A veteran of the British stage, Arie Verveen had his first leading movie role as Nick, a mysterious drifter who becomes a replacement son for a pair of New Jersey fishmongers, in Robert M. Young's Caught (1996). The Irish native learned to act in London, where he studied under David Bennett. He then involved himself with a few Fringe productions, including A Hatful of Rain. Upon immigrating to New York, Verveen made a name for himself appearing in short films. Prior to Caught, he also had bit parts in two independent films.