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Kim Bodnia

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Kim Bodnia
Bodnia at the Nordiske Mediedager ("Nordic Media Festival") in May 2012
Bodnia in 2012
Born (1965-04-12) 12 April 1965 (age 59)
Copenhagen, Denmark
OccupationActor
Years active1989–present
Spouses
  • Lotte Andersen (divorced)
  • Rikke Louise Andersson
Children4
Websitebodnia.dk/en/

Kim Bodnia (born 12 April 1965) is a Danish actor. He became widely known for his role as police detective Martin Rohde in the Scandinavian crime drama series The Bridge. He's also known internationally for his lead role as drug dealer Frank in Nicolas Winding Refn's 1996 directorial debut Pusher, and as Konstantin in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's BBC America spy thriller TV series Killing Eve (2018–2022).

In 2009, Bodnia won the 62nd Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and in 2014 he won the Monte-Carlo Television Festival Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. In 2019 he earned a British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Killing Eve.

Early life

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Bodnia was born in Copenhagen on 12 April 1965 and grew up in Espergærde. He comes from a Jewish family with Polish and Russian ancestry. In 2014, he described himself as "half-Russian, half-Polish and all Jewish".[1] When asked in 2011 whether religion had been an important aspect of his life, he said, "No, but I believe in nature."[1][2]

Bodnia admitted that he was not a particularly good student as a child, describing himself as a "clown" who was reluctant to study. His main interest was in athletics, particularly the 100 metres and the long jump, in which he was the Zealand youth champion for several years.[2] He aspired to become a football goalkeeper, but a foot injury prevented him from pursuing this career.[3]

As a student at Espergærde Ungdomsskole, Bodnia joined the theatre group, performing mainly in comic roles. When he was 16, his mother suggested he apply for a place at the Danish National School of Theatre and Contemporary Dance. His first application failed, but he gained entry on his second attempt a year later in 1987.[2]

Career

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In his film debut En Afgrund af frihed (An Abyss of Freedom) (1989) he played a small supporting role as a bouncer.[4] One of his first roles after graduation in 1991 was as Patrick Bateman in a stage version of American Psycho, and he was subsequently often typecast as violent, brutal characters.[2] Bodnia's first leading role in a film was in Bulldozer (1993), directed by Maria Sødahl. His breakout role came a year later in Ole Bornedal's horror film Nightwatch (1994).

Despite this success, it was two years before his next film, Nicolas Winding Refn's Pusher (1996), and then Winding Refn's Bleeder (1999).[4] He has since appeared in Terribly Happy (2008),[5] and in three Lasse Spang Olsen films: In China They Eat Dogs (1999) and its sequel Old Men in New Cars (2002), and in Den Gode Strømer (2004), which he co-wrote with the director. Bodnia has also appeared in several Norwegian films, including Himmelfall (2002), Monstertorsdag (2004), and Tomme Tønner (2010). He appeared in the 2011 Indian English comedy film Delhi Belly playing a Russian smuggler.[6] In 2014, he appeared as the eponymous Iranian interrogator Rosewater, directed by Jon Stewart.[1] As to his role, he said: "It was a tough job because I'm Jewish. I'm playing a guy who really hates me and wants to destroy my country."[1]

Bodnia has become internationally known for his television roles. He made his first appearance in the historical mini-series Snapphanar in 2006. He appeared in three episodes of the first season of the crime series The Killing (2007) (Danish: Forbrydelsen), and in two episodes of the comedy drama Hvor fanden er Herning? ("Where the hell is Herning?") (2009), before returning to crime series, appearing in episodes of the Swedish Kommissarie Winter (2010), Den som dræber ("Those Who Kill") (2011), and the German/Swedish Der Kommissar und das Meer ("The Inspector and the Sea") (2012).[6]

In 2009, he won the 62nd Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.[7] In 2014 he won the Monte-Carlo Television Festival Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series.[8]

Bodnia played the Danish detective Martin Rohde in the first two series of the Nordic noir crime television programme The Bridge (Broen|Bron) (2011–present). Created and written by Hans Rosenfeldt, it is a joint creative and financed production between Sweden's Sveriges Television and Denmark's DR. It has been shown in over 100 countries.[9] Although Bodnia signed for the third series,[1] he dropped out, reportedly unhappy with the development of his character.[10] He also voiced concerns in an interview about working in Malmö, due to the city's problems with anti-semitism, which had made his decision to leave the series easier.[11][12] He said: "it's not very nice and comfortable to be there as a Jewish person."[13]

In early 2014, Bodnia directed readings of The Tailor's Tale, a play based on his Jewish grandfather's experience of life in Copenhagen under Nazi occupation, written by his cousin Alexander Bodin Saphir, and performed at the Scandinavia House–The Nordic Center in America in New York.[1][14]

Personal life

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Bodnia in 2012

Bodnia has been married twice. His first marriage was to actress Lotte Andersen, with whom he has a son, Louis Bodnia Andersen, who is also an actor and who played a younger him in Killing Eve.[15] He is married to actress Rikke Louise Andersson, who played his wife in Bleeder. They have two sons and a daughter.

Films

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Year Film Role Notes
1989 En Afgrund Af Frihed Bouncer
1993 Bulldozer Samson
1994 Nattevagten Jens
1996 Pusher Frank
1997 Den Sidste Viking Sigbard
1999 Bleeder Leo
In China They Eat Dogs Harald
2001 Øyenstikker Eddie
2002 Old Men in New Cars: In China They Eat Dogs II Harald
Himmelfall Johannes
2004 Den Gode Strømer Jens Also co-writer
Monstertorsdag Skip
Inkasso Claus
2005 Opbrud Philip
2006 The Journals of Knud Rasmussen Peter Freuchen
2007 Ekko Simon
2008 Nefarious Elkiar
Frygtelig Lykkelig Jørgen Buhl
Kandidaten Claes Kiehlert
2009 Vølvens Forbandelse Harald Blåtand
Julefrokosten Buller
2010 Caroline: Den Sidste Rejse Johan
Tomme Tønner Dansken
Min Bedste Fjende Dansklærer
Hævnen Lars
Sandheden Om Mænd Johnny
2011 Tomme Tønner 2 - Det Brune Gullet Dansken
Delhi Belly (Indian film) Vladimir Dragunsky
2012 Caroline: Den sidste rejse Johan
Love Is All You Need Leif
Mamma er en superhelt Axel Short film
Rendezvous in Kiruna John - le biker
2013 All for Two William Lynge
The Shooter Rasmus Holm Jensen
The Stranger Within Masked Kidnapper
A Very Unsettled Summer Alex
2014 Serena Abe Hermann
The Veil of Twilight Bergtor
Rosewater Rosewater
2015 August August
Far The Father Short film[16]
2016 Krigarnas ö Martin
2017 Light Thereafter Arnaud
2018 The Violin Player Björn Darren
2019 One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk The Boss
2020 The Letter for the King Abbot
2024 Young Woman and the Sea Henry Ederle
2025 F1 Kaspar

Television

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Year Show Role Platform Notes
2011–2013 The Bridge (Broen|Bron) Martin Rohde SVT1 (Sweden), DR1 (Denmark) Season 1 and 2
2016 Hostages Franz Danzinger Channel 10 (Israel)
2018–2022 Killing Eve Konstantin Vasiliev BBC America 29 episodes
2021 The Witcher Vesemir Netflix Season 2

Awards and nominations

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 62nd Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Best supporting actor Won
2014 Monte-Carlo Television Festival Outstanding actor Won
2019 British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor Best supporting actor Won

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Jeffries, Stuart (31 January 2014). "The Bridge's Kim Bodnia: 'Darkness, misery, evil – we do them best'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Bjørnkjær, Kristen (3 November 2011). "Vejen til skuespillet" [The path to the play]. information.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  3. ^ Krugly Hill, Emilie (11 April 2014). "Kim Bodnia – Always on a mission". Scan Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Kim Bodnia". Filmweb.no (in Norwegian). 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  5. ^ "One Sheet Debut for 'Terribly Happy'". bloody-disgusting.com. 9 December 2009. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Kim Bodnia". IMDb. 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  7. ^ Scott Roxborough (3 February 2009). "'Terribly Happy' sweeps Danish Bodil Awards". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Bron and Lilyhammer both multiple awarded in Monte Carlo". endemolshine. 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  9. ^ Parkinson, Justin (5 January 2016). "The real story of the Bridge". BBC News. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  10. ^ Seale, Jack (10 June 2014). "The Bridge series 3: Kim Bodnia aka Martin quits". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 13 June 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  11. ^ "Svensk jødehad gjorde det nemt for Bodnia at droppe "Broen"". Berlingske (in Danish). 16 February 2016. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  12. ^ "Danish TV star says anti-Semitism made him uncomfortable in Sweden". Jerusalem Post. 17 February 2016. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  13. ^ Orange, Richard (16 February 2016). "'Anti-semitism in Malmo made me quit' says The Bridge actor". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  14. ^ "Performing Arts @ Scandinavia House - The Nordic Center in America". scandinaviahouse.org. 2014. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  15. ^ "Actor: Louis Nathan Bodnia Andersen". UK Jewish Film. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  16. ^ Far (2015). Retrieved 19 June 2024 – via Mubi.
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