In the late 1990s, after another Dutch film (De Flat) flopped, she took a break from Dutch cinema and played in German television movies (and series, including Tatort) in which, she said, she was rarely typecast and played more interesting characters. Dial 9 and Met grote blijdschap (With Great Joy), which were both released in 2001, marked her return to the Dutch movie-screen after a four-year absence. Since 2001, Soutendijk played roles in television shows and as a stage Actress, playing for instance Queen Juliana (2006) and a woman dying of cancer in Margaret Edson's Wit (2010). In 2011, Soutendijk was given the Rembrandt Award for her body of work. That same year, news came that Soutendijk was to star in a television series for RTL 4, Moordvrouw, a police drama.