Mads Mikkelsen

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Mads Mikkelsen
Mads Mikkelsen.jpg
Mads Mikkelsen at the 2009 Venice Film Festival
Born Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen
(1965-11-22) 22 November 1965 (age 47)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Nationality Danish
Occupation Actor
Years active 1996–present
Spouse(s) Hanne Jacobsen (2000–present)
Children 2

Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen (About this sound listen ; born 22 November 1965) is a Danish actor. He is best known for his Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award-winning role in the film The Hunt and for playing the main antagonist Le Chiffre in the twenty-first James Bond film, Casino Royale.[1] He is presently starring in the 2013 TV series Hannibal as Dr. Hannibal Lecter opposite Hugh Dancy as Special Agent Will Graham.

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Early life [edit]

Mikkelsen was born in Copenhagen as the second son of Bente Christiansen, a nurse and Henning Mikkelsen, a cab driver. He and his brother, Lars Mikkelsen,[2][3] who is also an actor, grew up in Nørrebro.[4] In his youth he was trained as a gymnast, wanting to pursue athletic endeavors, before going to study dance at the ballet academy in Gothenburg. He was a professional dancer for almost a decade, but left it behind to study at Århus Theatre School, to pursue a career in acting.[5]

Career [edit]

He made his film debut in the movie Pusher. He also has starred in popular Danish movies such as Flickering Lights, The Green Butchers, Adam's Apples, and Pusher II. Mikkelsen's longest running role was as a policeman in the Danish television series Rejseholdet, which ran for four years.

He first became known to an international audience for his role as Tristan in the Jerry Bruckheimer production of King Arthur, which was a commercial success, but received negative reviews from critics. His first critical and commercial success internationally was playing the villain Le Chiffre in the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale, which earned critical praise. Also in 2006, he took the lead role in the Danish drama After the Wedding, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign film.

In 2008, when the Quantum of Solace video game was released, Mikkelsen reprised his role of Le Chiffre, voicing the character throughout the game. Also in 2008, Mikkelsen, along with fellow James Bond villain Richard Kiel, was invited by Swiss watchmaker Swatch to Bregenz, Austria to present the Swatch 007 Villain Collection.

In 2009, he collaborated with Pusher director Nicolas Winding Refn for the fourth time in the film, Valhalla Rising which received generally positive reviews.

In 2010, he starred in the remake of Clash of the Titans, as Draco, the leader of the king's guard alongside Sam Worthington, which was a hit at the box office, but received negative reviews from critics.

In 2011, he starrted in another commercially successful film, The Three Musketeers as Rochefort, which did not fare well with critics.

In 2012, he starred in The Hunt, which earned him some of the best reviews of his career, he also won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in the film.[1] The same year he starred in the Oscar nominated historical drama, A Royal Affair, which was met with critical acclaim.

He is currently starring in the 2013 TV series Hannibal as Dr. Hannibal Lecter opposite Hugh Dancy as Special Agent Will Graham. The series has been a critical success and his portrayal of Lecter has earned praise from critics.[6]

His upcoming projects include, The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman which had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2013 and playing the titular character in Michael Kohlhaas, which will have it's premiere at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. He is currently filming The Salvation, a western which is set for a 2014 release.[7] He will also lend his voice to Kung Fu Panda 3, which is set for a 2015 release.[8]

Personal life [edit]

In 2000, he married choreographer Hanne Jacobsen, whom he had been dating since 1987. They have a daughter and son, Viola and Carl. Mikkelsen lived in Copenhagen all his life, until he moved to Toronto in 2012 when the filming of Hannibal started.[9]

Filmography [edit]

Film [edit]

Year Film Role Notes
1996 Café Hector Anders Short film
Blomsterfangen Max
Pusher Tonny
1998 Vildspor Jimmy
Nattens engel Ronnie
1999 Tom Merritt Tom Merritt Short film
Bleeder Lenny
2000 Flickering Lights Arne
2001 Monas verden Casper
Shake It All About Jacob Zulu Award for Best Actor
2002 I Am Dina Niels
Open Hearts Niels Rouen Nordic Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Bodil Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Robert Festival Award for Best Actor
Monsters, Inc. Randall Boggs Danish Dub
Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself Horst Zulu Award for Best Supporting Actor
2003 Nu Jakob (Young) Short film
The Boy Below Far
De Grønne Slagtere Svend Fantasporto Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Bodil Award for Best Actor
Torremolinos 73 Magnus
2004 King Arthur Tristan
Pusher II Tonny Bodil Award for Best Actor
Robert Festival Award for Best Actor
Zulu Award for Best Actor
2005 Adam's Apples Ivan Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Robert Festival Award for Best Supporting Actor
2006 After the Wedding Jacob Pederson Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Nominated — European Film Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Robert Festival Award for Best Actor
Prague Christoffer Zulu Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Bodil Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Robert Festival Award for Best Actor
Exit Thomas Skepphult
Cars Chick Hicks Danish Dub
Casino Royale Le Chiffre
2008 Flammen & Citronen Citronen Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — European Film Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Robert Festival Award for Best Supporting Actor
2009 Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky Igor Stravinsky
Valhalla Rising One-Eye Nominated — Robert Festival Award for Best Actor
The Door David Andernach
2010 Clash of the Titans Draco
Moomins and the Comet Chase Sniff Voice
2011 The Three Musketeers Rochefort
2012 A Royal Affair Johan Struensee Nominated — Bodil Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Robert Festival Award for Best Actor
The Hunt Lucas Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Zulu Award for Best Actor
Nominated — European Film Award for Best Actor
Nominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for Actor of the Year
2013 The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman Nigel
Michael Kohlhaas Michael Kohlhaas Post-production
2014 The Salvation TBA Filming
2015 Kung Fu Panda 3 TBA Voice
Pre-production

Television [edit]

Year Film Role Notes
2000–2004 Rejseholdet Allan Fisher Main role
2005 Julie Julie's Dad/Harald
2013–present Hannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Video games [edit]

Year Film Role Notes
2008 007: Quantum of Solace Le Chiffre Voice

References [edit]

External links [edit]