Jesper Christensen Biography
Jesper Christensen was born on May 16, 1948, in Copenhagen, Denmark. He studied acting at the Danish National School of Theatre and Contemporary Dance in the 1970s, and soon became a prominent actor in Danish theater and film.
Christensen made his film debut in the 1976 movie Strømer, and quickly gained recognition for his acting abilities. He won his first Bodil Award for his role in the 1978 film Did Somebody Laugh? and went on to win two more Best Actor Bodil Awards for his performances in The Bench (2000) and Manslaughter (2005), as well as a Best Supporting Actor award for Barbara (1997).
In addition to his success in Danish cinema, Jesper Christensen also appeared in numerous European films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He gained international attention for his portrayal of the Danish author Knut Hamsun in the 1996 film Hamsun, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Christensen’s transition to English-language films began with his role in the 2005 movie The Interpreter, where he played Nils Lud alongside Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn. He later portrayed the villainous Mr. White in the James Bond films Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), and again in Spectre (2015), becoming the first actor to be cast as the same villain in more than 2 Bond films.
Jesper Christensen has also made notable appearances in other English-language films, such as Everlasting Moments (2008), The Young Victoria (2009), and The Debt (2010), where he played the antagonist Dr. Bernhardt.
In 2011, Jesper Christensen played the role of Little Father in Lars von Trier’s Melancholia, and in 2016 he portrayed King Haakon VII in the Norwegian film The King’s Choice. He continued to act in European cinema with roles in the Swedish film Me and Kaminski (2015) and the Danish film Before the Frost (2018).
Jesper Christensen has been known for his strong political beliefs, including his refusal to accept the Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog in 2006. He has also been an advocate for environmentalism and the protection of nature.
Christensen has an official website, where you can find more information.
