A Denmark-born actor, Mads Mikkelsen has made a considerable name for himself all over the world with his incredible talent and unique charm. Most prevalently known for his work as the titular character in NBC’s Hannibal, he has also played key parts in numerous major franchises, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars.
Recently recast as Grindelwald for the third installation of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, the work continues to roll in with no signs of stopping. Though often stoic or quietly menacing in many of his roles, Mikkelsen has a vibrant personality and an intriguing history that includes comic books, dance, and even knighthood.
He Is 55 Years Old
Mikkelsen recently turned 55 this past November. Born in Østerbro, Denmark in 1965, he began work as an actor in his early 30s. Famous for his work in the Danish film industry far before he was involved with major Hollywood studios, he made his debut in 1996 in Nicolas Winding Refn's Pusher. He is married to Danish actress, Hanne Jacobsen, and they have two children together.
He Is 6 Feet Tall
Mikkelsen seems so much taller than some of his Hannibal co-stars (especially some of his victims), but at 6 feet, he is not the tallest Mikkelsen in his family. His brother, Lars Mikkelsen, has him beat at 6 foot 4 inches tall. Also a prolific actor, Lars is known for his work in BBC's Sherlock, House Of Cards, and as the voice of Grand Admiral Thrawn in Star Wars Rebels.
He Is A Polyglot
A man of many talents, one of them is an excellent ear for languages. Defined as knowing more than three, Mikkelsen qualifies as a polyglot with his past and present fluency in Danish, Swedish, German, and English (though he claims that his Swedish has been very rusty since his college years).
Dissatisfied with just these four languages, he also speaks a bit of Russian, French, and Italian, and once worked in the Spanish/Danish comedy, Torremolinos 73.
He Was Once A Professional Ballet Dancer
Most surprising to fans that only know him as a part-time therapist and part-time cannibal in NBC's Hannibal, Mads Mikkelsen got his start in the performing arts with a career in gymnastics and ballet.
He studied dance at a prestigious ballet academy in Gothenburg, Sweden, and danced professionally for eight years before changing careers t0 become more involved in the world of acting.
He Is A Big Comic Geek
During promotional interviews for his part in the MCU, Mikkelsen revealed that he used to be addicted to collecting comic books and graphic novels.
Growing up surrounded by super-powered characters, he was more than happy when Marvel called to work with him in Doctor Strange. “I spent half of my life reading comic books and the other half pretending I was Bruce Lee [...] when I got the phone call of doing a Marvel film and doing flying Kung Fu, it was like ‘Finally!’”
He Was Knighted In France
A famous actor, a professional dancer, and even a knight! Mads Mikkelsen was given the respected title of "Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" (Order of Arts and Letters) in France in 2016.
Established in 1957, this title (also known as "Chevalier") is awarded to those that have contributed considerably to French culture via arts and literature. He received this honor alongside Danish film director, Thomas Vinterberg.
He Is A Franchise King
Mads Mikkelsen has his foot in multiple major franchises, including the MCU, Star Wars, the James Bond films, Hannibal (based on the popular films and books), and he was recently cast to replace Johnny Depp in the Harry Potter spinoff series, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them.
But aside from movies, he has also worked with video game master Hideo Kojima and Rihanna. Everyone seems to want to work with Mads, no matter the medium or genre.
He Is Good Friends With His Rogue One Antagonist
They may be enemies in the movie, but their characters being on opposing sides didn't stop a beautiful friendship from blossoming with co-star, Ben Mendelsohn.
Often together in scenes and during promotional interviews for Rogue One: A Star Wars story, Mikkelsen and Mendelsohn happily recount the days of spontaneous, on-set Disney sing-alongs (specifically Frozen), and getting drunk together in Iceland.
He Supports "Hannigram"
The status of the intensely complicated relationship between Hannibal and Will Graham has been speculated on by fans for the entirety of the series. Mikkelsen has said on various occasions that he does believe that Hannibal is attracted to and has true feelings for Will, but whether they are romantic or obsessive fascination is yet to be revealed.
Bryan Fuller stated that they were moving towards directly discussing the subject in season 4, but the series was canceled, with many attempts to revive it since its cancellation.
He Feels Most Comfortable Acting In Danish
Though the talented actor speaks many languages, he believes that he has never quite found himself when it comes to acting in English. Partaking in numerous incredible franchises, studio executives clearly find his acting impressive, but to the Denmark native, he will always feel most himself when speaking his mother tongue.
Fans of Mikkelsen and foreign film should absolutely check out some of this work, such as The Hunt, Open Hearts, and Another Round, which all received an over 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.