Wim Sonneveld

Dutch cabaret entertainer and actor.

He was the youngest of six children. His father Gerrit Sonneveld (14 November 1882, Vrijenban - 29 December 1957, Utrecht) was a grocer; his mother Geertruida van den Berg (1 January 1883, Bergschenhoek - 26 September 1922, Utrecht) died when he was four. After his time at school, where he was the class clown, he had a few unsuccessful jobs.

In 1936 he worked for Louis Davids, becoming his secretary. Later he became a singer in Das Kurhaus Cabaret, where he learned a lot from Jewish actors from Berlin and Vienna who had fled to the Netherlands for the Nazi's. He debuted with "only for ladies" December 1943. The text was written by Hella Haase.

The name Zonneveld means Sun's field. Together with Win Kan and Toon Hermans, he was one of the three greatest cabaret entertainers of his generation. Because of the advent of television, his satirical opinions given in stage performances became part of Dutch culture. Creations like Willem Parel (1952) and Frater Venantius, (1963) became well-known.

He died 8 March 1974 in Amsterdam of heart disease after a visit to his house in France.

Personal

Sonneveld was raised Catholic. He held his private life secret. Few knew that he was gay. He had important friend relation with Huub Janssen (7 March 1910 - 26 December 1984, Paris) and Friso Wiegersma (14 October 1925, Deurne - 5 June 2006, Amsterdam))