Dutch Stars Daily

Maarten Spanjer, who died on October 17, 2026 at the age of 73, spent his career trying not to be famous — and became one of the most beloved figures in Dutch entertainment anyway. As the host of Taxi , an actor in Paul Verhoeven's Spetters , the creator of unforgettable comedy characters and a writer of books and columns, he built a legacy defined by dry Amsterdam humor, genuine curiosity about people, and a stubborn refusal to take himself seriously. Looking back at his life and work, one theme keeps surfacing: Spanjer was an outsider who made the inside feel like home. He never saw himself as a real BN'er, he once said. Yet for millions of Dutch viewers, he was exactly that — a star who felt like family. The Taxi Years: Why It Worked Spanjer's most famous creation was also his simplest. In the hit TV show Taxi , he simply drove a cab around Amsterdam and talked to the passengers who got in. No celebrity guests, no elaborate format — just unsuspecting everyday people, ...