1997-2003: Soap opera, music and film Verbaan joined the cast of
soap opera Goede tijden, slechte tijden in 1997, at the age of 16. She played the recurring role of Hedwig Harmsen from 1997 to 2000, growing increasingly popular and famous during her tenure on the show. Verbaan left the show in 2000, seeking to pursue an acting career. She appeared in the Dutch film
Costa! in 2001.
Costa! was a nationwide commercial success, attracting over 200,000 visitors. Verbaan sang the film's theme song. Verbaan had a
cameo in English-language, Dutch film
Soul Assassin in 2001. She made a major appearance in Dutch film
Volle maan in 2002, but the film was a commercial and critical failure. Verbaan had the lead role in 2003 film
Adrenaline. In 2002, she released her debut studio album
Sugar Spider that resulted in a number of radio hits including "Ritmo", "
Yo quiero bailar" a cover of
Sonia & Selena and "
Denis" a cover of
Blondie. Verbaan received a
Golden Onion (Dutch: Gouden Ui), the Dutch equivalent to a
Golden Raspberry, for her performance in the 2005 film
Joyride.
2003-present: Television work and film Verbaan starred in series like Dok12 and Floor Faber and had guest appearances several television shows and was a cast member of reality show
Ranking the Stars. Later on, she received a recurring role in yet another television series, '
t Schaep Met De 5 Pooten. She sang several songs for this series. For her role in this series, she also received a
Beeld en Geluid Award ("Screen and Sound Award") for best actress. In 2009, her role in the film
Oogverblindend ("Dazzle"), directed by
avantgarde filmmaker
Cyrus Frisch, was critically acclaimed. The film was praised in Dutch press as "the most relevant Dutch film of the year". She also had a minor, non-speaking role as the female bartender in Stanley Tucci's indie film "
Blind Date" (2007), based on
Theo Van Gogh's 1996 Dutch original. She played a major role in an episode of Dutch crime series "Van God Los" in 2011, playing a woman who kills her sister's friend after this friend has an affair with the woman's partner. For her role, Verbaan received critical acclaim and she was nominated for a Beeld & Geluid Award as best actress. Her episode of Van God Los (Spookbeeld) was also nominated for a Gouden Kalf. Verbaan and
Patrick Martens presented the television show
Date Smakelijk. In 2023 Verbaan had a lead role in the film
Klem. Verbaan appeared in the 2025 season of the television show
The Masked Singer.
Politics in 2008. In 2006, Verbaan, a
vegetarian and
anti-fur activist, began speaking in support of the
Party for the Animals (PVDD). In the
2006 Dutch general election, she appeared on the PVDD's list, among other prominent Dutch celebrities, such as acclaimed writer
Jan Wolkers. Verbaan received 1,337 votes, while the PVDD received enough votes to secure two seats in the
House of Representatives. In 2016 Verbaan was again put on the election list of PVDD as a candidate. In 2024 Verbaan joined other Dutch celebrities to participate in a series of videos by humanitarian organization
Oxfram Novib calling for a permanent ceasefire to the
Gaza war and humanitarian aid to Palestinians. ==Personal life==