Carice van Houten is a Dutch actress and singer who is popularly known for her role in the Dutch movie Black Book released in 2006. Although Houten had gained recognition in the industry for her performances in movies such Valkyrie (2008), Repo Men (2010), and Black Death (2010), she received worldwide acclaim for essaying the character of `Melisandre` in HBO`s Game of Thrones, one of the most successful TV shows of all-time.

Early Life
Houten was born to Margje Stasse, a board member of the Dutch educational TV, and Theodore van Houten, who was a writer and broadcaster. Her younger sister, Jelka, is also an actress. Houten grew up watching many silent movies and later also revealed that she preferred enacting scenes without dialogues. When she was studying at the St. Bonifatiuscollege, a High School in Utrecht, she participated in various plays and also played the lead in Holo Claus` Tijl Uilenspieghel, directed by Ad Migchielsen. Although for a brief period of time she studied at the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts, Houten later continued her professional education with Kleinkunstacademie, The Academy of Theatre and Dance in Amsterdam.

Personal Life
Houten started dating the actor Sebastian Koch in 2005. Their relationship lasted for five years and the couple separated in 2010. From 2013 to 2015 the actress dated the Dutch director Kees van Nieuwkerk.

In 2015, Houten got into a relationship with the director Guy Pearce. A year later, the couple welcomed their first child Monte Pearce.

Television Career
Houten made her acting debut with the television series 3 ronden in 1997. However, her first major role came with the TV movie Suzy Q wherein she was seen essaying the character of Suzy. The actress went on to win a Golden Calf for her performance. In the 2000s the actress appeared in several TV shows such as De acteurs (2001), Russen (2004), Kopspijkers (2004), Gewoon Hans (2009), and In therapie (2010).

In 2011, Houten was cast to play the role of Melisandre in the acclaimed TV series Game of Thrones. The role got the Dutch actress international recognition and she went on to star in seasons 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Movie Career
After winning the Golden Calf for the TV movie Suzy Q, Houten next starred in Storm in mijn hoofd in 2001. In the same year, her movie AmnesiA received a small theatrical release in the USA - this was her first movie to be released in the USA. She won another Golden Calf for her role in the movie Undercover Kitty (2001) wherein she portrays the role of a kitten that becomes a girl.

In subsequent years she was seen in movies such as Father`s Affair (2003), Black Swans (2005), Lepel (2005), and A Thousand Kisses (2006). However, it was the 2006 WWII thriller movie Black Book directed by Paul Verhoeven that won her accolades for her role. The movie which is said to be based on true events saw Houten essay the character of Rachel Stein, a Dutch-Jewish singer who becomes a spy for the resistance during the World War II. Verhoeven later in an interview said: "Never in my life I have worked with an actress this talented". The following year she appeared in the romantic comedy Love is All (2007) which is said to be inspired by the Hollywood movie Love Actaually (2003) and Black Book (2007).

An established Dutch actress, Houten then appeared in her first English-spoken movie Dorothy Mills (2008), directed by Agnes Merlet, alongside Jenn Murray. In 2008 she was also seen in a non-commercial short movie Zingen in het donker (English: Singing in the Dark) - a drama that centers on domestic violence.

In the same year, she starred in another WWII thriller, Valkyrie directed by Bryan Singer. The movie, which stars Tom Cruise in the lead role, depicts the plot of German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The following year she was seen in the British fantasy drama film From Time to Time. In the next few years, Houten appeared in films which achieved little or moderate success.

In 2010, she essayed the character of Langiva in the action horror movie Black Death directed by Christopher Smith. She next essayed the role of the South African poet Ingrid Jonker in the biographical movie Black Butterflies (2011). The 2012 movie Jackie saw Houten star alongside her sister Jelka van Houten, and Holly Hunter. In subsequent years she appeared in movies such as Family Way (2012), The Fifth Estate (2013), and Race (2016). Her other 2016 releases include the western thriller Brimstone and the supernatural horror movie Incarnate directed by Brad Peyton. Her other releases include The Glass Room (2019), Domino (2019), Instinct (2019) and Lost Girls & Love Hotels (2020).