He is the Bond villain who cried blood, the Copenhagen drug dealer from Pusher, the Viking warrior from Valhalla Rising. But Mads Mikkelsen is just as comfortable playing comedy and romantic leads. The Danish actor who is receiving the honorary European Achievement in World Cinema 2011 award at this year’s EFAs, is one of the most versatile and hard-working Euro- pean actors of his generation. He is also one of the few European stars who can switch from character parts to leading roles; who can play working-class types, aristocrats and artists and intellectuals with equal ease. Speaking in late November, a fortnight or so


before he was due in Berlin to pick up his award at the EFAs, Mikkelsen was back home in Denmark having just finished a gruelling shoot on Michael Kohlhaas, a period piece about a 16th century horse trader on a quest for justice. The film, in which he stars opposite Bruno Ganz and Sergi López was directed by Arnaud des Pallières and shot in French — Mikkelsen’s second film in the language after his portrayal of Igor Stravinsky in Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky. Not that Mikkelsen was relaxing. “Three days!”


he exclaims when asked how long a break he was given after finishing Michael Kohlhaas. He had barely set foot back home in Denmark when he started work on his next role in Thomas Vinter- berg’s The Hunt (Jagten). He plays a divorcee in a small town accused of abusing a child. This marks Mikkelsen’s first professional collaboration with Vinterberg, a director he has known for many years. The film, which is being made by Zentropa, is shooting until Christmas. Mikkelsen appears in almost every scene, so he has had to ask for special leave to come to Berlin to pick up his award. The producers have given him a half-day break. “With great humbleness and a big smile,” was


Mikkelsen’s reaction when he heard he was to be feted by the EFA. “There is very little to say when you are honoured with an award of this calibre other than that I am deeply grateful. Seeing the list of former recipients, all giants, and realising that people outside my family keep an eye on my work,


It was the face, the energy and


the attitude. There was


beauty and the beast Nicolas Winding Refn


makes me accept this award with great humble- ness and a big smile.” Was he surprised to receive such an award when


he is only 46, not generally an age at which you pick up such honours? “At first, but then I looked at the list of previous winners. Thomas Vinterberg won and he was 23,” jokes Mikkelsen, who has pre- viously been nominated twice for best actor at the European Film Awards: for Flame And Citron (Flammen & Citronen) in 2008 and for After The Wedding (Efter Brylluppet) in 2006. He adds that he doesn’t believe his Achievement In World Cin- ema honour is “a lifetime achievement award”.


AGGRESSION AND VULNERABILITY It is hard to separate Mikkelsen’s career from that of director Nicolas Winding Refn, who cast him in Pusher in 1996 and has gone on to make four films with the actor. Refn has called him his “alter ego” and speaks of the extraordinary rapport they have on set. “It was the face, the energy and the attitude,” is


what Refn says drew him to Mikkelsen. “There was a beauty and the beast [quality]… an aggressive- ness and yet extreme vulnerability. That’s what all great movie stars have — a mixture of vulnerability and bestiality.” Ask the actor where the aggression comes from


and he parries the question. “I can also carry a lot of inner love if I have to,” he protests. Mikkelsen’s route into acting was circuitous. He


European Film Awards 2011 n 59


(From top) Mikkelsen shines in the period feature Flame And Citron; and the contemporary drama After The Wedding


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