Joel Kinnaman

Joel Kinnaman
4.5
Joel Kinnaman photo 1 Joel Kinnaman photo 2 Joel Kinnaman photo 3 Joel Kinnaman photo 4
Comments (6)
Name:
Joel Kinnaman
Real name:
Charles Joel Nordström Kinnaman
Who is:
Birth date:
(45 y.o.)
Place of birth:
Stockholm, Sweden
Height:
6'2 ft ()
Weight:
203 lb (92 kg)
Relationship:
single
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:
Links:

Photos: Joel Kinnaman

Joel Kinnaman photo 1
Joel Kinnaman photo 2
Joel Kinnaman photo 3
Joel Kinnaman photo 4
+12 Photos

Joel Kinnaman's Biography

Joel Kinnaman is a Swedish actor who broke into Hollywood with standout roles in hit series like "House of Cards" and "Altered Carbon," plus blockbuster films including "RoboCop" (2014) and "Suicide Squad" (2016).
Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman
Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman

Childhood and Family

Born Karl Nordström Joel Kinnaman on November 25, 1979, in Stockholm, his mother Bitte is a Swedish therapist, while his father Steve Kinnaman (originally named David) was drafted for the Vietnam War but fled to Bangkok.
Joel Kinnaman as a child
Joel Kinnaman as a child
Kinnaman holds both Swedish and American citizenship. On his father's side, he has English, German, Irish, and Scottish roots, while his mother is Jewish, her ancestors having emigrated from Ukraine to Sweden.
The actor's parents
The actor's parents
Joel has five half-sisters, one of whom, Melinda, is also an actress. All the sisters have different mothers but stay close to Joel's mom and regularly visit their home. According to Joel, his extended family—including his father's ex-wives and their relatives—totals 25 people.

As a child, Kinnaman was bilingual, speaking English with his father and Swedish with his mother. He went to school with future international stars Alexander Skarsgård and Noomi Rapace.
Joel Kinnaman and Alexander Skarsgård are friends in real life
Joel launched his acting career in 1990 with a role in the Swedish soap opera "Big City" (Storstad). His older sister, who was dating one of the show's directors, helped him land the part. After appearing in 22 episodes, he took an 11-year break from acting.
Joel Kinnaman's first role in Big City, 1990
Joel Kinnaman's first role in Big City, 1990
Joel's childhood was challenging. His father was often physically abusive, and he faced bullying at school. He also bullied other kids and later got involved with a gang of petty criminals. In high school, he spent a year in Texas as an exchange student but faced difficulties there as well. Still, he doesn't hold a grudge against his father, recognizing that his dad was also abused as a child—what he calls a "cycle of generations."
During teenage years, I crossed all boundaries. I hung out with thugs, smoked weed. Inside me raged anger, yet I was very insecure. I was skinny, so I was constantly picked on, but I also often bullied other kids. It gave me strength.
At 16, he dropped out of school and worked at a Norwegian factory to save money for "seven years of traveling the world, and then decide what to do in life." For two and a half years, Joel stuck to this plan, soaking up beach life in Southeast Asia and experimenting with light drugs. When the money ran out, he returned home with a clear vision for his future—becoming an actor.

Acting Career

In 2002, fresh off an extended break, Joel starred in the Swedish thriller "The Invisible" alongside Gustaf Skarsgård - who'd become his future best friend - son of legendary Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård and brother to Alexander and Bill Skarsgård. Inspired by the success, Joel decided to enroll in the Swedish Academic School of Drama in Malmö.
Young Joel Kinnaman in the movie The Invisible, 2002
Young Joel Kinnaman in the movie The Invisible, 2002
After graduating in 2007, Joel caught the attention of Swedish media with his performance in a play based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment." Over the next 14 months, he landed roles in nine Swedish films. But his real breakthrough came in 2009 with the Swedish-Norwegian drama "In Your Veins" (directed by Beata Gårdeler) and six films about cop Johan Falk (played by Jakob Eklund).
On the set of the movie In Your Veins
On the set of the movie In Your Veins
In early 2010, the Swedish film "Easy Money" (directed by Daniel Espinosa) put Joel on the global map. The film's success led him to hire an American agent, and soon he was filming the sci-fi action flick "The Darkest Hour," directed by Chris Gorak and Timur Bekmambetov.
Joel Kinnaman is an avid smoker
Joel Kinnaman is an avid smoker
In 2011, Joel snagged the lead role of Detective Stephen Holder in AMC's "The Killing," then appeared in a supporting role in David Fincher's acclaimed thriller "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

Joel was actually in the running for the lead role in the superhero blockbuster "Thor" (2011). But due to scheduling conflicts, the role of the Scandinavian god went to Chris Hemsworth. In 2012, Joel collaborated again with Daniel Espinosa in his Hollywood debut, the action thriller "Safe House," starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds.
Joel Kinnaman's height is 6'2"
Joel Kinnaman's height is 6'2"
Two years later, Joel landed the role of Alex Murphy/RoboCop in the 2014 "RoboCop" remake, directed by Paul Verhoeven. The film earned mixed reviews and performed modestly at the box office.
RoboCop (2014) - What Have You Done To Me?
In 2015, Joel appeared in Terrence Malick's fantasy melodrama "Knight of Cups" and Jaume Collet-Serra's action film "Run All Night," starring Liam Neeson and rapper Common.
A still from the movie Run All Night
A still from the movie Run All Night
Around the same time, Joel came close to landing the lead role in "Mad Max: Fury Road," with the choice coming down to him and Tom Hardy. "The director was really pleased with my auditions, but they needed someone who looked a bit older," Joel explained. Sure, Tom Hardy was fantastic in "Fury Road," but who knows - maybe the film would've been even better if director George Miller had chosen Kinnaman?

