Maryam Hassouni (born 21 September 1985) is a Dutch writer and former actress. In 2006, she won an International Emmy Award for her role in Offers (2005).
Early life, family and education Hassouni was born on 21 September 1985 in Amsterdam to Moroccan parents, who had immigrated to the Netherlands a few years prior; she has two younger siblings.
Hassouni received her high school diploma in 2003. She studied museology until 2005, then took law at the Free University in Amsterdam but failed the course.
Career In 2002, she began her acting career in the titular role of Dunya El-Beneni in the television series Dunya and Desi, which was nominated for an International Emmy Award for Children and Young People in 2004 and again in 2005.
In 2006, she won the International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress for her portrayal of Laila al Gatawi in the 2005 Dutch TV film Offers.
In 2022, Hassouni published the book Wat de fak () through De Bezige Bij. It describes her experiences with what she identifies as structural sexism and racism in the film industry. She also announced her retirement from acting until those issues are addressed.
Selected filmography
Film + Year Title Role Notes2007KicksAaliyah2008Anubis en het Pad der 7 ZondenCharlotte de BeaufortDunya and DesiDunya El-Beneni2012ManslaughterAmira2013SoofNajat2016Soof 2Najat2020The HostVera Tribbe2021MeskinaLeyla Idrissi
Television + Year Title Role Notes2002–04Dunya and DesiDunya El-Beneni19 episodes2005OffersLaila al GatawiTelevision film2016Flikken MaastrichtRebecca Meeuws1 episode2016Flikken RotterdamLieve Jansons1 season
Awards International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress (2006) in Offers
References
External links