Advanced search

Mads Mikkelsen's great successes parallel those achieved by the Danish film industry since the mid-1990s. He was born in Østerbro, Copenhagen, to Bente Christiansen, a nurse, and Henning Mikkelsen, a banker.

Starting out as a low-life pusher/junkie in the 1996 success Pusher (1996), he slowly grew to become one of Denmark's biggest movie actors. The success in his home country includes Flickering Lights (2000), Shake It All About (2001) and the Emmy-winning police series Unit One (2000).

His success has taken him abroad where he has played alongside Gérard Depardieu in I Am Dina (2002) as well as in the Spanish comedy Torremolinos 73 (2003) and the American blockbuster King Arthur (2004).

He played the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the critically acclaimed NBC series Hannibal (2013), from 2013 to 2015, with great success.

Dirch Hartvig Passer was born on May 18, 1926, on Østerbro, Copenhagen, to Ragnhild Fich and Capt. Vilhelm Passer (seaman). He never did well in school, being the class clown, which had a negative effect on his grades. He did especially badly in mathematics, which came to follow him the rest of his life. When Passer left school he wanted to become an actor, but his father insisted that he should become a seaman like himself. In 1944 he attended maritime school. Life at sea, however, did not go well - he was seasick all the time.

After his failure as a seaman he had all kinds of small jobs. In 1946 he made his stage debut with "Six Comrades [seks kammerater]" in "Riddersalen". In the same year he was accepted to theatre school: De Frederiksbergske Teatres elevskole. After he had completed this education in 1948 he had many small parts in different plays all around Denmark's theatres. He made his film debut in 1947 as an extra in the Danish movie Lykke paa rejsen (1947) and teamed up with Ove Sprogøe in the 1950s in many films. He became famous in 1953 with Ved Kongelunden... (1953), which let all of Denmark see his comedic genius. He made many other well-received Danish films, such as The Baroness from the Gas Station (1960), Mig og min lillebror (1967), Sommer i Tyrol (1964), the Mafia-movies and Charles tante (1959).

Passer worked from 1967 to 1974 at the famous "Cirkusrevyen på Bakken", where he was responsible for their greatest success ever. Many of the sketches which he made here were so famous that they are seen all over the world. He made his last film in 1978, Fængslende feriedage (1978).

In 1978 he acted in the "Tivolirevy", which he continued until his death on stage of a heart attack on September 3, 1980. Like all great comedians, he always wanted to play serious parts in movies and plays, but never got the chance. Dirch Passer was without a doubt the greatest Danish comedian ever.

Anders Matthesen was born on 6 July 1975 in Østerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark. He is a writer and actor, known for What Goes Around (2009), Terkel in Trouble (2004) and Jul på Vesterbro (2003).

Ole Kibsgaard was born on 9 February 1966 in Østerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark. He is an actor, known for Klown (2010), Pure Hearts (2006) and Store planer! (2005). He is married to Pia Kibsgaard. They have three children.

Jens Peder Pedersen was born on 18 August 1970 in Østerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark. He is known for Another Round (2020), It's All About Love (2003) and Department Q: A Conspiracy of Faith (2016).

Yasmin Kirkhoff Rasmussen was born on 22 October 1993 in Østerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark. She is an actress, known for Brain in a Jar and Escaping the Dead (2017).