Biography

Frank Dingenen told the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad: "An American channel wanted me to collaborate on an American version of 'Meester hij begint weer'. I decided to stay in Flanders. If you can reach 3 million Flemish people, should you be so ambitious as to want to reach 80 million people? Moreover, in America I was only allowed to write, not act. Acting is my first love.".

Frank Dingenen started his career on the radio program Het Genootschap van Julien Put on Sunday mornings, with his character "Frans Dingemans".

He had his big breakthrough as teacher André Buys in the humorous television series "Meester, hij begint weer! "on the public Flemish broadcaster BRT. At the BRT he also became a panel member of the comedy quiz "De drie wijzen".

He also had success with the song 'Liever Armand Pien' (based on the Billy Joel song For the longest time), about his nostalgia for the time when the first Flemish television weatherman Armand Pien larded his TV weather reports with humor. These songs appeared in 1989 together with a few other songs on the LP "Alle kanten uit!.".

Frank Dingenen was a Flemish actor, presenter, columnist, singer and writer.

I don't want people to say: 'Frank Dingenen is a homosexual'. I feel different from other gays. The problem is that there are many excesses in that world: there are gay bars in every city, but I never go to those pubs. I hate twats and guys in leather jackets

I mostly regret being born so early. People who do what I used to do now earn a lot more, which is a form of appreciation. And the fact that I came out as gay would be so much easier now.

Do I regret not having any friends from my TV career? It says almost everything about the TV world. As long as they can use you, they are on your side, then they are gone.

Just the fact that I knew I was gay from the age of fifteen, but always had to lie in Flanders during the sixties and seventies. I swear to you: that's how you learn to act. All those facets of your youth, the Catholicism in our home for example, contribute to how you evolve as an artist

A publisher once suggested that I put my misfortunes on paper. I started doing that. But it was so painful that I just got fed up with it. Everything came back. I had to stop. I thought: 'If I continue with this, they'll be able to pick me up soon".