Biography
Reinout Oerlemans has worked in the media and entertainment business for 25 years. Launching his career as an actor and on-air host, he transitioned early to become one of the industry's most successful producers and directors of global unscripted and scripted content.
In 2009, Oerlemans made his debut as a feature film director with Academy Award winning producer Hans de Weers, delivering the highest-grossing Dutch movie of the decade, STRICKEN (Komt Een Vrouw Bij De Dokter, starring Carice Van Houten). In 2011 he brought to the Dutch cinema its first movie in 3D: Nova Zembla (starring supermodel Doutzen Kroes in her first on screen appearance), which sold close to a million tickets in the BENELUX.
His love for drama turned Oerlemans into an active, award-winning producer in the scripted space- producing numerous feature films, including The DINNER (with director Menno Meyes, writer of the Color Purple and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), New Kids Turbo (over 1.5 million tickets sold in Holland, Germany and Belgium), and JACKIE (featuring Oscar-winning actress Holly Hunter).
In 1989, while studying law at the University of Amsterdam, Oerlemans was "plucked off the street" and cast as a lead in the first Dutch daily, prime time drama ("Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden"). Following six years on the hit series, he became one of Holland's most successful TV personalities, hosting a variety of entertainment shows including the first cycles of American Idol in Holland. He also hosted the hit series Strictly Come Dancing, as well as many seasons of his own talk show, PULSE, for biggest commercial network RTL.
In 2001, Oerlemans founded his own production company, Eyeworks. With a vision to turn the company into a major player in the global TV industry, Eyeworks grew to encompass 16 companies across continental Europe, Scandinavia, South America, New Zealand, Australia and the US- making it one of the top 5 of biggest independent production companies in the world.
Oerlemans created such successful formats as Test The Nation, broadcast in more than 50 territories, as well as Who Wants to Marry My Son, (16 territories) the scripted series COPS Maastricht (100 episodes) and Celebrity Splash for ITV and ABC in the US (sold to 25 territories in total).
In February 2014, Oerlemans sold the Eyeworks group off to Warner Bros. Television Group. The acquisition encompassed all Eyeworks territories outside the United States. After the transaction Oerlemans moved with his wife (former professional cyclist Danielle Overgaag) and their 4 children (Thijmen, Fiene, Ben and Kate) to Los Angeles to 'live the dream', becoming Chairman of his Company Eyeworks USA. In January 2015, he rebranded the company 3 Ball Entertainment (a nod to the original US production company, 3 Ball Productions, which Eyeworks acquired in 2006) and serves as that company's chairman.
3 Ball Entertainment is one of the largest reality producers in the USA- credits include the hit series Extreme Weight Loss (the show also airs as Obese in 150 countries worldwide) and Bar Rescue, (100 episodes for Spike) among many other titles.
Reinout's domestic and international success in film and television has allowed him to transition seamlessly between each medium. If he has an interest in something, he won't let it go and is passionate about everything he does. As a producer and director, he is positioned (and determined) to strike in his next venture in American cinema.
12 wins and 9 nominations
