Paprika Steen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paprika Steen
Steen in July 2009
Born	Kirstine Steen (1964-11-03) 3 November 1964 (age 60) Frederiksberg, Denmark
Occupation	Actress, director
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Mikael Rieks

Kirstine Steen (born November 3, 1964), known professionally as Paprika Steen, is a famous Danish actress and movie director. She is well-known for her roles in a special group of Danish movies called Dogme 95 films. These include Festen, The Idiots, and Open Hearts.

Paprika Steen is a very successful actress in her home country of Denmark. She once won two major awards in the same year at the Robert Festival, which is like the Danish version of the Oscars. She won Best Actress for the movie Okay and Best Supporting Actress for Open Hearts.

Early Life and Career

Steen performing in a play called Toves værelse in 2016.

Paprika Steen was born in Frederiksberg, Denmark. Her parents were also in the arts. Her father, Niels Jørgen Steen [da; sv], was a musician and conductor, and her mother, Avi Sagild, was an actress. Her brother, Nikolaj Steen [da; no; sv], is also a musician and actor.

Becoming an actress took a lot of hard work. Steen was accepted into the Acting School of Odense Theatre in 1988 and studied there until 1992. After graduating, she performed in many plays and has been working with the Royal Danish Theatre since 1997.

In the late 1990s, Steen became a key part of the Dogme 95 film movement. This was a style of filmmaking with very strict rules, like only using natural light and sound. She was the only actor to appear in the first three Dogme 95 movies: The Idiots, Festen, and Mifune.

Awards and Directing

Steen's talent has earned her many awards. In 2000, she won her first Bodil Award (another major Danish film award) for the movie The One and Only. In 2002, she had an amazing year, winning Best Actress awards for her role in Okay and Best Supporting Actress awards for Open Hearts.

Besides acting, Steen is also a talented director. She directed her first movie in 2004, a drama called Aftermath. The film is about a family going through a difficult time and won awards at several film festivals. In 2007, she directed her second movie, a comedy called With Your Permission [da].

Paprika Steen is married to producer Mikael Rieks [da].

Selected Filmography

Paprika Steen has acted in many movies and TV shows. Here are some of her notable roles.

As an Actress

• Black Harvest (1993)
• Festen (1998)
• The Idiots (1998)
• Kirikou and the Sorceress (1998) (Danish voice)
• Mifune (1999)
• The One and Only (1999)
• Help! I'm a Fish (2000) (Danish voice)
• Okay (2002)
• Open Hearts (2002)
• Stealing Rembrandt (2003)
• Adam's Apples (2005)
• Applause (2009)
• SuperClásico (2011)
• Love Is All You Need (2013)
• Silent Heart (2014)
• Below the Surface (2017)
• The City and the City (2018)
• Domino (2019)
• Tove's Room (2023)
• Families like Ours (2024)

As a Director

• Aftermath (2004)
• With Your Permission [da] (2007)
• That Time of Year (2018)
• Fathers and Mothers (2022)

Main Awards

See also

In Spanish: Paprika Steen para niños