Rick Paul van Mulligen Biography: Height, Net Worth, Age, Awards, Partner, Ethnicity, Awards
Rick Paul van Mulligen is a Dutch actor, television presenter and theatre performer born on September 28, 1981, in Uithuizen, Groningen, Netherlands.
He developed an interest in acting during childhood and began taking acting classes as a teenager before studying at the ArtEZ Academy of Theatre in Arnhem, where he graduated in 2006.
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His career has covered Dutch theatre, television, film, comedy and presenting, including appearances in A’dam-E.V.A., Rundfunk, Nieuw Zeer, Grisse, ANNE+ and De Grote Improvisatieshow.
Since 2019, he has been part of the permanent actors’ ensemble at Het Nationale Theater. In 2023, he won the prestigious Arlecchino for his performance in QUEER PLANET.
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Name: | Rick Paul van Mulligen |
| Born: | September 28, 1981 (age 45 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Uithuizen, Groningen, Netherlands |
| Nationality: | Dutch |
| Ethnicity: | White Dutch |
| Height: | 194 cm |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Parents: | Ina Daalman and Mr. van Mulligen |
| Siblings: | Peter Hein van Mulligen and 1 sister |
| Spouse: | René van Bakel |
| Relationship: | Married |
| Children: | Ko and Bowie |
| Occupation: | Actor, Television Presenter |
| Net Worth: | $1.5 million |
Early Life and Education
Rick Paul van Mulligen was born on September 28, 1981, in the small northern Dutch village of Uithuizen, in the province of Groningen.
He was raised by Ina Daalman and Mr. van Mulligen in a family that valued tradition, family connections and community life.
Rick Paul has spoken warmly about his mother, describing himself as particularly close to her. He once recalled spending much of his childhood near her and described her as an important emotional influence on his personality.
He grew up alongside his brother Peter Hein van Mulligen, who later became a prominent Dutch economist and chief economist at Statistics Netherlands, as well as a sister who eventually moved to New Zealand and works in a hospital.
Rick Paul has described himself as a younger child in the family and has recalled having a particularly affectionate relationship with his mother.
His childhood also contained a strong religious component. Rick Paul has spoken publicly about his Reformed Christian upbringing, including experiences involving church and baptism.
His religious background became one of the subjects he later discussed publicly when reflecting on his childhood and personal development.
Acting attracted him from an unusually young age. By around 11, he had already decided that he wanted to become an actor. As a teenager, he attended acting classes and began developing his stage skills.
His early experience was not always encouraging: he later recalled that teachers at a youth theatre school considered him stiff and doubted whether acting would become a suitable career for him.
His teenage years also became an important period of personal development. Rick Paul has spoken openly about realizing that he was gay at 17, after falling in love with a boy. He has described coming out as a major turning point that allowed him to become more comfortable expressing himself.
He later underwent therapy to examine difficult experiences from his adolescence and has connected that process to his growing confidence and self-understanding.
After his early acting experiences, he pursued professional theatre training at the ArtEZ Toneelschool in Arnhem.
He studied there from 2002 to 2006 and graduated in 2006. The training provided the foundation for a career that would eventually span stage productions, television, cinema, presenting and improvisational comedy.
Career
Rick Paul began his professional theatre career in the early 2000s. One of his early stage appearances came in De dwergen en het appelmeisje in 2002.
He continued performing in productions such as Behind Them The Desert, Het zesde bedrijf, City Animals, Antigone, Alpha Centauri, De Beer and Het alphapaar.
His early stage work established him as a versatile performer capable of moving between dramatic and comic material.
His screen career expanded during the second half of the 2000s. He appeared in films including Wolfsbergen, Hoe overleef ik mezelf?, Tiramisu, Taxandria and De Vliegenierster van Kazbek. His television work also began expanding during this period, giving him experience in both drama and comedy.
A major television opportunity arrived through A’dam-E.V.A., where he played Harm-Jan Nelissen.
