Pilou Asbæk

Pilou Asbæk

Pilou Asbæk at the Berlin Film Festival 2010

Asbæk at the Berlin Film Festival in 2010
Born Johan Philip Asbæk
(1982-03-02) 2 March 1982
Copenhagen, Denmark
Nationality Danish
Education Herlufsholm School
Alma mater Danish National School of Theatre
Occupation Actor
Years active 2008–present
Known for Borgen
Game of Thrones
Ghost in the Shell
Height 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Spouse(s) Anna Bro
Children Agnes (b. 2012)

Johan Philip "Pilou" Asbæk (Danish pronunciation: [piˈluː ˈæːsbɛɡ]; born 2 March 1982) is a Danish actor. He is best known for his role as troubled spin doctor Kasper Juul in the Danish television political drama Borgen,[1] and as Euron Greyjoy in the television series Game of Thrones.[2]

Early life

Asbæk was born in Copenhagen, the son of gallery owners Maria Patricia (née Tonn) and Jacob A. Asbæk, who run Galerie Asbæk in Copenhagen.[3] His mother was born in Casablanca, to a Danish father and a French mother.[4][5] His father is from Hammel.[6] He has two older brothers, Thomas Asbæk, an art consultant at Asbæk Art Consulting, and Martin Asbæk, a gallery owner at Martin Asbæk Gallery.[7]

Asbæk went to boarding school at Herlufsholm School where he was active in drama productions.[8] He graduated from Denmark's National School of Theatre in summer 2008.[6]

Career

Television

In 2009, Asbæk played soldier David Grüner in an episode of the second season of another Danish TV series, The Killing (Danish: Forbrydelsen).[1]

From 2010 to 2013, Asbæk played the spin-doctor, Kasper Juul, in the critically lauded Danish TV series Borgen written by Tobias Lindholm about the politics of a female Prime Minister of Denmark.[9] Asbæk's performance was uniformly praised by critics.[10] In 2014, the Danish public-funded DR cast Asbæk as Didrich, a landowner suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, in a big-budget period TV series[11] called 1864.[12]

In 2016, Asbæk joined the HBO series Game of Thrones in Season 6 as the ruthless pirate captain Euron Greyjoy.[13]

Film

In 2011, Asbæk starred in another piece by Tobias Lindholm, in the film, R, as a Danish convict, portraying a harrowing prison experience. The film was shot in the Dogme 95-inspired style.[14] The next year, in 2012, Asbæk starred in another Tobias Lindholm film called A Hijacking, about Somalian piracy, for which he transformed himself physically, gaining weight to imbue the role with method acting.[6]

In 2013, Asbæk portrayed a flamboyant Danish tycoon named Simon Spies in the movie Sex, Drugs & Taxation (Danish: Spies & Glistrup).[15] Asbæk co-stars opposite in the film with his wife's cousin, the actor Nicolas Bro, who plays the other main character, Mogens Glistrup.

In 2014, Asbæk starred opposite Scarlett Johansson in the Luc Besson film, Lucy.[16] Also in 2014, Asbæk appeared in the Bille August film, Silent Heart (Danish: Stille Hjerte), in which his mother-in-law, Danish actress Vigga Bro, plays the character Lisbeth.[17][18]

Pilou Asbæk (far right) co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest

In 2015, Asbæk again collaborated with director Tobias Lindholm in the film, A War (Danish: Krigen), playing a soldier in Afghanistan.[19] The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival.[20]

Asbæk co-starred in the 2016 remake of Ben-Hur, starring Jack Huston and Morgan Freeman.[11] He portrayed Pontius Pilate.[21]

Asbaek plays the lead role as police investigator Anders Olsen in the 2018 movie The Guardian Angel, opposite Josh Lucas. Written and directed by Arto Halonen, the movie is based on actual events. The plot revolves around the bizarre case of Hypnose murders which took place in Copenhagen in 1951.[22]

Theater

Presenting

On 10 May 2014, Asbæk co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, with Lise Rønne and Nikolaj Koppel.[23][24] Some critics commented adversely on the obscure jokes shared by the presenters throughout the televised show.[25]

Personal life

Asbæk's wife is playwright Anna Bro, who has been his partner since 2008. She is the daughter of the actors Hans Henrik Clemensen and Vigga Bro and comes from an extended family of actors.[26] The couple has a daughter, Agnes, born on 31 December 2012.

The nickname Pilou came from his mother's French ancestry, and is a French version of the word Pip.[6] The nickname is because Asbæk was the youngest son, in French, "petit" for littlest, "Little Philip." Pilou is an abbreviation of Petit Philip.[5]

Asbæk's godfather was the late artist, Kurt Trampedach.[8]

Awards

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Director(s) Notes
2008 To verdener Teis Niels Arden Oplev
Comeback Kris Ulrik Wivel
Dig og mig Oliver Christian E. Christiansen
2009 Den Fremmede Den Mørkhårede Nuka Wølk Mathiassen Short film
Monsterjægerne Søren Martin Schmidt
2010 R Rune Tobias Lindholm & Michael Noer
En familie Peter Pernille Fischer Christensen
Venus Rasmus Tor Fruergaard Short film
The Whistleblower Bas Larysa Kondracki
2011 Bora Bora Jim Hans Fabian Wullenweber
2012 Kapringen Mikkel Hartmann Tobias Lindholm
2013 Spies & Glistrup Simon Spies Christoffer Boe
2014 Lucy Richard Luc Besson
Kapgang Onkel Kristian Niels Arden Oplev
Fasandræberne Ditlev Pram Mikkel Nørgaard
Stille hjerte Dennis Bille August
2015 9. april Sekondløjtnant Sand Roni Ezra
Krigen Claus Michael Pedersen Tobias Lindholm
2016 Ben-Hur Pontius Pilate Timur Bekmambetov
The Great Wall Bouchard Zhang Yimou
2017 Ghost in the Shell Batou Rupert Sanders
Woodshock Keith Mulleavy Sisters Post-production
2018 The Guardian Angel Anders Olsen Arto Halonen Filming

