Tom Dewispelaere (1976) is an actor. He has performed countless stage roles with the actors’ collective Olympique Dramatique, which he co-founded. These days he regularly appears in television series like De Parelvissers, Van vlees en bloed and Cordon. He has also starred in films, including Borgman. He now has his eye on the director’s chair, as exemplified by Onvoltooid verleden, AUGUSTUS ergens op de vlakte and this season Risjaar Drei. Dewispelaere is a permanent member of the Toneelhuis cast. Dewispelaere graduated from Studio Herman Teirlinck in 1998. He is now part of the actors’ collective Olympique Dramatique along with Ben Segers, Stijn Van Opstal and Geert Van Rampelberg. With plays like Neen Serieus (1999), Drie kleuren wit (1998), Het Aanzoek (2000) and particularly De Krippel (2002), the group has won acclaim for its daring text adaptations and inspirational performances. De Jossen (2004), De kale zangeres (2004) and Donkisjot (2006) followed in quick succession. Tom Dewispelaere also appeared in Toneelhuis’ Generation Vickx (2000), Mamma Medea (2001), Nacht, moeder van de dag (2001), De Theatermaker (2001), Andromak (2002), Oom Wanja (2003), Lits Jumeaux (2003), Peer Gynt (2004) and Onegin (2006). Olympique Dramatique has been a permanent ‘Toneelhuis-maker’ since 2006.
In tandem with the other members of Olympique Dramatique, Tom Dewispelaere created The Lieutenant of Inishmore (2006) at Toneelhuis. He appeared alongside Stijn Van Opstal and Ben Segers in De geruchten (2008), in which they worked with Guy Cassiers for the first time. Tom Dewispelaere played the lead role in De parallelactie and Het mystieke huwelijk (parts I and II of De man zonder eigenschappen I and II, directed by Guy Cassiers). In 2011 he performed with Olympique Dramatique in Alex Van Warmerdam’s Bij het kanaal naar links. He also took part in Middenin de nacht, a play created by all the Toneelhuis theatre-makers and actors and based on Toon Tellegen’s book of the same name (2012). In the spring of 2012, he turned Onvoltooid verleden, the sequel to De geruchten, into a dialogue for Jan Decleir and himself. In 2013 he appeared in Bart Meuleman’s production of Desperado. In 2014-2015 he worked with Stijn Van Opstal on AUGUSTUS ergens op de vlakte (August, Osage County). He revived Desperado and performed in Guy Cassiers’ productions Passions humaines (2015) and De blinden (2014). With Jan Decleir he revived Onvoltooid verleden (Simple Past). In the 2015 -2016 season he acted in a Toneelhuis production directed by Guy Cassiers: Caligula (2015). With Olympique Dramatique he made Het Gelukzalige (2016) with Alex van Warmerdam.
In 2016-2017 he and Stijn Van Opstal will once again bring together a formidable cast for Risjaar Drei, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic play about the repugnant, corrupt and sadistic Richard III. AUGUSTUS ergens op de vlakte will be revived at the Bourla theatre.
Tom Dewispelaere also works in television and film (inter alia, De Parelvissers, 2006, Van vlees en bloed, 2009, Groenten uit Balen, 2011 and Cordon, 2014, Over water, 2018). He also appeared in Alex Van Warmerdam’s films Borgman and Schneider vs Bax. Borgman was selected for the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
- update March 2019
