Mads Mikkelsen
The late twentieth century saw Scandinavian cinema steadily command international attention, its filmmakers and performers crossing into European and Hollywood productions with increasing frequency. Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen, born in Copenhagen on November 22, 1965, emerged from that current to become one of the more distinctive Danish presences in global film and television.
Before establishing himself as an actor, Mikkelsen worked as a gymnast and dancer, a background that gave his screen presence a physical precision less common among performers who came to the craft through more conventional routes. He has worked across film, television, and voice acting, and operates in a notably wide range of languages — Danish, English, French, German, Swedish, and Russian among them — a linguistic range that has supported his movement between national industries and production cultures.
His work has drawn recognition from several quarters. The European Film Award for Best Actor placed him within a tradition of continental recognition that distinguishes performance on its own terms, separate from the machinery of Hollywood awards cycles. That honor situated him alongside a lineage of European actors whose careers have been shaped as much by their home industries as by international crossover.
Beyond the world of film, Mikkelsen has received formal acknowledgment from both Denmark and France. The Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog, conferred by the Danish state, represents recognition of contribution to Danish cultural life, while the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from France honors distinction in the arts as judged by the French Ministry of Culture. Together, these two national honors offer a concrete measure of the regard in which his career has been held across borders, anchoring his reputation not in popular estimation alone but in the considered judgments of institutions on either side of a cultural divide.
Quotes by Mads Mikkelsen
I'm one of the actors who really enjoys working with kids and animals, which is always a no go. There's something beautiful about it because you tend to forget yourself as an actor.
One thing I can say about the French language is that no one in the world loves their language as much as they do. It doesn't matter if you're close - it still sounds terrible to their ears.
I come from a culture where you don't divide it up to what you can do on TV and what you can do on film.
I do read some of the scripts from America and, even though the themes or subject of the film is very interesting, and some of the scenes are very interesting, there is a tendency that they have to explain everything. There will be no dilemma.
I was a gymnast for many years before I was a dancer, so it comes in pretty handy when we do stunts.
I’m in a very lucky position. You have to remember that 95 percent of all actors aren’t working. I’m actually able to go to France and work. It’s a situation I couldn’t have dreamt up.
I’m not the kind of actor who runs around and insists on being called Stravinsky by everybody, and my family has to call me Igor. I’m not that kind of actor. I think that’s pretentious.