Karina Smulders was born in Utrecht in 1980 and began her acting career at the tender age of sixteen, when she was cast in the popular daytime television show 'Onderweg naar Morgen'. After two years, she left the show and was accepted into the prestigious Academy of Performing Arts in Amsterdam, where she graduated with honors in 2002.
Before her formal education, Karina had already gained valuable experience as an apprentice, creating the role of Katalijne in Lot Vekemans' 'Truckstop' for the Muztheater in 2001. She went on to appear in numerous feature films, including 'Ik omhels je met 1000 armen', 'Wolfsbergen', 'Kom niet aan mijn kinderen', 'Sum of Histories', and 'Bride Flight', in which she starred as Ada van Holland.
From 2002 to 2012, Karina was a member of the renowned Dutch theatre company, Toneelgroep Amsterdam, led by the acclaimed director Ivo van Hove. During her time with the company, she performed in a wide range of plays, both classical and modern, including 'True Love', 'Othello', 'Hedda Gabler', 'The Taming of the Shrew', 'Cries and Whispers', 'After the Fall', 'Roman Tragedies', and 'The Russians!'.
One of her most notable performances during this period was in 'After the Rehearsal / Persona' in 2013, which earned her a nomination for the prestigious Theo d'Or award for best leading actress performance in a play.
After leaving Toneelgroep Amsterdam, Karina began working as a freelance actress, collaborating with various companies. Her role as Hedda in 'Hedda Gabler' in 2017 earned her another nomination for the Theo d'Or award.
In addition to her work on stage, Karina has also appeared in several television series, including 'Familie Kruys', 'Divorce', and 'Nieuwe Buren'. She recently starred as Xandra in the television series 'Keizersvrouwen', directed by Ben Sombogaart, and will be featured in the upcoming film 'Jackie & Oopjen' later this year.
