Rijk de Gooyer

Rijk de Gooyer (17 December 1925 – 2 November 2011) was a Dutch Golden Calf-winning actor, writer, comedian and singer. From the 1950s until the early 1970s, he became well known in The Netherlands as part of a comic duo with John Kraaijkamp, Sr. In the United States best known for having small roles in films such as Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht, Soldaat van Oranje, A Time to Die and The Wilby Conspiracy.

Biography De Gooyer was raised in a baker's family, born as one half of a fraternal twin. In World War II he worked as an interpreter. Initially for the American 101st Airborne, later on for the British Field Security. From 1959 till 1961 de Gooyer studied at an actors school of the UFA in Berlin. During these years, he supposedly worked for the CIA as an informant.

In the 1950s, he started a comic duo with Johnny Kraaijkamp. Thanks to their performances on TV, the duo became extremely popular. In the Johnny & Rijk shows, De Gooyer always played the part of the feeder, with Kraaijkamp providing the laughs. They split up in the 1970s, when De Gooyer focused more on his film career.

He played in films such as Soldaat van Oranje, De Inbreker and Madelief, krassen in het tafelblad. In 1982 he won the Golden Calf for Best Actor for all his works, according to him he could have won it a year earlier but because he wasn't there it went to Rutger Hauer. In 1995 he threw his Golden Calf for Hoogste Tijd out on the street after the ceremony. De Gooyer was videotaped while he threw the award out of the window because he was on the Dutch hidden-camera show Taxi (the Dutch version of Taxicab Confessions). His (current) last Golden Calf, for Madelief, Krassen in het Tafelblad was also thrown out on the street this time by Maarten Spanjer (who hosted Taxi). De Gooyer could be seen in various Dutch commercials, for companies such as Reaal, KPN and Paturain, and for the soda brand Sisi.

De Gooyer was the lead in In voor- en tegenspoed, the Dutch version of Johnny Speight's sitcom franchise (known in the UK as Till Death Us Do Part among other names and in the U.S. as All in the Family). De Gooyer played Fred Schuit (literally Fred Barge), the Dutch equivalent of Alf Garnett or Archie Bunker. He won a Golden Film in 1997 for the role.

Partial filmography

Het Wonderlijke leven van Willem Parel (1955) – Pianist Kleren Maken de Man (1957) – Peter Brainwashed (1960) – Berger's Secretary (uncredited) Rififi in Amsterdam (1962) – De Bijenkorf De blanke slavin (1969) – Charles Dubois The Burglar (1972) – Willem 'Glimmie' Burg Geen paniek (1973) – Rijk Naked Over the Fence (1973) – Rick Lemming The Wilby Conspiracy (1975) – Van Heerden Zwaarmoedige verhalen voor bij de centrale verwarming (1975) – Postbode (segment "Een Winkelier Keert Niet Weerom") Rufus (1975) – Rufus Soldaat van Oranje (1977) – Gestapo-man Breitner De Mantel der Liefde (1978) – Cor Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979) – Town official Grijpstra & De Gier (1979) – Henk Grijpstra The Lucky Star (1980) – 1st Gestapo Officer Het verboden bacchanaal (1981) – Kerrie-Kees van Heesteren Een vlucht regenwulpen (1981) – Bovenmeester Rigor mortis (1981) – Walter de Beer Twee vorstinnen en een vorst (1981) – Laernoes Hoge hakken, echte liefde (1981) – Semijns Roggeveen / Arie Snoek Het 30 April-gevoel (1981) – Himself Sabine (1982) – Nick A Time to Die (1982) – SS Officer De zwarte ruiter (1983) – Rinus IJzerman Vroeger kon je lachen (1983) – Koos An Bloem (1983) – Dik Army Brats (1984) – Pete Stewart Ciske de Rat (1984) – Rechercheur Muyskens De prooi (1985) – Bob Jaspers Teufels Großmutter (1986, TV series) – Hans Binnenbruck In de schaduw van de overwinning (1986) – Vos Mama is boos! (1986) – Pete Stewart Op hoop van zegen (1986) – Clemens Bos De ratelrat (1987) – Adjudant Grijpstra Leedvermaak (1989) – Zwart Evenings (1989) – Vader Last Call (1995) – Willem 'Uli' Bouwmeester Filmpje! (1995) – Don Gorgonzola The Dress (1996) – Martin Scratches in the Table (1998) – Opa De bal (1999) – Burgemeester Karlow Qui vive (2001) – Zwart Happy End (2009) – Zwart (final film role)