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IMDbPro

Mikael Persbrandt

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000885
Mikael Persbrandt
Watch Trailer [OV]
Play trailer1:47
The Siege of Jadotville (2016)
10 Videos
48 Photos
MIKAEL PERSBRANDT

Mikael was born in Jakobsberg outside Stockholm. His interest in acting started when working as an extra in Ingmar Bergman's staging of William Shakespeare's "King Lear."

In the early 1990s, Mikael starred in the immensely popular Swedish TV series, "Rederiet" ("The Shipping Company.") which led to other roles in various TV productions. But it was In 1997 when Persbrandt starred as the tough detective, Gunvald Larsson, he received his major break-through. "Beck" was not only a major hit in Sweden but in Germany as well - and (as of 2022) consists of 46 theatrical and television movies based on the characters created by authors Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöo.

In 2005, Mikael received the highly coveted Ingmar Bergman award from the Guldbagge Awards and in 2006 he earned Best Actor nominations from both the Bodil (Denmark) and Guldbagge Awards for his performance in Simon Staho's "Bang Bang Orangutang." He also starred in Staho's "Day and Night," which won the Chicago International Film Festival's Silver Hugo Award for Best Ensemble Acting.

He starred in IFC Films' "Everlasting Moments," for which he earned the 2009 Guldbagge Award for Best Actor. Mikael's other work includes starring roles in the Swedish films "The Hypnotist", the "Hamilton" series, "Någon annanstans i Sverige" (for which he received a 2011 Guldbagge nomination), "Stockholm East," and "Day and Night. He earned another Guldbagge Award in 2014 for Best Actor in Kjell-Åke Andersson's "Nobody Owns Me".

Mikael Persbrandt became internationally known for his starring role in the Academy Award winning foreign feature, "In A Better World," directed by Susanne Bier. His performance earned him a 2011 European Film Award nomination for Best Actor. Some other international work includes the final installment of Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies, the drama "Someone You Love," which took home the Audience Award for Best International Film at the Los Angeles Film Festival and the critically acclaimed feature "The Salvation," Some of his recent roles can be seen in the Netflix success "Sex Education" and "The Kingdom Exodus" directed by Lars von Trier, for which he received the 2023 Robert Award nomination for Best leading male actor in a TV series.

Most recently Mikael portrayed the former UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in Per Fly's political and acclaimed thriller Hammarskjöld, for which Persbrandt received fantastic praise and reviews. The feature film has also become one of the most viewed in the cinemas in the Nordics during 2024.

Mikael also has an extended theatre background with Swedish productions such as "Three Sisters" and "Death of a Salesman" at the Plaza Theatre, "Mr. Puntila and His Man Matti," "The Good Person of Szechwan" and "Long Day's Journey Into Night" at the Royal Dramatic Theatre. Among his other appearances at the Royal Dramatic Theatre mention can be made of "Maria Stuart" (directed by Ingmar Bergman,) "Don Juan," "The Wild Duck," "Miss Julie" and recently "The Sea Gull." In 2012 he became the owner of the private theatre Maximteatern in Stockholm where he also has participated in several successful plays such as "The Dance of Death", "MacBeth" and the latest critically acclaimed play "Så enkel är kärleken" in 2022.
BornSeptember 25, 1963
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornSeptember 25, 1963
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000885
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 16 nominations total

    Photos48

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    Known for

    In a Better World (2010)
    In a Better World
    7.6
    • Anton
    • 2010
    Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, and Luke Evans in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    7.8
    • Beorn
    • 2013
    Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
    Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
    6.5
    • Victor Karlosson
    • 2020
    Mads Mikkelsen in The Salvation (2014)
    The Salvation
    6.7
    • Peter Jensen
    • 2014

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • Odyssey (2025)
      Odyssey
      7.4
      • 2025
    • Otmica (2025)
      Otmica
      7.3
      TV Series
      • Markus
      • 2025
    • Mikael Persbrandt in Hammarskjöld: Fight for Peace (2023)
      Hammarskjöld: Fight for Peace
      6.5
      • Dag Hammarskjöld
      • 2023
    • Jared Harris, Lou Llobell, Lee Pace, Laura Birn, and Leah Harvey in Foundation (2021)
      Foundation
      7.6
      TV Series
      • The Mule
      • 2023
    • Poromafia (2023)
      Poromafia
      7.2
      TV Series
      • Stagge
      • 2023
    • The Kingdom (1994)
      The Kingdom
      8.2
      TV Series
      • Helmer Jr.
      • 2022
    • Tills solen går upp (2021)
      Tills solen går upp
      4.8
      • Peder
      • 2021
    • Robert Gustafsson in The Unlikely Murderer (2021)
      The Unlikely Murderer
      7.0
      TV Mini Series
      • Hans Holmér
      • 2021
    • Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa, and Emma Mackey in Sex Education (2019)
      Sex Education
      8.2
      TV Series
      • Jakob Nyman
      • 2019–2021
    • Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
      Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
      6.5
      • Victor Karlosson
      • 2020
    • Pelle Heikkilä in Invisible Heroes (2019)
      Invisible Heroes
      7.7
      TV Mini Series
      • Harald Edelstam
      • 2019
    • X&Y (2018)
      X&Y
      5.7
      • Skådespelaren
      • The Actor
      • 2018
    • Sylvia Hoeks and Claire Foy in The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)
      The Girl in the Spider's Web
      6.1
      • Alexander Zalachenko
      • 2018
    • Helena Bergström, Mikael Persbrandt, Tomas von Brömssen, and Agnes Lindström Bolmgren in The Cake General (2018)
      The Cake General
      6.7
      • Hasse P
      • 2018
    • Charlie Hunnam in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
      King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
      6.7
      • Greybeard
      • 2017

    Producer



    • Helena Bergström, Mikael Persbrandt, Tomas von Brömssen, and Agnes Lindström Bolmgren in The Cake General (2018)
      The Cake General
      6.7
      • executive producer
      • 2018

    Soundtrack



    • Someone You Love (2014)
      Someone You Love
      6.4
      • performer: "Someone You Love", "The Woman Downstairs", "Whispers", "As Far As Love Goes", "I Want You", "So Now I Ask You"
      • 2014

    Videos10

    Trailer [OV]
    Trailer 1:47
    Trailer [OV]
    Trailer
    Trailer 1:27
    Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 1:27
    Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:28
    Official Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:17
    Official Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:22
    Official Trailer
    In a Better World
    Trailer 2:02
    In a Better World

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official sites
      • Facebook Official Fan Page
      • Instagram
    • Alternative name
      • Mikael Persbrant
    • Height
      • 6′ 2½″ (1.89 m)
    • Born
      • September 25, 1963
      • Jakobsberg, Stockholms län, Sweden
    • Children
        Åke Lo Persbrandt
    • Parents
        Inga-Lill Persbrandt
    • Other works
      Swedish dubbing for Stuart Little (1999).
    • Publicity listings
      • 4 Interviews
      • 3 Articles
      • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Visited the slums of Sao Paulo, Brazil, together with soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimovic for an organization supporting the children's rights.
    • Trademarks
        Piercing, ice-blue eyes
    • Nickname
      • Micke

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