Biography
Hilde Heijnen, born in June 1965 in Mortsel, Flanders, is a distinguished Belgian actress with an extensive career in theatre, film, and television. She graduated with highest honors from Studio Herman Teirlinck in 1987. Hilde spent several seasons at the Royal Theatres, performing over 40 leading roles in plays by Shakespeare, Molière, Federico García Lorca, Tennessee Williams, Tom Lanoye, and others.
She gained international recognition in 1994 with a leading role in La Partie d’échecs, starring alongside Catherine Deneuve and Denis Lavant. In 2025, Hilde portrayed Tracy in the British/German film Switch, directed by Taisia Deeva and produced by Helga Hasse/Tempest Film & Riverstone Picture. She also directed renowned Irish actors with Jan Matthys for the motion capture production of the game "Lunar Strike." In 2024, she starred in one of the leading roles in The Weeping Walk, written and directed by Dimitri Verhulst (Czar/Brussels).
Throughout her career, Hilde has collaborated with numerous acclaimed directors such as Jacob Verbruggen, Susanna White (Parade’s End, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch), Tom Shankland (The Missing, with James Nesbitt), Marion Hänsel (with Olivier Gourmet), Antonia Bird, Cecelia Verheyden, Nic Balthazar, Jan Matthys, Frank Van Passel, Jan Verheyen, Tom Geens, Kaat Beels, Anke Blondé, Maarten Moerkerke, Yves Hanchar, Rimko Haanstra, Elias Mentzel, Eshref Reybroeck, Roel Mondelaers, Stijn Coninx, Frank Van Mechelen, Eric Van Looy, Kadir Balci, and others.
Hilde also teaches masterclasses on "How to Direct Actors & Casting" at the RITCS School of Arts in Brussels, and on "Inclusive Casting" at the Disability Film Festival in 2026. She was nominated for Best Voice in the Netherlands for her narration of the novel Jonkvrouw, written by Pat Van Beirs and Jean-Claude Van Rijckeghem.
With her warm and distinctive voice, Hilde lends her talents to commercials, documentaries, animated films (including works for DreamWorks, Disney, and Studio 100), and commentary (Eyeworks/VTM). She also performs at literary events, live poetry readings accompanied by a jazz combo, and has created special performances for the University of Antwerp alongside Tuur Florizoone, honoring the university's honorary doctorate recipients.
