 Actor (and baseball-fan) Piet Römer passed away
Nederlands
 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
Actor Piet Römer has passed away at the age of 83 on Tuesday, January 17.
The Amsterdam-born and raised Römer had an impressive career and played in numerous television series, including wellknown series as Stiefbeen en Zoon, 't Schaep met de 5 pooten and Baantjer.
He also played in some 20 movies and more than 60 stage plays/musicals.
In 2007, Römer was named Honorary Citizen of Amsterdam.
It was his role as policeman De Cock (with cee-ooo-cee-kay) in the series Baantjer that made him very popular in recent years.
The series, based on the characters created by former policeman-turned-writer Appie Baantjer, ran for eleven seasons (1995-2006) on RTL 4, included 124 episodes and became the most succcessful Dutch police series.
| IN MEMORIAM
...Piet Römer...
(1928 - 2012) |
Römer already had an impressive career before the start of Baantjer, as he played in television series for 55 years.
Piet Römer became an actor when he was 24 years old.
He played in some 20 movies, including classics De Overval (1962), Wat Zien Ik (1971) and De Lift (1983).
But the majority of his work was on television, including series that became classics.
In 1963, he played son Dirk in the comedy series Stiefbeen en zoon opposite Rien van Nunen, who played the father in the series based on the British sitcom Steptoe & Son.
The series earned him his first Televizier-Ring for the best television-program of the year.
The winner of the Televizier-Ring is chosen by the public.
In 1969-1970, Römer, who also had a singing career, played the part of Kootje de Beer in the 9-episode sitcom 't Schaep met de 5 Pooten in a cast that included Leen Jongewaard, Adèle Bloemendaal, Cor Witschge and Piet Hendriks.
Again, Römer was part of a series that won the prestigious Televizier-Ring.
Next, Römer played in numerous other series, comedy as well as drama, including popular series as Citroentje met suiker (1973-1974), Merijntje Gijzen's Jeugd (1974) and De Kip en het Ei (1985-1987).
He also assisted Sinterklaas during his televised arrival in the Netherlands for sixteen years.
From 1995 through 2006, Piet Römer played the part of Police Detective Jurriaan de Cock in Baantjer, which earned him his third Televizier-Ring to become the only person to have won this ring three times.
In the series, Römer played a sympathetic and warm Amsterdam policeman, who solved murder cases in a human way and without using weapons.
The regular cast also included Victor Reinier, Martin Schwab, Marian Mudder, Serge-Henri Valcke, Hans Karsenbarg and Nienke Sikkema.
Other regulars were Freek van Muiswinkel (who, by the way, has been a member of the Organizing Committee of the Haarlem Baseball Week in the seventies), Wimie Wilhelm, Kirsten van Dissel and Piet Kamerman.
Piet Römer played his last role in the series Levenslied (2011) as Leendert Besting.
Piet Römer was born on April 2, 1928 as part of a twin.
His brother Paul Römer, who initially also was an actor and went on to became a television-sports director, passed away on October 30, 2007.
Both Piet and Paul Römer also were involved in Dutch baseball.
Paul Römer directed several baseball games for television, including regular season games, as well as games of the Dutch team during international tournaments in the Netherlands, such as the Haarlem Baseball Week and the World Championship in 1986.
Piet Römer got fascinated in baseball in the sixties when the final of the European Championship of 1962 between the Netherlands and Italy in Amsterdam was broadcasted live on Dutch television.
Römer watched the game and got interested in baseball.
He went on to attend baseball games in Amsterdam, but also during the Haarlem Baseball Week.
Initially, he visited games of Amsterdam-based OVVO.
When part of that club separated and became Amstel Tijgers in 1976, Römer became a member of that club, which went on to win the Dutch title in 1979, 1980 and 1986.
During this last season, Römer did the public relations for the team and also was its business manager.
''Baseball is a great sport'', Römer once said in an interview.
Towards the end of 2010, Piet Römer was strick with a severe bout of pneumonia, but while recovering, he stated last year that he planned to return to acting.
Several of Römer's children and grandchildren also went on to work in the acting and/or television business.
A private memorial service for Piet Römer will be held next Monday.
(January 17)
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