INSIDE THE WORLD OF AMSTERDAM EMPIRE

Set against the backdrop of Amsterdam’s cannabis scene, Amsterdam Empire dives into a world where power, betrayal and legacy collide. Created by NICO MOOLENAAR, BART UYTDENHOUWEN and PIET MATTHYS — with FAMKE JANSSEN also serving as executive producer — the series follows Jack van Doorn, a coffee shop mogul whose empire begins to crack from within.

For this editorial, DANIEL SARS captures the energy of the show through four of its leads — JACOB DERWIG, ELISE SCHAAP, JADE OLIEBERG and creator and executive producer NICO MOOLENAAR. Together, they give a face to the chaos, ambition and fractured loyalties at the heart of Amsterdam Empire.

 
 

Elise:
wears full look SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO

Jacob:
full look SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO

Jade:
top PRADA
dress worn as skirt YAROSLAV GRYGORCHUK
gloves SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO
heels GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

ELISE SCHAAP

Elise Schaap is Marjolein, a TV host and Jack’s new love, caught between personal loyalty and uncovering the truth.

wears full look SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO

Marjolein is famous, in love, and suddenly unsure of what's real. How did you connect with her inner struggle?

It’s an exciting role to portray because she starts out in control—professional and calm, with everything seemingly under her command. But then a massive wave of challenges hits her. Slowly, you see her composed and controlled demeanour crumble, layer by layer. I found it thrilling to play someone transitioning from control to survival.

wears full look SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO

As a journalist, she’s always looking for the truth. Did that mindset change the way you played her?

Absolutely. She’s the kind of person who’s always in the driver’s seat, constantly chasing facts and clarity. But when the spotlight turns on her, everything starts to wobble. Suddenly, she’s forced to question herself—and she’s clearly not ready for that. It’s such a relatable, human moment, which made it fascinating to bring to life on screen.

How did Marjolein’s style help shape your interpretation of her character?

Beneath her serious exterior lies something completely different. She’s got this cheeky side, especially in her relationship with Jack. Everything looks perfectly polished on the surface, but inside, there’s a fiery spirit. That contrast is what makes her so captivating.

 

JACOB DERWIG

Jacob Derwig plays Jack, a coffee shop tycoon drawn back into old schemes by his ex-wife’s revenge.

full look SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO

Jack seems powerful on the outside, but his personal life is full of trouble. How did you prepare to play someone with that kind of double life?

I was lucky enough to speak to a few coffee shop owners—successful businessmen making a lot of money. But it’s not for the faint-hearted. In Holland, you’re allowed to sell weed, but you’re not allowed to transport or store more than 500 grams. These guys sell more than ten times that every day. If you don’t play the game well, you can get arrested at any moment. And you don’t want enemies. You can get quite paranoid in this line of work. I took that to heart while portraying Jack.

 

full look GIORGIO ARMANI

 

Was there a part of his story that felt especially personal or difficult to bring to life as an actor?

Jack is a businessman, but also a husband and father. His daughter works for him—and she wants to lead the company one day. So how does Jack guide her? What kind of advice does he give? Having two children who also want to become actors, I can relate to that. What kind of example do you set for your children? How do you encourage them? How do you let go?

Did Jack’s clothing or style help you get into character or understand him better?

Costume designer Manu helped a great deal in building the character. Manu found exactly the right leather jacket and exactly the right shirts. It’s safe to say Jack has particular taste. He likes to show off a bit—but in a stylish way. On the first day, Manu brought the Yves Saint Laurent boots. They were *meant* for Jack.

 

NICO MOOLENAAR

Nico Moolenaar, creator of Amsterdam Empire, brings his sharp storytelling to this lavish crime drama set in Amsterdam’s cannabis world.

 
 

full look SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO

Amsterdam Empire is a bold mix of crime, love, and revenge, set in the city’s cannabis world. What gave you the idea for the show, and how does Amsterdam as a city influence the story?

I always look for stories that fascinate me personally, are deeply rooted in our local setting, and have global appeal. The world of Amsterdam coffeeshops—one of the city’s biggest tourist draws—brings all three together.

Coffeeshops have two sides: the legal, glamorous front, and the illegal backdoor operations. I’ve always been drawn to stories with two faces—whether it’s undercover agents or characters like Ferry and Danielle in *Undercover*—and this world fits perfectly. It lets us show Amsterdam from a new angle.

The main characters have strong personalities but are also dealing with deep emotions. How did you build these relationships, especially between Jack, Marjolein, and Betty?

At its core, this is a story about a divorce that spirals out of control. It’s about love, passion, and revenge—the strongest emotions.

