Albert Mol was an entertainer, dancer, actor, TV personality, comedian and writer.
He was the first well-known Dutch person to openly reveal his sexuality during a live TV interview.
Albert Mol used to be called the most famous gay person in the Netherlands; everyone knew him because of his exuberant role in the television program Wie van de Drie.
He was also the first artist in this country to openly admit his homosexuality and thus had a pioneering role.
As this statement from a former pastor also makes clear:
'I discovered as an 11-year-old boy through Albert Mol that I was gay'
On April 1, 2001, the Netherlands was the first country in the world to open same-sex marriage to 'gay marriage'. At midnight, four couples got married in Amsterdam.
But Albert Mol married his beloved Guerdon Bill (Geurt for friends) in 1998, with whom he had been together for thirty years.
After the ceremony, he received the Golden Triangle, an award for people who have made a valuable contribution to gay emancipation. The Golden Triangle has only been awarded 9 times.
Albert Mol died on March 9, 2004 in his hometown of Laren in Gelderland. The news was announced on behalf of the family members by Henk Krol, the editor-in-chief of the Gay newspaper, for which Mol wrote a column. Even in old age he remained active for the emancipation of homosexuals.
About Albert Mol
"As a dancer, Albert Mol performed in Italy, Sweden, France, Switzerland and Austria from the 1930s. He also worked as a choreographer. He even danced briefly in the Scala in Milan, but could not stay there because of his sexuality. sexual orientation was shadowed by agents of the local vice squad.
In his own country he became known in the films Het wonderlijke leven van Willem Parel (1955) and Fanfare (1958) by Bert Haanstra. At that time he also frequently appeared in Wim Sonneveld's (famous Dutch comidian) ensemble. Mol gained great fame with his role as a panel member of the 1970s game show Wie van de Drie, which would continue to exist until the early 1980s. After Wie van de Drie, he was a regular contributor to the 1-2-3 show. Later he also played in the film Op hope van Zegen (1986).
In the twilight of his career, Mol had guest roles in the comedy series Then happiness was normal and We are home again. He had a successful role in an episode of the docudrama series 30 minutes by Arjan Ederveen (1995). In 1997 Albert Mol was again a panel member for a few episodes in a remake of Wie van de Drie.
Mol has written several books. One of them, What do I see!?, was made into a film in 1971 by Paul Verhoeven. When Mol was asked if he gave permission for a musical of the same name, he responded with "Sure! It's about time!". In 2006 the musical Wat Zien Ik?! out, but Mol has not seen the result, because he died.
Private life
Albert Mol was married to ballet dancer Lucy Bor from 1948 to 1955. They had a daughter together: the actress Kika Mol (1949). As one of the first television personalities, he openly admitted to being gay in 1969 during the program Een Groot Uur U to presenter Koos Postema. This made him an important pacesetter for gay emancipation in the Netherlands. Until old age he was active for the emancipation of homosexuals. On March 16, 1998, Albert Mol and his friend Guerdon Bill (Geurt for friends), with whom he had lived together for thirty years, entered into a registered partnership in the town hall of Zutphen.
The last years of life were marked by a slow decline and many periods of illness. Mol lived a secluded life in Laren in Gelderland. His partner Bill passed away in August 2003 at the age of 67. More than six months later, Albert Mol died at the age of 87 in his hometown of Laren. He was cremated at the Dieren crematorium."
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