29 Facts About Mads Mikkelsen

Mads Mikkelsen was a professional dancer for almost a decade until he left it behind to study drama at the Arhus Theatre School in 1996, embarking on a career in acting.

Mads Mikkelsen made his film debut in 1996 as a drug dealer in Nicolas Winding Refn's internationally successful film Pusher, which spawned two sequels.

Mads Mikkelsen played marginalized, often comic roles in popular Danish films.

In 1999, Mads Mikkelsen had a leading role as Lenny, a shy film expert who suffers from avoidant personality disorder, opposite Kim Bodnia in Refn's Bleeder.

In 2002, Mads Mikkelsen had a starring role as a young doctor who falls in love with the girlfriend of one of his patients in Open Hearts which earned him both Robert and Bodil nominations in 2003 for best actor.

Mads Mikkelsen won best actor for this performance at the Rouen Nordic Film Festival in 2003.

In 2003, Mads Mikkelsen had a leading role as a man who leaves his wife and child in the short film Nu.

Mads Mikkelsen starred opposite Kaas in The Green Butchers, playing an orphaned butcher's assistant in a small provincial Danish town, where human meat is a specialty.

Mads Mikkelsen won the Fantasporto Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the butcher.

In 2004, Mads Mikkelsen reprised his role as drug dealer Tonny in the Pusher sequel, Pusher II.

Mads Mikkelsen's performance was acclaimed, garnering him the Bodil Award for Best Actor, Zulu Award for Best Actor and Robert Festival Award for Best Actor.

In 2005, Mads Mikkelsen portrayed an "unorthodox country vicar" named Ivan who challenges a neo-Nazi who has been sentenced to community service to bake an apple pie in Adam's Apples.

Mads Mikkelsen became more widely known internationally for his role as Tristan in Jerry Bruckheimer's production of the movie King Arthur, which was a commercial success despite negative reviews.

In 2006, Mikkelsen starred opposite Stine Stengade and Jana Plodkova in Ole Christian Madsen's award-winning film Prag.

Mads Mikkelsen has said that he so easily won the part that even Daniel Craig asked him if he had slept with someone to be cast.

Mads Mikkelsen's character nicknamed "Citronen" is named after a Citroen factory in which he works.

Mads Mikkelsen played a schoolteacher wrongly accused of child molestation, earning nominations for the European Film Award for Best Actor and the London Film Critics Circle Award for Actor of the Year for his performance.

Mads Mikkelsen played Hannibal Lecter in NBC's TV series Hannibal, alongside Hugh Dancy as Special Agent Will Graham.

Mads Mikkelsen was initially dubious about accepting the role, as he believed that Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Lecter was "done to perfection".

Mads Mikkelsen appeared on Rihanna's music video for "Bitch Better Have My Money" as her accountant, the song's titular "bitch" who stole from her.

In 2016, Mads Mikkelsen was a member of the main competition jury of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

Mads Mikkelsen has appeared in Carlsberg's new 2019 UK advert, announcing that the brand's flagship beer has been rebrewed to become a Danish pilsner.

Mads Mikkelsen reunited with Thomas Vinterberg for the Danish comedy drama "Another Round" which won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and earned Mads Mikkelsen a BAFTA Nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

In November 2020, Mads Mikkelsen was revealed to be in early talks with Warner Bros.

Mads Mikkelsen is set to star in Amma Asante's Cold War thriller Billion Dollar Spy.

In 2000, Mads Mikkelsen married choreographer Hanne Jacobsen, whom he had been with since 1987.

Mads Mikkelsen has lived in Copenhagen all his life, except when living in Toronto while filming Hannibal.

Mads Mikkelsen is based in Denmark and has a residence on the Spanish island of Mallorca, which he first visited in the late 1990s.

On 15 April 2010, Mads Mikkelsen was appointed Ridder of the Order of the Dannebrog.