Two people who once loved each other deeply, who know each other’s darkest secrets, start to fight and bring out the worst in each other. On the surface, love turns to hate—but I prefer to see it as two people who simply can’t let go. The fight is their way of staying connected.

The series looks very stylish, a mix of glamour with darker, grittier moments. How did you work with your team to create that mood? And how does fashion help tell the story?

Amsterdam is colourful and saturated, and we wanted our visuals to reflect that same energy. We move through rich worlds—literally and figuratively. Our characters have money, but the city itself is also rich and layered, so the images needed to feel lush.

Director Jonas Govaerts, who’s Belgian and new to the city, noticed that everything in Amsterdam—and more broadly in the Netherlands—is connected by water. That theme became a natural way to tie our worlds together, from the criminal underworld to the glossy surface.

Costume designer Manu Verschueren used the characters’ backstories and personalities to create believable, layered looks.

Take Jack, for example—his style is shaped by his three female partners over the decades: from the tougher, alternative vibe of the 1980s (with Shanti), through the more showbiz-oriented 1990s (with Betty), to the softer, more natural present (with Marjolein).

For Katya, we blended her functional, battle-ready identity with pieces that could easily come from Jack’s or Betty’s wardrobes—her father and mother figures.

This approach was only possible thanks to the wealth of high-quality vintage in Amsterdam and nearby Belgian cities. It gave us iconic, well-made pieces that add depth to a contemporary story. And it’s sustainable—a welcome approach in an era of overconsumption. Just like fashion is cyclical, so are the characters’ traumas, histories, and traits—passed down or resurfacing through generations.

You’ve worked on Undercover and Ferry, both known for their tough, realistic vibe. How is Amsterdam Empire similar or different?

Where Undercover and Ferry focused more on the crime side, Amsterdam Empire leans into family and relationship dynamics. In our first pitch to Netflix, we described the show as The Sopranos meets Dynasty—with Undercover and Ferry, in that analogy, being more like The Sopranos at a trailer park.

Like my previous series, Amsterdam Empire can be slightly larger than life, but the emotions—the characters’ feelings—must always be real. The audience doesn’t have to agree with them, but they should at least understand them. I think people will recognise our style, even though this series offers a very different experience.

What would you like viewers to feel or understand after watching Amsterdam Empire?

First and foremost, I want them to be entertained. I hope they find the story thrilling, funny, and emotional. We structured it like a tennis match between Jack and Betty, with the ball constantly going back and forth. I’d love it if the audience’s loyalty shifted just as often, pulled between the two as the story unfolds.

 

JADE OLIEBERG

Jade Olieberg plays Katya, Jack’s ambitious daughter, ready to fight for her place in the family empire.

 

earrings GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

 

Katya wants to be loyal to her family but also has big dreams of her own. What part of her story felt most interesting to you?

The moment when she starts to see her father differently—recognising him for the egoist he often is—really stood out to me. Even though that realisation breaks her heart, it also marks the beginning of her self-love. She realises she deserves respect and recognition—not necessarily from her father, but from herself. I think that’s a beautiful development in Katya’s story.

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dress worn as skirt YAROSLAV GRYGORCHUK
gloves SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO
heels GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

The connection between Katya and her father is intense. How did you and Jacob work together to bring that feeling to the screen?

I texted Jacob and asked if he wanted to go to a coffee shop with me. Up until then, we only knew each other because we had the same agent—so it was a pretty direct question! Not to smoke together, by the way, but to talk with people who could tell us more about the world of coffeeshops, the ‘backdoor’ business, and what it’s like to always be looking over your shoulder, with both criminals and the police after you. The conversation we had with a father and son who run a coffeeshop together gave us a lot of insight into our own dynamic.

Do you think her clothes reflect her power or ambitions?

"Absolutely. Katya wears a lot of rings to protect herself against possible attacks or robberies. She also often wears her father’s old clothes from the 90s, along with a lot of vintage pieces. For example, when she goes to court, she wears second-hand Jean Paul Gaultier. Katya is a conscious woman of today—you can see that not only in how she conducts herself as a businesswoman, but also in the way she dresses.

full look BURBERRY

TEAM CREDITS:

models ELISE SCHAAP, JACOB DERWIG, JADE OLIEBERG and NICO MOOLENAR
photography DANIEL SARS
styling ALEXANDRE DORNELLAS (JADE, JACOB, NICO, ELISE) and TOMMY DRIESSEN (ELISE)
makeup and hair FABIENNE JANSEN and ANH NGUYAEN
fashion production KAIO BERGUER
fashion assistant YAROSLAV GRYGORCHUK
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA
special thanks to NETFLIX @ and PILLOWS HOTEL MAURITS AT THE PARK

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