Mads Mikkelsen Biography
Mads Mikkelsen is a Danish actor with a striking presence and undeniable talent. He's best known for starring in the TV series "Hannibal" and films like "The Hunt" and "Casino Royale."
Childhood
The actor's full name is Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen. He spent his childhood in the most prestigious district of Copenhagen - Østerbro. His parents lived there - Henning Mikkelsen, a trade unionist, and his wife Bente Christiansen, a nurse. Mads and his older brother Lars became the first in their family to graduate from school. Lars also became an actor, starring in hit TV series like "Sherlock" and "House of Cards."
I originally did gymnastics, did all sorts of acrobatic tricks, and then I was offered to try myself in dancing. I had nothing to do at the time, so I agreed. And this became my job for 10 years. From about 18 to 28 years old I was doing this.
Acting Career
Mads landed his first serious film role right after graduating from drama school in the Danish action film "Pusher". The debut was a hit, and Mads went on to play the leading role in the subsequent sequels. Within just a few years, he'd become Denmark's leading man. He shared the stage with another Danish celebrity, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.









In the third part of "Fantastic Beasts", released in 2022, Mads Mikkelsen appeared as the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. In the previous two parts, he was played by Johnny Depp, but due to the scandal following his divorce from Amber Heard, Depp lost the role. Mikkelsen understood that he had to approach the task differently than his predecessor:
Unfortunately, such significant casting changes couldn't go unnoticed. While many viewers welcomed Mikkelsen's addition to the cast, others boycotted the third film's premiere following Depp's dismissal. The movie delivered disappointing box office numbers, putting the future of the 4th and 5th "Fantastic Beasts" installments in jeopardy.I consider Depp a skilled actor, so copying him would have been creative suicide for me. I needed to come up with something of my own, but at the same time maintain continuity to Depp's Grindelwald. My Grindelwald turned out to be different, including in appearance.

Personal Life of Mads Mikkelsen
Mads Mikkelsen lives in Toronto, Canada, where he relocated with his family after beginning work on "Hannibal," realizing he couldn't stand being separated from his loved ones for extended periods. The actor is married to Hanne Jacobsen, a professional choreographer. They met in 1987 during Mikkelsen's professional dancing career and have been inseparable ever since. The couple officially tied the knot in 2000. They have raised two children: a son, Karl, and a daughter, Viola.

Mads Mikkelsen Now
In 2023, Mikkelsen appeared in two movies - he starred in the final installment of "Indiana Jones" as the villain, a Nazi scientist named Jurgen Foller (a character inspired by the real-life scientist, Wernher von Braun), and also in the Danish historical film "The Promised Land", where he played the leading role - the Danish adventurer Ludwig von Kalen.