Photo: Maximilian Bühn / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Verhoeven is one of cinema's great provocateurs, and I admire how he weaponizes pulp. Beneath the violence and nudity that made his films so controversial sits a genuinely sharp satirical mind, the kind that lets you laugh and recoil at once. That a Leiden-educated Dutchman conquered Hollywood, then returned to Europe to win a Golden Lion and a César in his late seventies, tells you everything about his range and stubbornness. What I find most compelling is his refusal to soften with age. He still seems to enjoy unsettling his audience, and that integrity of taste is what keeps him essential.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Paul Verhoeven
- Name (Japanese)
- ポール・バーホーベン
- Reading
- ぽーる・ばーほーべん
- Born
- July 18, 1938 (age 87)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Tiger
- Origin
- Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- film director / screenwriter / television director / film producer / director
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Leiden University
Awards & achievements
- 1985 Golden Calf for Best Director
- 2006 Golden Calf for Best Director
- Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
- 2016 César Award for Best Film
- 2016 Goya Award for Best European Film
- 2006 Golden Lion
- 1987 Saturn Award for Best Director
- 1987 Sitges Film Festival Best Director award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Paul Verhoeven born?
Born July 18, 1938 (age 87).
Where is Paul Verhoeven from?
Paul Verhoeven is from Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands.
What does Paul Verhoeven do?
Paul Verhoeven works as film director, screenwriter, television director, film producer, director.
Film director — see all → · Screenwriter — see all → · More people from Netherlands →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.