Unless you watch a lot of Dutch films and television series, there is a chance you may not know much about the beautiful and talented actress Angela Schijf, who hails from the Netherlands.

Schijf was born in Uithoorn, Noord-Holland, the Netherlands, on August 7, 1979. She first shot into stardom as a teenager with her Academy Award-winning role as Kim Azalaia-Verduyn from 1996 to 1999 in the hit Netherlands TV soap opera Goede tijden, slechte tijden (GTST), which translates into "Good times, bad times" in English. GTST first aired in 1990 and is still airing new episodes in 2007.

Before that, in 1995 and 1996, Schijf could be found guest-starring or taking recurring roles on several Dutch TV shows, such as Oppassen!!!, M’n Dochter en Ik, and Ik ben je moeder niet. After her successful stint on GTST, Schijf went back to guest-starring on a number of TV series: Pittige tijden, Babes, and Baantjer. She later took the leading lady role of Reza in the dramatic romance I kook van jou (I Love You Too) opposite Antonie Kamerling in 2001.

Her first crossover into North American cinema was also in 2001, in a feature film called Down, in which she played a hairdresser named Tracy. Down starred James Marshall, Naomi Watts, Eric Thal, Michael Ironside, and Edward Herrmann, the latter who is most known for his role as Richard Gilmore, the father of Lorelai Gilmore (played by Lauren Graham) on Gilmore Girls.

Since then, Schijf has decided to stick with Dutch acting. In 2003, she took lead roles in the made-for-T. feature movie Ordening, De as well as in the film Van God Los (Stir Crazy or Godforsaken). She also continued with television acting, most notably for her roles as Frederique de Wit, the youngest of three sisters, in Meiden van de Wit from 2002 to 2005, and as Nikki in Lieve lust from 2005 to 2006.

Also into theater in addition to film and television, Schijf has excelled on stage, with her performance in 2000 and 2001 in the musical 42nd Street, earning her a Musical Award for best new female talent. She also took part in Momenten van Geluk (2002 to 2003), and most recently in a leading role in Glazen Speelgoed (The Glass Menagerie).

At twenty-seven, Schijf is married to actor and musician Tom Van Landuyt (since summer 2002) and has two children with him, both daughters, born in summer 2004 and September 2006. She was previously romantically linked to Mischa Hendriksen, whom she met on the set of GTST.

YUDDY