Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Nikolaj Coster Waldau
Born	27 July 1970 (1970-07-27) Denmark
Spouse	Nukâka Motzfeldt

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Danish pronunciation: [ˈneɡolaɪ̯ kʌsdɐ ˈʋaldɑʊ̯]; born 27 July 1970) is a Danish actor. He received his education at Statens Teaterskole in Copenhagen in 1993, and his breakthrough in Danish film came with the 1994 hit Nattevagten (Nightwatch). He played Detective John Amsterdam on the Fox television series New Amsterdam. He also appeared as Frank Pike in the 2009 Fox television film Virtuality, which was originally intended as a pilot. Since April 2011, he has starred as Ser Jaime Lannister in the HBO series Game of Thrones.

Career

Coster-Waldau was educated at the National Theater School in Denmark from 1989 to 1993. He had his debut as Laertes in Hamlet at the Betty Nansen Theater. His role in movie Nightwatch (1994) made him famous in Denmark. After leaving his handprint on the European film and television industry, he made his transition to American cinema.

In 2001, he began his U.S. career with a role in Ridley Scott’s critically acclaimed, multi-Academy-Award-winning Black Hawk Down as Medal of Honor recipient Gary Gordon. Coster-Waldau says "My first U.S. movie was Black Hawk Down and a friend helped me put myself on tape up on the attic over my apartment in Copenhagen. We shipped it out and I got lucky." Next, he landed a lead role in Michael Apted’s Enigma co-starring Kate Winslet, Dougray Scott and Saffron Burrows.

Coster-Waldau’s charm and range as an actor have garnered him multiple roles with many of his previous directors. Scott brought Coster-Waldau back for his 2005 epic film Kingdom of Heaven starring Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson and Eva Green. Additionally, Richard Loncraine, who first cast Coster-Waldau in his 2004 film Wimbledon alongside Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst, brought him back for Firewall, a thriller starring Harrison Ford and Bettany.

Aside from acting, he has also written, produced and directed films in his native Denmark. He is the Executive Vice President of Hemmingsen Entertainment Corporation and affiliate Hemmingsen Creek Productions.

He starred as John Amsterdam, an immortal New York homicide detective who will become mortal after he finds his true love, in the canceled Fox drama series New Amsterdam.

He also plays Jaime Lannister on HBO's Game of Thrones based on author George R. R. Martin's best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels. About his extremely complex and initially ruthless character Coster-Waldau says "What's not to like about Jaime? As an actor I couldn't ask for a better role" and his feelings when he first entered the huge and impressive set were "pure awe and exitement".

Personal life

Coster-Waldau lives in Denmark with his wife, Greenlandic actress and former Miss Greenland, Nukâka Motzfeldt and two young daughters named Safina and Philippa.

Filmography

Non-English language (Danish unless indicated):

• Nattevagten (1994)
• Nattens engel (1998)
• Vildspor (1998)
• Antenneforeningen (1999)
• Misery Harbour (1999)
• På fremmed mark (2000)
• Manden bag døren (2003)
• Rembrandt (2003)
• Den gode strømer (2004)
• Supervoksen (2006)
• Underbar och älskad av alla ("Wonderful and loved by everyone", Swedish, 2006)
• De unge år: Erik Nietzsche sagaen del 1 ("The Early Years: Erik Nietzsche part 1", Swedish, 2007)
• Kautokeino-opprøret (Norwegian, 2008)
• Himmerland (2008)
• Ved Verdens Ende (2009)
• Hodejegerne (Norwegian, 2011)

English language:

• Bent (1997)
• Lock, Stock... (2000)
• Black Hawk Down (2001)
• Enigma (2001)
• My Name Is Modesty (2003)
• Wimbledon (2004)
• The Headsman (2005)
• Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
• Firewall (2006)
• Assassin in Love also known as The Baker (2007)
• New Amsterdam (2008)
• Virtuality (2009)
• Game of Thrones (2011)

External links

• Nikolaj Coster Waldau at the Internet Movie Database