Katja Herbers

Early life and education

Katja Mira Herbers is the daughter of violinist Vera Beths and oboist and conductor Werner Herbers. Growing up she spent time in America, accompanying her mother on tour with the group L'Archibudelli. Her mother remarried cellist Anner Bylsma and her father remarried costume designer Leonie Polak, who introduced her to the theater. She had a Canadian au pair and learned to speak Dutch, German, and English growing up.

Herbers went to the Ignatius Gymnasium in Amsterdam. She studied psychology at the University of Amsterdam (1999–2000). During her psychology studies she attended the local theatre school De Trap. She moved to New York and went to the HB Studio. She then got accepted to the Theaterschool in Amsterdam (2001–2005).

Acting career

During her studies, she starred in the films Peter Bell (2002) and Brush with Fate (2003). After her graduation, Herbers became a member of Johan Simons's Theater Company NTGent in Ghent. She then joined the renowned Munich Kammerspiele in Germany. She worked with directors such as Alex van Warmerdam, Ivo van Hove and Theu Boermans under whose direction she performed many Schnitzler plays, including his monologue Fräulein Else (novella), for which she received rave reviews. In 2013, she won the Guido de Moor Award for young talent, for her portrayal of Irina in Chekhov's Three Sisters. She played a lead role in Theu Boermans' DE UITVERKORENE, which won an International Emmy and the prestigious Prix D'Europe.

She performed the piece Im wunderschönen Monat Mai, 21 songs after Schubert and Schumann, with pianist, conductor and composer Reinbert de Leeuw in 2013.

In February 2014, she won the role of physicist Helen Prins in WGN America's drama series Manhattan. Herbers played a recurring role in the third season of FX's The Americans.

Herbers divides her time between New York, Los Angeles, and Amsterdam.

Theatre