Willem Van Bergen

**Willem Van Bergen** was a wealthy scion of a rich family, as well as one of the major suspects by the police in the murders of Giorgio Santorelli and Ali ibn-Ghazi.

He is a character in 'The Alienist' portrayed by Josef Altin.

## Character Overview

Willem was a tall, thin young man with black eyes and hair. After falling ill with a venereal disease, probably syphilis, he has the characteristic teeth stained by a silver patina caused by mercury-based treatments, giving him a so-called "silver smile." He was always impeccably dressed, with suits, waistcoats, and tailored trousers. His look was completed by a bowler hat, pocket watch, and rings.

Willem was a young man who grew up in high society, and for this reason, he believed he was invested with rights that placed him above the law. Spoiled and presumptuous, Willem was easily inclined to throwing tantrums when things didn't meet his desires, behaving like a child despite being in his thirties. His homosexuality and apparent sadism have long been hidden by both parents, especially his mother, who have always tried to hide his illicit activities. It is hinted that he may have been sexually abused by his mother, as seen when she kisses both of his cheeks, and then slowly moves towards his mouth, causing Willem to burst into a tantrum of opposition.

## Biography

In the spring of 1896, Willem Van Bergen attended various places of perdition in the New York Tenderloin, such as the Bath House where he observed young boys, mostly prostitutes, bathing naked.

At Paresis Hall, Willem continued to frequent prostitutes and experiment with cross-dressing. Backed by the arrogance of his social class, Willem hunted prostitutes for his twisted games, luring them with the promise of lavish rewards and a “silver smile.”

One of these victims was a boy named Peter who Willem took to one of the apartments he had rented. After pampering Peter in a milk-filled bathtub and dressed the boy in a lavishing white dress, the two danced in the living room and Willem was about to bring the game to a wicked place — spiking Peter's drink but was promptly interrupted by his motherʼs entering the room.

The woman was able to track down her son and, with the help of a servant, got rid of the prostitutes and tried to convince Willem to come back with her. Willem threw a tantrum, distancing himself from his mother when she tried to kiss him.

Forced by his parents to travel to Buenos Aires to avoid becoming involved in a scandal due to the recent murders of child prostitutes, Willem escaped from the church where Bishop Potter sheltered him.

At night, however, the man was hunted down by Connor and Doyle and found an untimely death on an under-construction bridge in the harbour. Willem sought to bribe the two corrupt policemen and ordered them to be able to harm him, being part of the Four Hundred. Connor retorted with homophobic remarks before shooting him in the forehead. The two policemen, then, wrapped the corpse in a cloth and threw it from the bridge where Willem was swallowed by his watery grave to be never found again.

## Memorable Quotes

**Willem Van Bergen** (to some Golden Rules boys): "*Evening, girls. Which one of you is up for a little fun?*"
— These Bloody Thoughts

**Willem** (to Connor and Doyle): "*Who are you? I have money.*"
**Willem:** "*I'm a Van Bergen. We're part of the Four Hundred!*"
**Connor:** "*You're nothing but a rich, little pansy! Dirty sodomite!*"
**Willem:** "*You cannot talk to me like that! I'm a Van Bergen! You cannot touch me! You won't do that. You can't do that. You'll pay for this! You'll hang!* "
**Willem:** "*I'm a Van Bergen. You're a nobody!*"
— Ascension

## Appearances

 The Alienist

* Ep. 4: *These Bloody Thoughts*
* Ep. 6: *Ascension*

## Notes

* Willem Van Bergen does not appear in the novel by Caleb Carr but shares some of the characteristics described by Dr. Kreizler when discussing psychopathology.
* Serial killer Cayetano Santos Godino might have been a source of inspiration for the character.

## Gallery

* Promo Stills
* Screencaps

 *Photo by Kata Vermes and Jesse Giddings. [Courtesy of TNT Pressroom]*

## References

1. ↑ Gina Gionfriddo (writer) & Jakob Verbruggen (director); (February 5, 2018); "Silver Smile". Episode 3.*The Alienist*. TNT
2. ↑ Gina Gionfriddo & Cary Joji Fukunaga (writers) & James Hawes (director); (February 12, 2018); "These Bloody Thoughts". Episode 4.*The Alienist*. TNT
3. ↑ E. Max Frye (writer) & James Hawes (director); (February 19, 2018); "Hildebrandt’s Starling". Episode 5.*The Alienist*. TNT
4. ↑ E. Max Frye (writer) & Paco Cabezas (director); (February 26, 2018); "Ascension". Episode 6.*The Alienist*. TNT