Eva Dorrepaal began her acting career under the tutelage of minimalist filmmaker Pim de la Parra. After studying acting and directing in the Netherlands, she longed for some experience abroad. During the Serbo-Croatian War, Dorrepaal went to Yugoslavia, where she performed with the renowned, experimental KPGT theater group of Ljubiša Ristić and travelled through Kosovo with them. Her stage work includes The Tempest, Carmen, Protocol, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Gospodjica.

She has had leading roles in almost all of director Edwin Brienen's feature films, which were shot in Amsterdam and Berlin. In New York she continues to make films with  inspired filmmakers such as Jonathan Caouette, Jorge Torres and others. She has done more than 30 films in different countries. Two other films she stars in and co-produced are in post-production: Exploitation and Phantom Party.

She now divides her time between Europe and New York, working in theater, film and television.