Mads Mikkelsen Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Mads Mikkelsen
Mikkelsen in 2022
Born	Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen (1965-11-22) 22 November 1965 (age 59) Copenhagen, Denmark
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1996–present
Spouse(s)	Hanne Jacobsen (m. 2000)
Children	2
Relatives	Lars Mikkelsen (brother)
Awards	Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog Knight of the Order of the Arts and Letters

Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen (born 22 November 1965) is a famous actor from Denmark. He is well-known for playing many different kinds of characters, from villains to heroes. He first became popular in Denmark before becoming a big star around the world.

Some of his most famous roles include playing the bad guy Le Chiffre in the James Bond movie Casino Royale (2006). He also played Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the TV series Hannibal (2013–2015). Mads Mikkelsen has also been in big movies like Marvel's Doctor Strange (2016) and the Star Wars spin-off Rogue One (2016). He even played Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) and a villain in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).

A film critic from The New York Times once said that in Hollywood, Mads Mikkelsen is a great actor who can play many different roles. But in Denmark, he is a huge star and a very important part of Danish movies.

Early life and beginnings
Becoming a star
Personal life
Honours and awards
Images for kids
See also

Early life and beginnings

Mads Mikkelsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 22 November 1965. His mother is Bente Christiansen, and his father, Henning Mikkelsen, was a taxi driver. He grew up with his older brother, Lars Mikkelsen, who is also an actor.

When he was younger, Mads trained to be a gymnast. He wanted to be an athlete. Later, he studied dancing at a ballet academy in Sweden. He became a professional dancer and worked for almost ten years. During this time, he met Hanne Jacobsen, who was a choreographer. They got married in 2000. In 1996, Mads decided to stop dancing and study acting. This was the start of his acting career.

Becoming a star

Early Danish films

Mads Mikkelsen started his acting career in 1996. His first movie was Pusher, which was very successful. He often played interesting and sometimes funny characters in Danish films.

He became even more popular when he starred in the TV series Rejseholdet (Unit One) from 2000 to 2003. In this show, he played a kind policeman. He won an award for Best Actor for this role in 2002.

In 2002, he played a young doctor in the movie Open Hearts. This role earned him nominations for important Danish film awards. He also won an award for Best Actor at the Rouen Nordic Film Festival. In 2003, he starred in The Green Butchers, where he played a butcher's assistant. He won an award for Best Actor for this role too.

In 2004, he played Tonny again in the movie Pusher II. His acting in this film was highly praised, and he won several awards, including the Bodil Award for Best Actor. In 2005, he played a unique priest in the movie Adam's Apples.

International fame

Mads Mikkelsen became known around the world in 2006. He played the main villain, Le Chiffre, in the James Bond movie Casino Royale. This was a very important role for him. He said that the filmmakers already knew his work, so it was easy to get the part. Critics praised his performance, especially a scene where his character cries blood.

In the same year, he starred in the Danish movie After the Wedding. This film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Mads also won an award for Best Actor at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for this movie.

In 2008, Mads played a Danish resistance fighter in the movie Flame & Citron. This film was based on real events during World War II. He also voiced the character Le Chiffre in the Quantum of Solace video game.

In 2009, he played the famous composer Igor Stravinsky in Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky. He then returned to action roles, working with director Nicolas Winding Refn again in Valhalla Rising (2009). He also played Draco in Clash of the Titans (2010).

Recent roles and recognition

In 2011, Mads Mikkelsen played Comte de Rochefort in The Three Musketeers. In 2012, he starred in The Hunt, a Danish film that earned him the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival. This role also got him nominations for other major awards.

That same year, he played an 18th-century doctor named Johann Friedrich Struensee in the historical drama A Royal Affair. This movie was one of the most expensive Danish films ever made because of its detailed costumes.

From 2013 to 2015, Mads played Hannibal Lecter in the TV series Hannibal. He was unsure about taking the role at first because Anthony Hopkins had played the character so perfectly before. However, his performance was highly praised by critics.

In 2016, Mads joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He played Kaecilius in the movie Doctor Strange. Later that year, he played Galen Erso in the Star Wars spin-off film, Rogue One.

He also starred in the video game Death Stranding in 2019, providing his voice and movements for the character Clifford Unger. He won an award for Best Performance at The Game Awards for this role.

In 2020, Mads reunited with director Thomas Vinterberg for the movie Another Round. This film won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, and Mads was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

In 2022, he took on the role of Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. In 2023, he appeared as Dr. Jürgen Voller in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Captain Ludwig Kahlen in The Promised Land. He will also voice a character named Kiros in the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King (2024).

Personal life

Mads Mikkelsen married Hanne Jacobsen in 2000. They had been together since 1987. They have two children.

He has lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, for most of his life. He also has a home on the Spanish island of Mallorca. In 2023, he won an award called the Bambi Award. He dedicated this award to his granddaughter, saying that the award had the same name as his daughter's favorite movie.

Honours and awards

Mads Mikkelsen has received many awards and honours for his acting.

On 15 April 2010, he was made a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in Denmark.
In April 2016, the French government made him a Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

He has won many acting awards, including:

The Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival for The Hunt.
The European Film Award for Best Actor for Another Round and The Promised Land.
Several Bodil Awards and Robert Awards, which are important Danish film awards.
The Game Award for Best Performance for his role in the video game Death Stranding.