I started as a model in Holland and Chanel took me to New York when I was 19, after which I decided to stay.

After retiring from modelling in the early 1990s Janssen had guest roles on several television series including a starring role in the 1992 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Perfect Mate" as empathic metamorph Kamala opposite Patrick Stewart with whom Famke Janssen later starred in the X-Men film series. Following her high school graduation Janssen studied economics for a year at the University of Amsterdam which Famke Janssen later called "the stupidest idea I ever had. She also starred as Liam Neeson's Taken 2 (2012) and as the main villain Muriel in Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2012).

: /ˈfɑːmkə ˈjænsən/; born 5 November 1964 is a Dutch actress director screenwriter and former fashion model. Famke Beumer Janssen (pron. She made her directorial debut with Bringing Up Bobby in 2011.