Romana Vrede was born in Suriname and moved to the Netherlands at a young age. She played at theater companies such as Onafhankelijk Toneel, Bogaerdt/VanderSchoot, Bonheur, Artemis, and Noord Nederlands Toneel. In 2016, she created the play Who’s Afraid of Charlie Stevens, inspired by her son, who has an intellectual disability and autism.
For years, she was part of the ensemble at Het Nationale Theater. Collaborating with Eric de Vroedt, she worked on productions including The Nation, for which she was nominated for the Colombina (Best Supporting Actress in Theater), and Race, which earned her the Theo d’Or (Best Lead Actress in Theater). In recent years, she developed Tijd Zal Ons Leren, about the heroes during colonial times, turning it into a podcast, talk show, theater show, and television registration. The Dutch Theater Jury selected and nominated Tijd Zal Ons Leren as one of the most remarkable performances of the past season. Additionally, Romana was nominated for the Theo d’Or for her groundbreaking performance.
Romana recently worked on films such as De Matchmaker, Anne+ and De Zitting. She also created the documentary Dit Is De Leven. For her role in I Don’t Wanna Dance, she received a nomination for a Dutch Academy Award (2021). Her television work includes series such as Follow de Soa, Seef Spees, and Santos. In 2024, she appeared in the second season of Arcadia and the Disney+ series Nemesis. In 2025, the film Jimpa will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, followed by the release of the series Amsterdam Empire.
Romana is a published author. Her book De Nobele Autist was published by De Arbeiderspers, her second book is currently in progress.