The role brought him considerable public attention in the Netherlands and became one of his most recognizable television performances. He later appeared in programs and series such as Rundfunk, Citroenstraat 10, Grisse, Nieuw Zeer and ANNE+.
Theatre has remained a major part of his professional life.
He performed for Toneelgroep Oostpool, Noord Nederlands Toneel, Toneelgroep Maastricht and De Utrechtse Spelen before joining the permanent actors’ ensemble of Het Nationale Theater in 2019.
His stage credits include Angels in America, Small Town Boy, Allemaal mensen, Paradijsvogel, Othello, Yerma, Coriolanus, The Nether, Disgraced, Exit Poll, Phaedra in vlammen and Romeo & Julia.
One of the biggest milestones in his theatre career came in 2023, when he won the Arlecchino, the VSCD theatre prize for an outstanding male supporting performance, for QUEER PLANET.
He had previously received Arlecchino nominations for MightySociety 10 and Othello. His performance in Romeo & Julia later earned him a 2025 Gouden Krekel nomination for an outstanding youth-theatre performance.
His recent screen work includes the film Jimmy, the series Jackson & Malone, and the film Jimpa.
His talent agency also lists Youri and the television series De Prijs among his recent or upcoming projects. At the theatre, his current schedule includes Mefisto and Richard III at Het Nationale Theater.
Awards and Nominations
- Arlecchino — Winner, 2023: Rick Paul won the VSCD Arlecchino for his performance in QUEER PLANET.
- Arlecchino — Nominee, 2011: He received a nomination for his performance in MightySociety 8.
- Arlecchino — Nominee, 2018: He was nominated for his performance in Othello at Het Nationale Theater.
- Gouden Krekel — Nominee, 2025: He received a nomination for his performance as Ginny in Romeo & Julia.
- TV-Beelden — Nominee: He was nominated in the Best Supporting Role category for A’dam-E.V.A..
Social Media
- Instagram: @rickpaul
Personal Life
Rick Paul van Mulligen is 44 years old. He is married to René van Bakel, an actor and scenographer.
The couple have built their family around a form of three-parent co-parenting alongside Dutch comedian and actress Nina de la Croix.
Rick Paul and René met Nina in 2013 after connecting at a speed-dating event organized for people interested in LGBTQ+ parenthood.
The family welcomed their son Ko in July 2014. Their daughter Bowie was born on December 29, 2019, completing the family.
Rick Paul, René and Nina share parenting responsibilities, and the children spend part of the week at Rick Paul and René’s home and part of the week at Nina’s home.
Rick Paul has spoken extensively about the practical side of their family structure. He and René live near Nina, allowing the three adults to coordinate childcare and adjust arrangements when work schedules change.
In 2024, Rick Paul and Nina published Co&Zo, a book about their experience of multi-parenting, accompanied by a podcast exploring their family life and the wider subject of modern parenthood.
Family remains a major priority for him. In a 2026 interview, he explained that the children now spend one half of the week at his home and the other half at Nina’s.
He described regular family discussions as an important part of keeping the arrangement healthy and organized.
He has also spoken about wanting his children to feel safe enough to contact him whenever they need help.
His personal journey has also influenced the way he approaches public discussions about identity. He has spoken openly about coming out at 17, the difficulty he experienced during adolescence and the importance of becoming comfortable being himself.
He has also discussed the pressure of balancing a demanding acting career against his desire to remain present for his children.
Rick Paul has interests connected to theatre, comedy, television, family life and personal development. He has also participated in conversations about parenthood, LGBTQ+ family structures and self-acceptance, making those subjects a recurring part of his public work.
Net Worth
Rick Paul van Mulligen has a net worth of $1.5 million. His income comes primarily from acting, theatre performances, television appearances, presenting, film work and related entertainment projects.
Filmography
- A’dam-E.V.A.
- Rundfunk
- De Grote Improvisatieshow
- De Vliegenierster van Kazbek
- Grisse
- Citroenstraat 10
- Nieuw Zeer
- ANNE+
- Soof 3
- Jimmy
- Jimpa
- Youri
- De Prijs
What People Ask
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