Roeland Wiesnekker

Roeland Wiesnekker (pron. 'Roo-Land') (b. 25 November 1967 near Zürich) is a Dutch / Swiss actor in movies and theater plays.

Wiesnekker grew up in a music-loving family and tried out various instruments.

Despite that, he wanted to become an actor, because he adored Charlie Chaplin.

At the age of 15 Wiesnekker started a cook apprenticeship, but did not agree with the “hierarchic structures”.

At the age of 16 he planned to become a sports teacher, but soon took up work in a hospital instead.

As the job as a male nurse did not satisfy him either, he began working in a Gassenküche (“street-kitchen” - a soup kitchen for the homeless and drug-addicted), a job that moulded his character.

Later he decided to become an actor.

From 1986 to 1989, he frequented the Schauspielakademie (a drama school) in Zürich.

Even before he received the diploma, he was engaged by the theatre Schauspielhaus Bochum, Germany.

He was already familiar with film acting in 1989, having played a part in short film Karl and afterwards e.g. in the Eurocops series (1991) with Barbara Rudnik (Director: Markus Imboden).

In 1990 he was nominated for the award Deutscher Nachwuchsschauspieler des Jahres (German talented young actor of the year).

Wiesnekker went back to Zürich – despite offers of possible roles abroad.

In Zürich he participated in very different productions e.g. in Der Menschenfeind at the Schauspielhaus Zürich.

Since the summer of 2003 he joint the cast of Swiss sitcom Lüthi und Blanc.

In 2005 Wisenekker was awarded the Schweizer Filmpreis als Bester Hauptdarsteller (Swiss film award for the best main role) for his role of drug addict policeman Herbert Strähl in Strähl.

Ever since then Wiesnekker was able to select his roles himself, even abroad (He speaks German, Swiss German, Dutch, English and French).

He likes to learn his lines in crowded pubs.

He chooses his roles intuitively, not necessarily big ones.

The characters should be complex, the script interesting and the director gifted.