Actress and singer Joke Bruijs has died at the age of 73 from complications following a battle with Parkinson's disease. The Dutch star passed away just three days after her ex-husband, actor, director, and singer Gerard Cox. He had been diagnosed with metastasized oesophageal cancer in August this year and refused treatment. He died in Mijnsheerenland on September 13, at the age of 85.
Joke confirmed in October 2022 that she was struggling with a progressive form of Parkinson's. Announcing her retirement, she told De Telegraaf: "I've been able to do everything I ever dreamed of: musicals, films, concerts, CDs, and television series. So I can only be grateful and look back on the successes achieved with pride."
In an interview with Mezza earlier this year, Gerard had opened up about her deterioration, saying: "Joke is 12 years younger than me, so of course it shouldn't happen like that. She can no longer speak properly, her vision is getting worse, and then she fell down the stairs. It's terrible."
The couple were married from 1977 to 1987, but divorced after realising that they were just good friends. Despite their split, they continued to work together and remained close.
They played husband and wife in two popular Dutch sitcoms: Strange Practices from 1989 to 1993 and When Happiness Was Very Common from 1994 to 2009. They also appeared together in the 2022 feature film, Casa Coco.
Born into a musical family, Joke began her career while still a teenager, joining the pop group, The Spitfire, in 1966. She also performed in cabaret shows with Mini and Maxi and the Dutch comedian André van Duin.
In 2009, she joined the long-running Dutch soap opera Good Times, Bad Times, which was the first daily soap opera in Europe. Her character, the mother of Rik (played by Ferri Somogyi) and Danny de Jong (Jan Kooijman), left for Canada but returned to the show in 2010, 2011, and 2018.
One of her on-screen sons, Jan Kooijman, paid a touching tribute on Instagram. He wrote: "'You get a mother, and she's played by Joke Bruijs.' That this announcement during my first year at Good Times, Bad Times in 2009 would be the beginning of a warm friendship, I could only hope.
"We found common ground in humor, perspective, and perhaps even Rotterdam's down-to-earth attitude. You were there for me at the most important moments. From baby showers to show premieres and even silly karaoke birthdays. I'm so proud to have known you. Love lifts us up."
Following her divorce from Gerard, Joke married real estate developer Boris Bayer, and their union lasted 11 years. At the time of her death, she had been with her partner, Frits Landesbergen, since 2003. In a final act of philanthropy, she donated her body to science, meaning there will be no funeral.