Television

Year Title Role Network Notes
2008 Deroute Mulvad - 3 episodes
2009
Forbrydelsen David Grüner DR1 1 episode
2010 Blekingegade Carsten Nielsen - 3 episodes
2010–2013 Borgen Kasper Juul DR1 29 episodes
2013 The Borgias Paolo Orsini bravo (Canada)
Showtime (USA)
7 episodes
2014 Eurovision Song Contest 2014 Co-Host DR With Lise Rønne & Nikolaj Koppel
1864 Didrich DR1 8 episodes
2016 Stag Neils BBC Two 1 episode
2016–present Game of Thrones Euron Greyjoy HBO 5 episodes

References

  1. 1 2 Mesure, Susie (4 May 2013). "Fancy a Danish? What about Pilou Asbaek - the man who plays Kasper Juul in ‘Borgen’". The Independent. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  2. McHenry, Jackson (17 July 2017). "Is Euron Greyjoy Hot Enough for You Now?". Vulture.
  3. "Pilou Asbæk: Buy Art to Look At: Not As An Investment". The Big Issue. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  4. http://www.kvinfo.dk/side/597/bio/1068/
  5. 1 2 Kupfer, Ruta (24 January 2013). "'Mad Men' of Northern Europe". Haaretz. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Synnot, Siobhan (11 May 2013). "Borgen’s Pilou Asbaek on his Somalian pirate film". The Scotsman. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  7. Knutzen, Susanne (5 November 2012). "Kom tæt på brødrene Asbæk". Eurowoman. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  8. 1 2 Zøllner, Kristoffer (25 August 2013). "Pilou Asbæk: Det er jo bare skuespil". Berlingske. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  9. Stanley, Alessandra (11 October 2012). "She Seems to Have It All, a Whole Nation in Fact - ‘Borgen,’ a Danish Political Drama Series, on Link TV". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  10. Robinson, Joanna (4 September 2015). "The Perfect Binge-Watchable Show Finally Became Available in the U.S.". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  11. 1 2 Lobb, Adrian (8 June 2015). "Pilou Asbæk Interview: "When You Play With National History, People Get Very Emotional"". The Big Issue. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  12. Reuters (14 October 2014). "From the Makers of Denmark's The Killing and Borgen: a Costume Drama". The New York Times. Reuters. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  13. Dornbush, Jonathon (2 September 2015). "Game of Thrones adds Lucy actor to play Euron Greyjoy - Update: It's confirmed.". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  14. Holden, Stephen (16 June 2011). "Life in the Big House: The Danish Experience". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  15. Yde, Katrine Hornstrup (Fall 2013). "TIFF: Sex, Drugs & Taxation - The story of two oddballs and their chase after freedom – meet travel mogul Simon Spies and tax-evading politician Mogens Glistrup.". Danish Film Institute. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  16. Frost, Caroline (6 April 2015). "'1864' Star Pilou Asbaek Interview: Lars Von Trier, Scarlett Johansson And What Kind Of Role Model He Wants To Be". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  17. Holland, Jonathan (23 September 2014). "‘Silent Heart’ (‘Stille Hjerte’): San Sebastian Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  18. Weissberg, Jay (5 October 2014). "Film Review: ‘Silent Heart’". Variety. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  19. Dam, Freja (Fall 2015). "Venice Film Festival. A War: Set in Afghanistan, Tobias Lindholm's drama illuminates the consequences of war on all its participants.". Danish Film Institute. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  20. van Hoeij, Boyd (5 September 2015). "'A War' ('Krigen'): Venice Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  21. Ge, Linda; Sneider, Jeff (21 January 2015). "‘Lucy’ Star Pilou Asbæk to Play Pontius Pilate in ‘Ben-Hur’ (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  22. "AMBI picks up Scandi thriller 'Guardian Angel'". Retrieved 2017-07-25.
  23. Siim, Jarmo (4 February 2014). "Koppel, Asbæk, Rønne to host Eurovision 2014". Eurovision. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  24. Heritage, Stuart (5 May 2014). "Pilou Asbæk: 'Eurovision is a party. I've never said no to a party'". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  25. Debnath, Neela (11 May 2014). "Eurovision 2014: Raunchy milk maids, giant hamster wheels and child abuse – the most memorable moments of the night". The Independent. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  26. Lobb, Adrian (13 May 2014). "Pilou Asbæk Interview: "I Have to Get Through the Night Without Starting a War"". The Big Issue. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  27. Kastelan, Karsten (13 February 2011). "Shooting Stars Initiative Showcases Rising European Stars at Berlinale". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  28. Bergløv, Emil (17 December 2012). "Pilou Asbæk vinder Ove Sprogøe Prisen". Politiken. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Sweden Petra Mede
Eurovision Song Contest presenter
(with Lise Rønne and Nikolaj Koppel)

2014
Succeeded by
Austria Mirjam Weichselbraun, Alice Tumler, Arabella Kiesbauer
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