 He made his stage debut in Amsterdam in 1903, and over the next few years built a reputation to the point where he was invited to perform in Paris, eventually co-starring in several roles with Sarah Bernhardt, with whom he was involved romantically.In 1910, he made his motion picture debut alongside Bernhardt in "La dame aux camélias", a silent film made in France based on the play by Alexandre Dumas, fils.In 1910, he and Bernhardt travelled to the United States, where "The New York Times" first published, and then retracted, the announcement of their impending marriage.