KRIS CUPPENS

BIOGRAPHY

°May 22, 1962

Kris studied architecture and scenography at the Brussels art school Sint-Lukas where he obtained a master’s degree. After his training as an actor at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels, he then went abroad to perfect this practice at The Lee Strasberg's Theater Institute in New York. Later, he participated in the Jeker Directing Studio organized by the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts. He also took part in the VSA, The Flemisch script Academy, where he honed his screen writing skills. Most recently he obtained a master’s degree in drama at Luca school of arts.

Currently, Kris works as an actor in theatre, film, and television. His first well known appearance on television is most likely the role he played as Willy, a homosexual detective, in a popular police series on Flemish television Heterdaad. More recently you could see him in Spitsbroers, Beau séjour and Undercover. Kris also made feature films with Joachim Lafosse. On the one hand as an actor, on the other as co-screenwriter, including Folie Privée, Ca rend heureux and Nue propriété, in which he starred alongside Isabel Huppert and Jéremie Renier. On the big screen, you recently saw him at work in Z, Mon coeur en arrière, La vierge à l'enfant and Alias Wolf. The latter received the prestigious best European dramatic feature film award at the independent film festival ÉCU 2024, Paris.

In theatre, he has worked for houses such as NTGent, the KVS, Het Speelteater, but also for theatre companies such as De Parade, De Queeste and BZB. Since 2002, he has been active in the actors’ collective Het nieuwstedelijk.

CV

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• CV Kris Cuppens

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Sint-Lukas Higher Institute of Architecture

  Master of Architecture

• Royal Conservatory Brussels

  1st prize Drama

• LUCA School of Arts
  Master in het Drama

OTHER

• Scenography led by Luc Dhooghe

• Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute New-York

• Jeker Directing Studio

• Scenario course VSA, led by Patrick Cattrysse

  
  

It was at theatre company De Queeste that Kris first began to work in theatre productions and staging. He has written acclaimed plays, that convey a deep sense of inner turmoil and emotion, these are often catalyzed through biographical introspection. The awkward relationship between father and son was featured prominently in plays such as Vaderland and Kean en zoon, (which he co -wrote with Dirk Tuypens). The performances dealt with the agonizing choices a father must make in life and how they inevitably have irrevocable consequences for a son. A similar starting point can be observed in the monologue Lied, an intergenerational project, which he made for Braakland / ZheBilding, consequent to the birth of his son Jef. This play was awarded the Toneelschrijfprijs van de Taalunie. Together with the music theatre company Braakland, Kris created the children's play Klopterop for theatre Bronks. With Jorunn Bauweraerts and Nathalie Delcroix, singers of Laïs, and musicians Geert Waegeman and Ephraïm Cielen, he created Adem, a haunting and apocalyptic performance about the struggle to survive. In the intergenerational play Zwischen (Family Matters), created for Het nieuwstedelijk and directed by Suze Millius, Kris shared the stage with his father, son, and daughter.

In addition to his engagement in Het nieuwstedelijk, and the various compelling performances he has realized in plays such as Hitler is dood, Geel Hesje and Mooie Jaren, Kris is also a professor at LUCA Drama, School of Arts (Leuven).

INFO

• Date of birth: 22/05/1962

• Length: 1.80 m

• Weight: 75 kg

• Eyes: blue-green

• Hair: brown / gray

LANGUAGES

• Dutch
• French
• English
• German
  
  

SPORTS

• running
• swimming
• horseback riding
  
• motorcycling
• notions of combat sports
  
  

MUSIC

• singing (baritone, tenor)
• notions of piano, sousaphone and harmonica