In 2016, Joel appeared in the superhero action-comedy "Suicide Squad," playing Squad Commander Rick Flag, who develops feelings for the mysterious Enchantress, portrayed by Cara Delevingne. The film brought Joel together with A-list stars Margot Robbie, Will Smith, and Jared Leto.
Suicide Squad: Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag
Suicide Squad: Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag
That same year, Joel landed the role of Will Conway, the ambitious young Governor of New York, in "House of Cards" — the political thriller starring Kevin Spacey (before his departure from the series) and Robin Wright. Joel's character appears in seasons 4 and 5.
A shot from the TV series House of Cards
A shot from the TV series House of Cards
In February 2018, Netflix launched the sci-fi series "Altered Carbon." Set in 2384, the show dives into a world where immortality is within everyone's reach. Joel plays Takeshi Kovacs, a terrorist who died 250 years earlier. His consciousness was digitally stored and remained in cyber-sleep until a mysterious billionaire brings him back. The billionaire offers Takeshi both freedom and serious money to solve his own murder. The series also stars Martha Higareda and James Purefoy in key roles alongside Kinnaman.
Joel Kinnaman: star of the TV series Altered Carbon
Joel Kinnaman: star of the TV series Altered Carbon
Joel was also cast in the series "Hanna," a TV adaptation of Joe Wright's 2011 action film "Hanna." Additionally, Kinnaman appeared in Andrea Di Stefano's crime drama "The Informer," co-starring Ana de Armas and Rosamund Pike, as well as in the sequel to "Suicide Squad," directed by James Gunn.
A shot from the movie Suicide Squad 2
A shot from the movie Suicide Squad 2

Personal Life of Joel Kinnaman

Joel had brief relationships with Swedish actress Jane Timglas and dated American actress Olivia Munn from 2012 until March 2014.
In mid-2014, Kinnaman began dating Swedish model and tattoo artist Cleo Wattenström. The couple got engaged in the spring of 2016 but filed for divorce in 2018.
Joel Kinnaman and his ex-wife Cleo Wattenström
Joel Kinnaman and his ex-wife Cleo Wattenström
While still married, Joel had a brief affair with model Bella Davis, which ended in scandal. After their breakup, Bella sent him explicit photos hinting at rekindling their relationship. When Joel ignored her messages, she went to police and accused him of rape. Joel maintained that their sexual encounters were consensual and that Bella was simply trying to blackmail him.
Although it's humiliating and scary to talk about, it's even worse to endure daily escalating threats of physical harm to me and my loved ones. There are also threats to go to the press with fabricated, disgusting rumors if I don't agree to a list of demands. These demands include money, Hollywood connections, help in getting a work visa, Instagram verification, a Wikipedia article, a photoshoot in Sports Illustrated, and $400,000 for an apartment, among other things.
In 2019, Kinnaman began dating Swedish model Kelly Gale and found lasting happiness. He proposed to her in 2021, and she accepted.
Joel Kinnaman and Kelly Gale
Joel Kinnaman and Kelly Gale
Joel has a mild congenital condition called "pectus excavatum," also known as "funnel chest," a chest wall deformity.

Joel Kinnaman Today

In 2023, Joel appeared in two compelling projects. The first is John Woo's thriller "Silent Night", where Joel plays the lead role of a vigilante infiltrating a criminal gang. The film's unique feature is that it contains no dialogue. "It was the perfect script for this kind of cinematic experiment. It's a very dynamic action film with a lot of heavy drama, but the plot is actually quite simple. And I think that's what you really want in a movie where there's no dialogue to explain to the audience what's happening," Kinnaman shared.

The second project is a psychological thriller titled "Fight with the Devil," where Joel stars alongside Nicolas Cage.
A shot from the movie Sympathy for the Devil
A shot from the movie Sympathy for the Devil

Joel Kinnaman: latest news and articles

  • Tv series Hannah with him is incredible. It keeps the tension throughout the series! There is already three seasons and I really looking forward for the fourth! Joel played very well.
    2021-05-15 11:30:30
  • Honestly, at 189ft and only 92lbs he works surprisingly well with regularly proportioned actors. Extremely versatile!
    2021-04-27 23:23:19
  • With him there is the most popular film which is probably everybody seen is The Informer. The rest of the movies are not that good, I watched a few and I didn`t like it.
    2021-04-13 22:33:54
  • I know him only by the movie Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. But Daniel Craig was better then all other actors, so I can not say about Joel Kinnaman anything.
    2021-03-27 19:10:38
  • This actor is so so, I guess because I didn`t watch any film with him and just in general I see his name at the first time.
    2021-02-17 12:22:50
  • There are cool film with this actor The Informer. I watched it in the same breath.
    2021-01-13 22:41:17
6