Why Does Everyone Love Mads Mikkelsen?

The European Film Academy named Mads Mikkelsen the best actor of 2023. He received this prestigious award for his lead role in the film "The Promised Land" ("Bastarden") a historical epic about the conquest of Jutland. But what is the phenomenon of this charismatic Dane (no soft features on his face—only sharp angles) who can cry over potatoes that refuse to grow in the wild wastelands for two hours, and the audience will still be captivated? Well, the formula for his success lies in the combination of at least three ingredients.

Interestingly, the main triumph of this year's "Euro-Oscar" went to the French film "Anatomy of a Fall," which won in all the top categories: "Best Film of the Year," "Best Director" and "Best Screenplay" – Justine Triet; "Best Actress" – Sandra Hüller, and "Best Editing" – Lorena Sénéchal. However, the full jackpot at this high-profile event, including at the Cannes Film Festival ("Golden Palm"), was not taken by this acclaimed film but rather by Mads Mikkelsen himself.

Photo: "Bastarden" movie, Source: Wiki

The image of an 18th-century veteran to whom King Frederick V of Denmark gave the right to colonize vast Jutlandic wilderness turned into a two-hour stoic meditation for the 58-year-old Mikkelsen. Besides the difficulty of getting rich through agriculture in the frozen northern lands, there are also bandits everywhere, and a malicious land magnate nearby is not thrilled about the appearance of a competitor. The more problems arise in Mikkelsen's character's life, the deeper the wrinkles on his weary face seem to become. However, the film is not just about the cold darkness, powerlessness against nature, blood, sweat, and the insane hostility of Jutland pioneers. It's also about love – not coincidentally, the historical bestseller by Danish author Ida Jessen, on which "Bastarden" is based, is called "Captain and Anne Barbara."

Cinematic Patriotism

Photo: Mads Mikkelsen dancing in "Another Round", Source: Wiki

Interestingly, Mads Mikkelsen agreed to star in a new film by Nikolaj Arcel, despite the fact that the Danish director's previous film – "The Dark Tower," based on Stephen King's iconic novel series – failed miserably. None of the book's fans could understand why Roland's character (whom, as is known, the King of Horror borrowed from Clint Eastwood's character in the western "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly") was played by the dark-skinned actor Idris Elba in the adaptation. Concern for mandatory racial diversity in the film industry is one thing, but mockery of canonical characters is another. For example, no one would think of offering the role of the German dictator Adolf Hitler to Jackie Chan, a Hong Kong actor.

The Hollywood failure of Nikolaj Arcel did not deter Mikkelsen from cooperation, as the two were longtime friends. In 2012, the actor starred in the director's major hit – the drama "A Royal Affair," where he portrayed the court physician and Enlightenment advocate at the court of the powerless Danish monarch Christian VII. This is one of the main secrets of Mikkelsen's charisma: in recent years, he has become very popular in Hollywood, but he hasn't sold out for money. The actor remembers his native cinema and has essentially become its embodiment, willingly playing again and again for those directors who once helped him rise. For example, in Danish director Thomas Vinterberg's film – an associate of Lars von Trier and the author of "The Celebration," the first film from the "Dogme 95" project.

Mikkelsen first worked with Vinterberg in 2012 in the drama "The Hunt." The role of a kindergarten teacher mistakenly accused by society of being a rapist and pedophile brought him the award for "Best Actor" at Cannes. In 2020, Mikkelsen managed to carve out time between "Doctor Strange" and "Indiana Jones" and various other Marvel projects to support Danish cinema, starring in Vinterberg's heartfelt comedy "Another Round." Incidentally, this year's "The Bastards" brought the actor his second award from the European Film Academy, the first being for "Another Round." 

Villainous Accent 

Photo: Le Chiffre from "Casino Royale", Source: Wiki

However, to the global audience, Mikkelsen is known not as a star of Scandinavian art-house but as a creator of a gallery of charismatic villains in Hollywood mainstream. He portrayed the financier of international terrorists, Le Chiffre, in "Casino Royale," the evil wizard Grindelwald in the Harry Potter franchise, the cunning adventurer Rochefort in "The Three Musketeers," and many other roles, but primarily, he is remembered as Dr. Hannibal Lecter from the critically acclaimed series of the early 2000s.  Le Chiffre 

Photo; Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Source: Netflix

One might wonder, who in their right mind would compete with Anthony Hopkins? But Mikkelsen was not deterred by any unfavorable comparisons. Firstly, the "Hannibal" series, in the era of the hipster culture, deviated significantly from the feminist "Silence of the Lambs" of thirty years ago. Secondly, the character of the psychiatrist-killer became so iconic in contemporary pop culture because, along with his beastly crimes, Hannibal constantly demonstrates universal virtues. Thus, he both frightens and attracts, which is precisely what Mads Mikkelsen excels at in the film world. In his portrayal, the maniac turned out to be such a charming monster that people watched season after season, captivated until they were horrified by how deeply they fell in love with the grotesque.

Mikkelsen explains why he is always called to play "bad guys" by his enduring Scandinavian accent. He claims that there was once a trend for villains with German accents, then English, then Russian, and now, Danish. Nevertheless, the actor doesn't suffer from the imposed stereotype. On the contrary, he confesses that he would rather accept a role as a criminal or a loser than a completely positive character. It's simple: the ambiguity and contradiction of character make the portrayal challenging on screen, and therefore, playing such roles is more interesting.

Ballet Magnet

Photo: "Pusher" movie, Source: Wiki

There are actors who are simply delightful to watch, even when they say nothing, just walk somewhere, or silently perform routine tasks. This magnetism is often attributed to innate charisma, but let's be serious: only heart diseases and such are congenital, and to appeal to millions of viewers, one must work hard. The secret of Mikkelsen lies not only in his thoughtful intelligent gaze but also in the special fluidity of his movements. It's not surprising since before becoming an actor, Mikkelsen was a professional ballet artist.

Having studied at the ballet school in Gothenburg, Mikkelsen worked in this field for almost ten years. He didn't shy away from dancing for pop singers or even cabarets. However, as he approached his 30s, he realized that the Metropolitan stage was not in his future and decided to radically change his life course. Enrolling in drama school, Mikkelsen soon starred in a film about the world of small-time Copenhagen drug dealers, "Pusher," and as they say, the rest is history.

However, his years of ballet training gave Mikkelsen not only a good posture and the ability to move gracefully. In 1987, he met choreographer Hanne Jacobsen, whom he married in 2000, and with whom he has two children. Besides, once the actor managed to use his ballet skills for their intended purpose. At the end of the film "Another Round," his character, a high school history teacher who overcame a midlife crisis, alcoholism, and got a chance to revive a lost marriage, joins the school graduates and starts dancing uncontrollably. This desperate, melancholic, yet joyful drunken ballet to the song "What A Life" by the band Scarlet Pleasure is something you should see for yourself: