George Arrendell was born in Antwerp in 1968, the elder son of a South American percussionist and a Belgian painter. He speaks fluent English, Dutch and French.

Through the 1980s George made his pocket money as a breakdancer and rap artist and, after graduating from High School, he started working as a model in different parts of Europe. He had caught the acting bug while appearing in student drama productions and playing small roles in Belgian films and TV series, and decided that he wanted to do this for a living. In 1996 he enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City.