Willem Ruis

Not to be confused with Willem Ruys or Willem Duys.

Klaas Willem Ruis (29 March 1945 in Haarlem – 4 August 1986 in Dénia) was a Dutch game show presenter. He presented the Willem Ruis Show for the KRO and the Willem Ruis Lottoshow, 5 tegen 5 and the Sterrenshow for the VARA. He died of a cardiac arrest during a vacation in Spain.

Willem Ruis
Willem Ruis (1976)
Born	Klaas Willem Ruis (1945-03-29)29 March 1945 Haarlem, Netherlands
Died	4 August 1986(1986-08-04) (aged 41) Dénia, Spain
Nationality	Dutch
Occupation(s)	Television presenter, broadcaster
Employer(s)	KRO, VARA
Known for	Dutch game show presenter

By 1981, Ruis moved from the KRO to the VARA, trading in his Willem Ruis Show for the Willem Ruis Lottoshow. Ruis was unhappy with his director at the KRO, who he felt did not allow him to show off all his talents, and got a contract with the VARA, which was losing viewers to the competition and was looking for a star to bolster its roster. He was paid a salary unheard of at the time (Hfl 300,000 per year, high enough to lead to questions in parliament). He also tried a career in movies, but his only appearance, in the Belgian/Dutch production Het Beest (1982), could not save the movie from becoming a "legendary flop".^[1] He explained that his career in television was not going to last forever, and his side step to cinema was a career plan for the long-term.^[2]