Jean Koning

Jean Koning

Jean Koning at the Black&White Ball in Amsterdam, April 2015
Born Jean Paul Koning
(1976-04-19) 19 April 1976
Zaandam, Netherlands
Occupation Actor, musician, author
Years active 1985–present
Children Quintana Rain (2006)
Website www.jeankoning.nl

Jean Paul Koning[1] (born 19 April 1976) is a Dutch actor, director, musician and author. In the early 1990s, Koning was a model in the Amsterdam gay scene, performed as a stage actor, and played in an industrial avant-punk band called !JP, which released numerous albums. Koning is known for his outspoken views and generally sarcastic nature.

Despite his traditional actor training by Piet Teeling at the Children Theatre Academy and at the Kimball Institute, he is considered to be a method actor, known for his constant devotion to and research of his roles.

In his acclaimed book Visions, he writes about his personal life in both Amsterdam and New York.[2] Describing political issues, disappointing love affairs and drug abuse, in a witty voice,[3] With Visions Koning reached a widespread audience.[4] Koning returned to writing with two Dutch novels, Noppen and Anoniem, which are written from a fictional character's point of view, but seem to deal with personal grief at the same time.[5]

Early life

Jean Koning was born in Zaandam, Netherlands. At an early age, Koning's parents moved further north to the hamlet West-Knollendam.

Career


Theatre

Halfway during the 1980s, Koning enrolled into the Children Theatre Academy in Purmerend. His first part was as a party-guest in a French Play, which played local theatres. After that, Koning made a move to Amsterdam where he began working with numerous theatre-companies.

During the artistic explosion in the 1990s, he further developed his career as stage-actor and performed in numerous (mostly experimental) plays. In 1998 he shifted his acting-career to a lower level, focusing mainly on his music-career.

In 2005 he returned to stage-acting. In 2006 he played Mikheil Saakashvili in Het Meisje En De Macht by theatre-company Toetssteen. He played this part with his back facing the audience, which enhanced his obscurity and waywardness as an actor.

In 2013 he played both Borg in Het Tijdgat and Lev Sergeyevich Termen in "LEV", two of his most appreciated parts in the theatre.

In 2014 and 2015 he toured with the critically acclaimed solo-play Étonne-Moi, in which he played the legendary Vaslav Nijinsky. Stated to be a convincing and fascinating play with a wide variety of facial expressions and body language. Koning elevated the play to a stage-filling spectacle.[6]

Music

Koning played electric guitar and sang in garage band !JP. Halfway during the 1990s, Koning made a shift to New York City, to pursuit a solo career in music.[7]

In 2003 Koning starts a musical side project called ILUNGA PI. This band takes the avant garde songs from the !JP catalogue and plays them in a more commercial sounding way. That same year, this project-band wins the NH Glorie Public Choice Award for best band and best performance.[8]

In 2009 Koning signed with the New York City based independent label Coffee&CheeseCake Records and commences his solo-career in 2010 with Man Enough To Be A Woman, on Eden Records.[9] In 2011 Koning released his Coffee&CheeseCake-debut, Wake Up in L.A. In 2012, Koning was one of the musicians performing during the election campaign for Dutch political party Groen Links.[10] With his third album Industrial City In The Clouds,[11] Koning focused on a more commercial sound. The album contains songs about the history of his birth town and was highly appreciated.[12]

Stage

Film

Actor

Writer/director

Feature films

Short films

Discography

Albums

!JP

Solo

EPs

Singles

Bibliography

Notes

  1. ↑ "Jean Koning".
  2. ↑ "A European's Americanization". Trendhunter.
  3. ↑ "Visions by Jean Koning". Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  4. ↑ "Librarything".
  5. ↑ "Beyond the Books Interviews Jean Koning, Author of Visions on America". Beyond the Books.
  6. ↑ http://www.ontdekdenhelder.com/2015/04/27/veel-variatie-bij-eenakterfestival/
  7. ↑ "ZAANSE POPHISTORIE Jean Koning".
  8. ↑ "ZAANSE POPHISTORIE Inlunga Pi".
  9. ↑ "Jean Koning Biographie".
  10. ↑ "Groen Links Twitter Conversation".
  11. ↑ "Zaanse Invasie".
  12. ↑ "Industrial City in the Clouds". De Zaankanter/De Krommenieër. Retrieved 24 April 2013.

External links

References

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