Prominent Utrechters talking about their favourite spot in the city. This month: actor Fedja van Huêt tells us about the tunnel under the Dom Tower. So… under the Dom Tower? ‘I’ve forgotten my wedding ring again (I always take it off when I’m filming), but this is where I proposed to my wife (actor Karina Smulders, ed.) in 2015. We’d been out for dinner and we were ‘casually’ biking around town. Karina, who’s normally very on the ball, didn’t suspect a thing. I chose this location because she was born and bred in Utrecht and loves the Dom. When I showed her the ring, the tears streamed down her cheeks. Even now, I still smile whenever I bike through the tunnel and remember that special moment.’ When I showed her the ring, the tears streamed down her cheeks Favourite restaurant? ‘We moved from Amsterdam to Utrecht in 2014. I didn’t know the city very well, but I soon fell in love with it, partly because of all the cinemas. So I’m choosing Springhaver: it has a great traditional bar where they serve organic food, and then you can watch a film. The theatre has a rich history too: it hosted the very first edition of the Dutch Film Festival (1981, ed.). I enjoy bringing Karina and our daughter here, but I like going to the cinema on my own too. Not as often as I’d like, as we have busy schedules. But I’m making a conscious effort to calm things down this spring, so I can start filming the third season of the Prime series Maxton Hall in the summer. It’s about a wealthy family with a son at an elite school.’ (text continues below the image) Under the Dom Tower - photo by Juri Hiensch Recently discovered? ‘I’m currently reading the latest, exciting book by my father-in-law Wilbert Smulders. It’s entitled Voor God en den Congo! and it features his great-uncle Albert Smulders: a White Father, who was initially revered by his family for his missionary work in Congo, before an unfortunate turn of events led to him becoming the black sheep. My father-in-law did some research to reconstruct this tragic history. I’d recommend his book as it throws some historical light on colonialism, missionary work and the politics of the time.’ Last thing you watched or listened to? ‘Paul Young’s concert in TivoliVredenburg. I could sing his debut LP No Parlez by heart in the 1980s, so I was really excited to see him live. The band sounded fantastic, but Paul Young seems to have lost his voice. Instead of singing, he just sedately kept talking while members of the audience quietly left the venue. It was tragic really. My best experience at TivoliVredenburg, on the other hand, was the Circus Charms performance by Frank and René Groothof. It’s an ode to the imagination, in which they manage to create the illusion of a circus show with next to nothing.’ Inspirational Utrechter? ‘Cora van Hal, a neighbour who regularly rang my doorbell for a chat and to show me her drawings. Late last year, she published a book with the help of the poet Astrid Lampe (who also lives locally): Het leven in de stad Utrecht van Cora van Hal. I presented her with the first copy. The book features colourful portraits of people from the city, each one a work of art in itself.’ Moved to tears? ‘While filming the Videoland series Bennie, about the family of a boy with Down’s syndrome. The vibe on set was soft and caring, mainly because everyone involved became so attached to Wesley van Klink, who plays Bennie. We were all in touch with our feelings, we were open-hearted and there was no fuss. In the series, I play a father who’s finding it hard to let go of his son. The exact opposite of the wealthy bad guy in Maxton Hall. And also unlike my role as a petty criminal in the film Fabula by Michiel ten Horn. But playing all these hugely different roles is what makes acting so inspiring.’