Famke Janssen, despite her Dutch roots, makes her debut in a Dutch-language production with Amsterdam Empire. Although she grew up in the Netherlands, Janssen only ventured into acting after moving to the United States in her early twenties. Initially apprehensive about taking on this role, Janssen found inspiration in the global success of Netflix’s South Korean hit, Squid Game. “That show changed the game,” Janssen remarked. “Audiences now crave authenticity and are more open to foreign-language content with subtitles.”

Her gamble paid off brilliantly. Janssen shines as Betty Jonkers, a former pop sensation determined to seize control of her husband Jack Van Doorn’s (played by Jacob Derwig) cannabis business, The Jackal, after discovering his affair with renowned journalist Marjolein Hofman (Elise Schaap) and his request for a divorce. Recognizing the complexity of the role and the nuances of performing in her native tongue, Janssen took on the role of executive producer. “I needed to fully support the project, and being an executive producer allowed me to have a say,” Janssen shared. “I wanted to ensure Betty was portrayed as a multi-dimensional character, not just a scorned woman.”

Betty’s character came to life through her distinctive wardrobe. Throughout the series, Janssen’s Betty dons a vibrant array of clothing, from form-fitting dresses to playful frocks and striking outerwear. “Her wardrobe is integral to her identity,” Janssen explained. “The bold and flashy outfits reflect her deep-seated desire for attention.” Janssen’s influence was so significant that she took on a co-costume designer role. “I fought for Betty like I’ve fought for myself in the past,” Janssen revealed. “I found many parallels between us.”

In a Zoom interview with DECIDER, Janssen discussed her latest series, her return to the Netherlands, and her thoughts on a potential second season.

Famke, you’re absolutely phenomenal in this series! What drew you to this project?

I received a direct offer from Nico [Moolenaar], our showrunner. The only person he had in mind to play Betty was me, which was very flattering. Though I grew up in the Netherlands and modeled in Europe for a bit, I didn’t start acting until I came to the United States in my 20s. This was the first time I said yes to a project that was in Dutch. With the success of Squid Game, I thought there’s never been a better time to do something in the original language.

Squid Game really changed everything. Audiences are looking for authenticity in a way they haven’t before. They’re open to foreign shows with subtitles now. I thought there was no better time to go back to my own country and my own language, especially with Netflix behind the project.

Like you said, Amsterdam Empire marks the first time you’ve acted in your native language? Were you at all nervous or did it feel like a homecoming?

Initially, I was nervous. I get nervous whenever I do something that is out of my comfort zone. But I always get nervous when I’m about to break through a ceiling on something, so,I knew it was going to be good. It was also important to me to be an executive producer on the project, so I could have a bit of say about everything. I was there for eight months total by the time we started filming. I was like, “I’m back to being fully Dutch again.”

I took great care with the dialogue. I didn’t want Dutch audiences to get distracted by the way that I spoke the language. I recorded my own lines to check in with myself. I would listen to the audio to make sure I had spoken the dialogue perfectly. I would think to myself, “oh, that word sounds a little weird, or I can work on this one.” When I was home and even when I was running errands, I would listen to my recordings and work on memorizing dialogue.

I must congratulate you on being an EP. Was it important for you to have a bit more agency on this series?

Definitely. I thought coming back home to act for the first time in my native language, involved a slight risk [laughs]. I wanted to be able to stand behind the project 100%, and the only way to do that was to have my voice heard. It was an amazing experience. I wanted to help develop Betty myself. I needed to make sure she wasn’t a one-dimensional, vengeful woman.

I wanted audiences to really understand her anger. She not only was cheated on, but she was cheated on publicly. Worst of all, her husband has impregnated another woman when he and Betty weren’t able to conceive. Having a child was clearly very important to her. I wanted to make sure to show all of those elements of her character. Is she vengeful? Absolutely, but mostly, I wanted to show the hurt that was behind her actions. I’m proud with who Betty ended up becoming and the input I had into her character.

It is so wonderful to see you play a character as layered and rich as Betty. I’m not surprised that you had a lot of input, because her character needed a woman’s touch.

She did. She needed a woman’s touch. The beauty of working in the United States and in the UK is that they have made enormous strides in becoming more diverse in the last 10 or 15 years. At the beginning of my career, I would walk onto the set and see white males everywhere. Now, that’s not the case. I know that we’re not where we want to be, but I’ve seen progress.

Coming back to the Netherlands was a bit of a shock. The industry still has a lot of work to do when it comes to diversity. With a male show runner and male writers and producers involved in Amsterdam Empire, I became very protective of Betty as the female lead of the show. If we were going to put her out in the world, I wanted to give her a fair chance. I fought for her like I’ve fought for myself in the past. I very much identified with her.

I ended up being co-costume designer because I realized how her wardrobe is so much part of who she is. Her outfits are loud and flashy because she has this incredible need for attention. She doesn’t necessarily dress her age. People in the music industry are very bold in their choices. I want that reflected in Betty because that’s the world she comes from.

I think the relationship between Betty and Marjolein is so fascinating. You and your co-star Elise Schaap are locked in together. Even while Betty is trying to destroy Marjolein, she also respects her as a formidable opponent in terms of Jack’s affections. Can you speak to that dynamic?

Through Betty and Marjolein are very different, they’re clearly similar in some ways. Jack definitely is attracted to a type and—exemplified by these women—and we understand him more as a character through how he acts around them. With the interactions between Betty and Marjolein, we just wanted to make sure we made them as real as possible. In my experience, women aren’t necessarily catty. There is a mutual respect and an understanding between these women. I’m glad that came across.

It sounds like you would be open to doing a season two. Would you say yes if that call comes?

I would love to do a Season 2. I’m actually signed on to do Season 2, if Netflix renews it. I don’t think Netflix will make that call until a couple of weeks after the launch of the series to see how it does, but I’m hopeful.