Model-turned-actress Famke Janssen was born on November 5, 1965, in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Growing up, Famke, whose name means "little girl" in Frisian, looked like the odd one of the bunch in her family, being the only brunette in a family of blonde hair, blue-eyed girls. At age nineteen, Janssen moved to the United States, where she began her career as a fashion model. After landing a contract with renowned agency, Elite Model Management, Janssen began modeling for such notable brands as Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, and Victoria's Secret.

In 1992, Janssen landed her first film role starring alongside Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, and Rosanna Arquette in Fathers & Sons. She followed up with an impressive performance in the James Bond film, GoldenEye with Pierce Brosnan and Judi Dench, which got her noticed by several directors and earned her a MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Fight scene.

The year 1998 was busy for Janssen, who starred in eight films, including Woody Allen's Celebrity Rounders opposite Matt Damon and Edward Norton; and the teen thriller The Faculty with Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, and Salma Hayek. The new millennium also saw Janssen working in various high-profile flicks such as X-Men in 2000, X2 in 2003, and X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006, starring as superhero Dr. Jean Grey/Phoenix. In recent years, she has also acted in 2005's Hide and Seek with Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning; as well as I Spy in 2002, with Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson; and Don’t Say a Word in 2001, with Michael Douglas and Brittany Murphy.

Janssen has parlayed her film career into television acting in the last five years, starring on such series as Nip/Tuck as a transvestite, as well as on Ally McBeal. She has also previously appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Melrose Place, and provides the Dutch-language narration for the Studio Tram Tour at all Disney parks.

Janssen studied writing and literature at Columbia University, graduating in 1992. A fan of authors such as The Bronte Sisters and Vladimir Nabokov, Janssen has written her own screenplay, and also speaks Dutch, English, German, and French. The brainy beauty also has a reputation for being one of Hollywood’s friendlier famous actors.

From 1995 to 2000, Janssen was married to writer and director Tod Culpan. She has also been previously linked to former co-star, Ben Affleck.

Janssen currently lives in Greenwich Villag, New York City, with her Boston terrier, Licorice.

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