Lars Mikkelsen | |
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![]() Mikkelsen in 2015 | |
Born | Lars Dittmann Mikkelsen (1964-05-06)6 May 1964 (age 60) Copenhagen, Denmark |
Occupation(s) | Actor, Voice Actor |
Known for | |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Relatives | Mads Mikkelsen (brother) |
Lars Dittmann Mikkelsen (Danish:[ˈlɑːsˈme̝kl̩sn̩]; born 6 May 1964) is a Danish actor. He is known for his roles as Copenhagen mayoral election candidate Troels Hartmann in the Danishpolice proceduralThe Killing,[1] the characterCharles Augustus Magnussen in the third series of theBBC programmeSherlock, fictionalRussian president Viktor Petrov in the Americanpolitical thriller TV seriesHouse of Cards, mage Stregobor on theNetflix seriesThe Witcher, andGrand Admiral Thrawn inStar Wars Rebels andAhsoka. In 2011, he won theReumert Prize of Honour for his contributions to Danish theatre.[2]
Mikkelsen was born inGladsaxe nearCopenhagen.[3] He and his younger brother, actorMads Mikkelsen, were raised in theNørrebro district.[4] After secondary school, he enlisted for military service in theRoyal Danish Army.[5] He then studied biology at theUniversity of Copenhagen but gave up the course to earn his living as astreet performer in European cities with hismime andjuggling acts.[6]
At the age of 27, Mikkelsen enrolled at theNational Theatre School of Denmark from which he graduated in 1995. In addition to his role in the drama series released worldwide asThe Killing,[1] he subsequently appeared in two other internationally acclaimed Danish drama series,Those Who Kill andBorgen III.[7] He also had a leading role in an episode of theBBC dramaSherlock as blackmailer Charles Augustus Magnussen.[8] In the American television seriesHouse of Cards, he played the president ofRussia. He won anInternational Emmy Award in 2018 for his role in Danish television dramaHerrens Veje,[9] which was broadcast in the UK in 2019 asRide Upon the Storm. From 2016 to 2018, he voicedGrand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo "Thrawn" in the third and fourth seasons of the animated seriesStar Wars Rebels. He reprised the role in the 2023 live-actionDisney+ seriesAhsoka and the 2024 anthology seriesStar Wars: Tales of the Empire.[10][11]
In addition to his native Danish, Mikkelsen speaks fluent Swedish, German and English, and he has mastered various accents. He has stated that he and his brother first picked up English by listening toMonty Python records and learning the comedy sketches.[6]
Mikkelsen is married to actressAnette Støvelbæk.[12] They have been a couple since 1986 and married in 1989.[13] They have two sons.[14] He is the older brother of actor Mads Mikkelsen.[15]
While filming the second season ofRide Upon the Storm, he went to see a priest and asked to be baptised into theNational Church of Denmark.[16]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | Royal Blues | Henning | ||
1999 | Seth | Seth | ||
Under overfladen | Victor | |||
2000 | Kira's Reason: A Love Story (En kærlighedshistorie) | Mads | ||
2004 | King's Game (Kongekabale) | Peter Schou | ||
2005 | Nordkraft | Steso's father | ||
2007 | Island of Lost Souls | Necromancer | ||
Cecilie | Lasse N. Damgaard | |||
2008 | What No One Knows (Det som ingen ved) | Marc Deleuran | ||
Flame & Citron (Flammen & Citronen) | Frode Jacobsen aka Ravnen | |||
2009 | Flugten | Thomas Jargil | ||
Headhunter | Martin Vinge | Robert Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role | ||
2012 | What Richard Did | Peter Karlsen | ||
A Caretaker's Tale | Per | |||
2014 | Montana | Dimitrije | ||
When Animals Dream | Thor | |||
2015 | 9. April | Lieutenant-Colonel Hintz | ||
2016 | The Day Will Come | Frederik Heck | ||
2017 | Winter Brothers | Carl | ||
2021 | The Venus Effect | Klaus | ||
2022 | The Kiss | Løvenskjold | ||
2023 | Asfalt | Kim | ||
2025 | Frankenstein | TBA | Post-production | |
TBA | Dalloway | TBA | Post-production |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | Strisser på Samsø | Jens Fiskrt | Episodes 1–4, 6 | |
Taxa | Drug addict | Episode 8 | ||
2000 | Edderkoppen | Ole Madsen | ||
Skjulte spor | Morten Theilgaard | |||
2001 | Langt fra Las Vegas | Pirate captain | ||
Nikolaj og Julie | Per Køller | Episodes 10–20 | ||
2002 | Rejseholdet | Ivan | Episodes 21–22 | |
2004–2007 | Krøniken | Jens Otto Krag | Episodes 2–3, 9, 11, 14–15, 17, 21–22 | |
2007 | Forbrydelsen | Troels Hartmann | 20 episodes | |
2011 | Those Who Kill | Magnus Bisgaard | ||
2013, 2022 | Borgen | Søren Ravn | Seasons 3 and 4 | |
2014 | Sherlock | Charles Augustus Magnussen | Series 3; 2 episodes | |
1864 | Thøger Jensen | Episodes 1–2 | ||
2015 | The Team | Harold Bjørn | 8 episodes | |
2015–2018 | House of Cards | Viktor Petrov | Seasons 3–6; 11 episodes | [17] |
2016 | Der Kommer En Dag | Forstander Frederick Heck | Season 1 | |
2017 | Historien om Danmark | Narrator | ||
Herrens Veje | Johannes | International Emmy for Best Performance by an Actor | ||
2019–present | The Witcher | Stregobor | 6 episodes | |
2019–2023 | Face to Face | Holger Lang | 9 episodes | [18] |
2020–2022 | Devils | Daniel Duval | 16 episodes | |
2021 | Seaside Hotel | Svend Damm | 5 episodes | |
2022 | The Kingdom | Pontopidan | 5 episodes | |
The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen | Knud | 6 episodes | ||
2023 | Ahsoka | Grand Admiral Thrawn | 3 episodes Nominated—Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Villain in a Series | [10][19] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | Naruto | Zabuza Momochi, Hayate Gekkō | Danish dub | |
2004 | Tiger-brødre | Aidan McRory | ||
2006 | Arthur and the Invisibles | Malthazar | Danish dub | |
The Wild | Samson | Danish dub | ||
2007 | Go West! A Lucky Luke Adventure | Lucky Luke | ||
Meet the Robinsons | Uncle Art | Danish dub | ||
2009 | Monsters vs. Aliens | General O.K. MacMission | ||
2010 | Huset Anubis | Hr. Van Swieten | ||
2011 | Ronal the Barbarian | Volcazar | Danish dub | |
2014 | The Dam Keeper | The Narrator | Short | [20] |
2016–2018 | Star Wars Rebels | Grand Admiral Thrawn | 17 episodes | [10] |
2024 | Star Wars: Tales of the Empire | Episode: "The Path of Anger" | [21][22] |
2:22 Mads and Lars (brother) are in Nørrebro, Copenhagen ... 3:06 [Mikkelsen]: My brother and I know this place like the back of our hands. Nørrebro was a typical working-class neighborhood.Documentary in German, transcript in English.