Personal details
- Birth Date: 1967-05-11
- Height: 6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
- Birth Location: Wilrijk, Flanders, Belgium
- Professions: Actor, Writer, Director
Johan Heldenbergh, yeah, that guy’s basically a legend in the Flemish theatre scene. Born and raised in Gent, he kicked off dreaming about movies, but theatre swept him off his feet in the late 80s while he was studying at Studio Herman Teirlinck in Antwerp. Back then, Flanders wasn’t exactly crawling with cool films or TV shows, and theatre offered way more freedom – so he dove in, working with big names like Alain Platel and Luc Perceval. He didn’t just stick to acting, though. Around 2001, he picked up writing and directing. By 2005, he’d co-founded Compagnie Cecilia with Arne Sierens and Marijke Pinoy. His plays, especially “The Broken Circle Breakdown,” are pretty much etched into Flemish theatre history at this point. If you’re expecting light and fluffy, think again – his stuff digs into heavy themes like suicide and all sorts of social, political, and religious drama. Cinema always called to him, but it wasn’t until Felix Van Groeningen cast him in “Steve and Skye” that he started mixing theatre with film. That partnership led to “The Broken Circle Breakdown” film adaptation, which, no big deal, landed an Oscar nod and a bunch of other awards. He’s since popped up in international stuff too, acting alongside Jessica Chastain in “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” Hilary Swank in “55 Steps,” and Jesse Eisenberg in “The Hummingbird Project.” And yeah, he was in “Quo Vadis, Aida?” – which scored an Oscar nomination. He’s not just about acting either – dude plays banjo, mandolin, guitar, tap dances, and even wrangled 600 locals for his film “Schellebelle 1919.” Four kids, loads of projects – Heldenbergh’s just everywhere.
Son Jona, born July 27, 2003, is at the center of this wild story jammed with twists you seriously won’t see coming. So there’s this small town where weird stuff starts happening after Jona shows up—like, we’re talking unexplained flashes of light, locals acting off, and a series of mysterious messages popping up everywhere. People start whispering about old legends, and suddenly, everyone’s pointing fingers at Jona. He’s just trying to figure out who he is and why he keeps having these bizarre dreams that feel more like memories. The whole thing spirals into this crazy hunt for the truth, with Jona digging into his past and dodging people who’d rather keep things buried. The stakes just keep getting higher, and every time you think you’ve got it figured out, nope, another curveball. Basically, it’s a story about secrets, identity, and the messiness that comes with trying to find out where you really belong.
May 11, 1967
6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
Wilrijk, Flanders, Belgium
58 years old