bigger scandal. Dennis marries Laura Selmhorst (Jette van der Meij), who later turns out to be his very own mother. After six years, Koert-Jan leaves the soap in 2008. He is now the father of two daughters and works as a presenter for RTL programs such as House Vision, RTL Camping, RTL Snowmagazine in Camping time. He has also made himself the figurehead of naturism recreation in the Netherlands, which he talks about in the Barely Ordinary Podcast.

Charlotte BesijnBarbara Fischer

After eleven years of joys and sorrows with her character Barbara, Charlotte Besijn leaves Meerdijk in 2010. Or well, not really: to this day, Charlotte is still on the set of GTST to be found, but behind the camera. The reason for Barbara’s exit, who emigrates to Curaçao to open a B&B, is that Charlotte wants to become a director. Endemol offers her the opportunity to develop in this area. First as a recording manager of the longest-running soap opera in the Netherlands and she has now been one of the directors for several years. Privately, Charlotte is happy with girlfriend Caro.

Bartho Braat (Jef Alberts)

You say GTST, then you still say, Bartho Braat. For no less than 25 years he played the warm Jef, with whom the whole of Meerdijk could go in his café De Koning. In 2016, Bartho says goodbye with a tear as Jef, but he makes his comeback several times (as Sinterklaas) in the soap. Especially that Sinterklaas role provides the now 72-year-old actor with appearances in films and series. He is also still on stage, with smaller musical theater performances.

Wilbert Gieske (Robert Alberts)

Wilbert Gieske is also and remains inextricably linked to GTST. In 1990 he made his entrance as Robert in the soap and in 2008 his exit. In the years that followed, he returns regularly in the series, just like Bartho. In addition, Wilbert can also be seen in many Sinterklaas productions. Whether Robert will make his comeback in Meerdijk again? That chance is quite there with a possible imminent exit of Jette van der Meij.

Inge Ipenburg (Martine Hafkamp)

The soap bitch of the Low Countries is and remains Martine Hafkamp. The role that Inge plays from 1990 to 1992 and from 1992 to 1994 is so popular that she returns in 2003 and 2005. In addition to years of acting, Inge is also working as a writer and she records her own audio books. She also plunged into the photography profession last year The Picture Perfect.

Cynthia Abma and Elvira Out (Bianca Bouwhuis)

Cynthia Abma plays the role of the wife of doctor Anton Bouwhuis for three years, from 2010 to 2013. If she makes the switch to SBS6, this will not mean the end for her character in Meerdijk: actress Elvira Out will take over until 2015. Elvira’s resignation from GTST is so difficult for her that she is making a stage performance about it in 2017. Since then she plays and sings on a smaller stage and is a life coach. In addition to being an actress, Cynthia is now also an intimacy coordinator on film sets, which we spoke to her about earlier:

Chrisje Comvalius (Dorothea Grantsaan)

Bing’s father Stanley (Kenneth Herdigein) recently made his short-lived comeback. That chance is no longer there for his mother Dorothea, since she dies in the series in 2008. After that, Chrisje scores a few more roles in Dutch films and series and theater performances. Nowadays, Chrisje takes care of young talent and makers of color in the Netherlands as a mentor. In this podcast she recently gave an extensive interview.

Alkan Çöklü (Amir Nazar)

Alkan will leave the soap village in 2021. “After three and a half years, the writers thought the story had been told, and I thought so too,” says the actor at the time. Alkan is now directing short movies and is still known among the younger audience for its prankvideo’s under the alias Alkantubbies. Recently, Alkan has been partly due to his participation in Special Forces VIPS started training as a holistic coach/therapist. ‘A world opened up for me. It’s incredibly vulnerable but it feels super good,” he shares with his followers.