Dutch actor Peter Faber, known for Soldaat van Oranje and Ciske de Rat, dies at 82 in Amsterdam

Peter Faber, the Dutch actor, painter and motivational coach, died on Thursday in Amsterdam at the age of 82 after a short illness, his family announced on Friday .
Faber was born on Oct. 9, 1943, in Schwarzenbach an der Saale, Germany, to a Dutch father and a German mother, and grew up in Amsterdam-Noord . He left home at 16, intending to stow away on a ship, and later found his first acting role as Oberon in *A Midsummer Night’s Dream* at an open-air theater in Tuindorp-Oostzaan .
In 1970, he co-founded Het Werkteater, an actors’ collective that staged performances in unconventional venues such as streets, schools, and hospitals, including a notable 1972 production and film, *Toestanden*, set in a psychiatric institution . The group operated without a director or dramaturg, with members collaborating on all aspects of production .
Faber was widely known for his roles in *Soldaat van Oranje*, *Ciske de Rat*, and the reality series *Beter Laat dan Nooit*, in which he appeared alongside Barrie Stevens between 2018 and 2020 . Stevens said Faber taught him to remain open to new learning and insights .
Director Ena Sendijarević, who worked with Faber on the 2023 film *Sweet Dreams*, described him as always in good spirits, full of zest for life, and without an ego . Frank Groothof, a fellow actor, called Faber an inspirator for everyone in theater .
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