Kobe Van Herwegen (Edegem, 11 June 1984) is a Flemish actor, presenter, musical actor, voice actor and magician. Ever since finding an old magic box in the attic, he has been fascinated by magic.
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From Ketnet to musicals
Van Herwegen graduated as an assistant director at the RITS in Brussels and became known above all for his role as David Vercauteren in the Ketnet series Spring. From 2006 to 2011 he was a wrapper (presenter) at Ketnet and hosted programmes such as De Pretroulette, Zo is er maar één - De cup and De boer op.
After his time at Ketnet he went to work as a creative at Studio 100, but he also stayed on screen, among other things as a reporter for Vlaanderen Vakantieland and in 2011 as a contestant in a celebrity edition of Expeditie Robinson. He played Pieter Verlinden in the youth series Ghost Rockers and appeared in the international theatre play War Horse.
On the musical stage he played Pumbaa in The Lion King and Sebastian in The Little Mermaid, and appeared in productions such as 40-45, Spamalot and Aladdin. His voice can also be heard in countless films and animated series. He is a great-nephew of the actress and singer Bab Buelens.
A magician on television
Ever since finding an old magic box in the attic, Van Herwegen has been fascinated by magic. Between Ketnet programmes he duly appeared as a magician, which earned him his own series AbraKOdabra — a programme in which he not only took the lead roles but also devised the concept and wrote the scenarios.
AbraKOdabra spawned a magic box, a book and a three-year theatre tour through Belgium and the Netherlands. In addition he surprised well-known Flemings with his magic for two seasons in De Magische 4 on VT4, and he is Magic Consultant for various TV and theatre productions.
A magic historian
Van Herwegen is also fascinated by the history of Belgian magic, about which he writes books and articles and gives lectures and seminars. Together with his father he wrote 'Chapeau, de geheime goochelgeschiedenis van België', presented at the exhibition of the same name at Het Huis van Alijn in Ghent, which drew 24,000 visitors in six months.
In the summer of 2015 he travelled to America for research, resulting in the book 'Meisje met de feeënvingers' (released in the US as 'Lady with the Fairy Fingers') about the Belgian magician Suzy Wandas. He later also worked on a book about the Royal Flemish Magicians of Belgium, keeping the history of the craft alive.
A versatile artist
Besides being an actor, presenter and magician, Van Herwegen is also a much sought-after voice actor. His voice can be heard in dozens of animated films and series, from Coco, Toy Story 4 and Paddington 2 to The Queen's Corgi, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mary Poppins Returns. On a freelance basis he also works behind the scenes as a director and scriptwriter, while to the general public he remains best known as a magician, presenter and actor.
That exceptional versatility — theatre, musicals, television, voice work and magic — constantly feeds his conjuring. As a result his shows lean as much on story, timing and theatre as on the trick itself. It is precisely this combination of craftsmanship and sheer enjoyment that allows him to move both children and adults, and with which he brings Belgian magic to a broad, new audience.
Kobe Van Herwegen connects the young generation of magicians with the rich history of the craft. You will recognise that same love for both the stage and the métier in the work of Sudesh Roman.