Leendert de Ridder
Bio
Leendert de Ridder (1990) is a Dutch actor and presenter from Amsterdam. He graduated in 2012 from the Amsterdamse Toneelschool & Kleinkunstacademie.
Theater
After graduating from the Amsterdamse Toneelschool & Kleinkunstacademie Leendert played in Happy Place 2: Vee Vee Vee at Oerol and Happy Place 3: Sharing Creativity at Over ‘t IJ Festival of Kompagnie Kistemaker, directed by Karlijn Kistemaker. After that, Leendert played in Perenbomen bloeien wit (2015), Mariken (2016) and Dissus (2017) of Theatergroep Kwatta. Beginning of 2018 Leendert played in Bromance (winner Gouden Krekel) of Toneelgroep Oostpool, directed by Timothy de Gilde. That year he also toured Canada and the US with Manxmouse of Theatergroep Kwatta. He also starred in the rerun of ‘Sophie’ of De Theateralliante with Tjitske Reidinga, directed by Antoine Uitdehaag.
Last year Leendert played in the rerun of Perenbomen bloeien wit of Theatergroep Kwatta and Romeo & Julia of Goedemorgen Theaterproducties. This year Leendert will play in Metamorfosen of Theatergroep Kwatta directed by Josee Hussaarts and written by Jibbe Willems.
Film and Television
During his studies Leendert made his first national appearance in Sterke Verhalen de Film, Het Klokhuis and Villa Achterwerk. After graduating he starred in leading roles in the children series VRijland (NPO Zapp), Het Mysterie Van… (RTL Telekids) and in the Belgian series Ghostrockers (Ketnet). He also played a part in the feature film Wonderbroeders and the short movie Caged (winner best short film at the Vittorio Veneto International Film Festival & Audience Award HBO America’s Rainbow Film Festival). Since 2016 Leendert has been playing the role of Mees Kees in the successful feature films Mees Kees Langs de Lijn (winner ‘Gouden Kalf Audience Award’ at the annual Dutch Film Festival) and Mees Kees in de Wolken (nominated for ‘Zapp Award Best Youth Film 2020’). He also plays the part of Mees Kees in two seasons (total of 48 episodes) of Mees Kees the Series (ZDF Kika, NPO Zapp). The films and series of Mees Kees are linearly broadcasted internationally by different national broadcasting networks under the title of Mister Twister. They are also available worldwide for streaming on Netflix. Leendert also presented the saturday night show Mees Kees Kwis (NPO Zapp) for AVROTROS. He competed successfully in three episodes of the popular quiz De Slimste Mens and presented De Buitendienst (NPO Zapp).
Recently, Leendert imitated André Hazes Jr. in the well known Dutch sketch comedy and variety tv-show the TV Kantine (RTL 4). In 2022 he will make an appearance in the new Dutch tv-series Het Jaar van Fortuyn. He’s also playing a part in the new fiction podcast De Omega (NTR).