Clara Cleymans

Clara Cleymans, born on 5 January 1989 in Wilrijk, Belgium, is a renowned Belgian actress and musical‑theatre singer whose career has spanned over two decades. The daughter of actor Karin Jacobs and journalist Jan Cleymans, she grew up in a creative household and is the younger sibling of Jelle Cleymans. After completing her secondary education at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven, she pursued philosophy at the University of Antwerp, a background that later informed her nuanced character interpretations. Cleymans entered the world of acting at the age of eight, debuting as Klaartje in the popular children's series Samson en Gert (1997), and made her film entrance in 1999 as Liese in De Kabouterschat, a role she reprised in two sequels that cemented her early popularity among young audiences. Her breakthrough on primetime television arrived with the lead role of Amber Claessens in VTM’s one‑season drama Dag & Nacht: Hotel Eburon (2010), followed by a prominent part as Nina Oostvoghels in the long‑running series Thuis (2010‑2011). Between 2010 and 2018 she showcased her comedic versatility in the satirical sketch show Tegen de sterren op, earning the Rising Star award at the Vlaamse Televisie Sterren 2011 and a Best Actress nomination in 2012. From 2013 to 2016 she embodied public prosecutor Helena De Ridder in the critically acclaimed series De Ridder, which brought further Best Actress nominations in 2014 and 2015. On the big screen she appeared in Kill Me Please (2010), Groenten uit Balen (2011) and the cult‑favorite zombie comedy Yummy (2019) as hospital director Janja. In theatrical work she delivered a moving performance as Sarah Liebman in the WWII‑set musical '40‑'45 (2018‑2019). Her personal life includes a marriage to fellow actor Jo Mahieu in 2014 and the birth of two daughters, Jeanne (2016) and Romy (2019).