Actress
Dela Maria (Marja) Vaags was born on 29 December 1956 in Aalten. As a child, she lived at Bredevoortsestraatweg 105. She later achieved national fame as an actress, primarily for her role as Regina Jongschaap in the drama series Vrouwenvleugel. In 1994, the series won the Gouden Televizier-Ring (Golden Televizier Ring) for best television programme.
Vaags graduated from the Academy for Expression through Word and Gesture (Academie voor Expressie door Woord en Gebaar) in 1981. Following these studies, she took private lessons with tutors including Ton Lutz, Shireen Strooker, Hans Hoes, Rudolf Lucieer, Warren Robertson, and Ad van Kempen. After her training, she co-founded the theatre group Dames & Heren alongside Martine van Os and others.
Furthermore, she had guest roles in Goede tijden, slechte tijden and Medisch Centrum West, and appeared, among other projects, in several of the Sinterklaas films by Martijn van Nellestijn. In addition, she performed for a season with John Lanting’s Theater van de Lach. Her other stage credits included Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story with Stichting de Verwarring, and the play De Overgang with Stichting de Nel.
In 2007, Vaags was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Four years later, on 29 July 2011, she passed away at the age of 54 in her hometown of Amsterdam due to the complications of this illness. She was survived by a son.
