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Simone Walraven More at IMDbPro »

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Simone Walraven is a filmmaker, writer and well-known media personality from Holland. She was born in Amsterdam in 1966.

In 1982 Simone began her career in journalism and music, working as a newsreader and DJ at the popular Dutch pirate station, Radio Decibel. As soon as she graduated from the Athenaeum in 1984, Simone was invited to work for the renowned Dutch broadcasting organization, Veronica. She became the producer and presenter of "Club Veronica Trend", an informative weekly radio show for teenagers.   In 1985 Simone attended the Media Academy in Hilversum to expand her skills in radio and television production, writing, interviewing and presenting. In the same year she made her debut on national television with "Schoolplein" ("Schoolyard"), a televised version of Club Veronica Trend, made for and by high-school students.   Throughout 1986 other programs were added to Simone's repertoire such as "Oh, Wat Een Nacht" ("Oh, What A Night"), a 3-hour radio show every Friday night. She also became a guest presenter on Veronica's hugely popular television music show "Countdown", hosted by Adam Curry.   In 1987 Adam left for MTV in the United States. Simone succeeded him to become the first female presenter of "Countdown," recognized by many as Europe's #1 Rock Show. She also presented the international English edition of Countdown to an audience of around 15 million viewers.   In the same year, Simone made her debut as a film actress with the female lead role in the Dutch comedy "Donna Donna" in 1987.   Shortly after her 22nd birthday in September of 1988, Simone presented her last Countdown-show and took leave from the public eye for a while.

During 1989 Simone joined forces with her future husband, Johnny Hates Jazz singer/songwriter Clark Datchler. She supported the recording process of his solo-album "Raindance", and contributed backing vocals to several songs on the environmentally-themed album.   In the Summer of 1989 UNICEF asked Simone to present the fund-raising documentary "Water in the Third World", about the construction of basic water facilities in Rwanda in Central Africa. This journey awakened Simone's love for the medium of documentary filmmaking.   Simone's experience in Africa directly influenced her decision to pursue a higher education. In search of greater understanding of the world, she studied history at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and also enrolled at an Art Academy to study drawing and photography.   In the early 1990s Simone married Clark Datchler and became a mother. At the same time she became a CEO of a music production company in support of Clark's numerous musical projects. She has traveled frequently while supporting the education of her two children.   Simone draws inspiration from her studies of history, philosophy and world cultures, which inform her work as a writer and filmmaker. Two of her short films, about Clark's environmental anthem "Tomorrow" and renewable energy dance track "Power", were featured at the Clean Tech Media Awards in Berlin on the 21st of August 2008.   Simone and her family travel between North America and Europe, where she has recently begun to write her first book.

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On 28 September 1987, she succeeded Adam Curry on pop-programme "Countdown," but exactly one year later (28 September 1988), she said goodbye to go live in England with her boyfriend Clark Datchler.

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