Ólafur Darri Ólafsson

For other people named Ólafur Ólafsson, see Ólafur Ólafsson (disambiguation).
This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Ólafur.

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson close-up, smiling at the camera
Ólafur in 2019
Born (1973-03-03) 3 March 1973 (age 51)
Connecticut, U.S.
Citizenship
  • Iceland
  • United States
Occupations
  • Actor
  • producer
  • screenwriter
Years active1998–present
Known forChildren
Fangavaktin
Trapped
The Minister
PartnerLovísa Ósk Gunnarsdóttir
Children2

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (born 3 March 1973)[1] is an Icelandic-American actor, producer, and screenwriter.[2] He is known for Fangavaktin, Children, Trapped and The Deep. On the international stage, he is known for his appearances in Lady Dynamite, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.

Early life

Ólafur was born to Icelandic parents in Connecticut, United States, where his father studied medicine. His family returned to Iceland when he was around four years old.[3][4][5]

Career

Ólafur graduated from the Icelandic Drama School in 1998. Afterward, he became involved in numerous productions with the National Theatre of Iceland and Reykjavík City Theatre, also working with various independent theatre groups. He is one of the founders of Vesturport Theatre in Reykjavík.[6]

Ólafur is best known internationally for his role as Andri, the chief of police in the small town of Seyðisfjörður in the east of Iceland, in the series Trapped. Baltasar Kormákur, who devised the series, has said that the actor was chosen because he was not a typical leading man. In the UK, the Guardian TV critic called his performance "as remarkable as the landscape". Ólafur himself has said that he based the character on his own father.[4]

In June 2016, Ólafur lip synced in the music video for Winter Sound by the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men.[7]

In 2019, the actor was cast in AMC's series adaptation of Joe Hill's NOS4A2 as Bing Partridge.[8]

He is also an Icelandic dubber and has provided the voices of various characters in animated films, such as Ice Age, Lilo & Stitch, Brother Bear, and Kung Fu Panda, among others. [9]

Personal life

Ólafur is in a relationship with Icelandic dancer Lovísa Ósk Gunnarsdóttir. They have two daughters, born in 2010 and 2014.[10]

Due to being born in the United States, he holds an American citizenship as well as an Icelandic one.[3]

Selected filmography

Film

List of film appearances, with year, title, and role shown
Year Title Role Notes
2000 Fíaskó Gulli
101 Reykjavík Marri
2002 True Love (Once Removed) Waitress Short
2005 Beowulf & Grendel Unferth
2006 Thicker than Water Börkur
Children Marinó
2007 Parents Marinó
2008 White Night Wedding Sjonni
Country Wedding Egill
Reykjavík-Rotterdam Elvar
2010 Undercurrent Sævar
2011 Stormland Böddi – Böðvar Steingrímsson
2012 Contraband Olaf
The Deep Gulli[2]
2013 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Helicopter pilot
2014 A Walk Among the Tombstones Jonas Loogan
2015 The Last Witch Hunter Belial[11]
2016 Zoolander 2 Hasidic man
The BFG the Maidmasher
The White King Pickaxe
2018 The Spy Who Dumped Me Finnish backpacker
The Meg The Wall
Let Me Fall Viðskiptavinur
The Vanishing Boor
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Skender
2019 How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Ragnar the Rock Voice role
Murder Mystery Sergei
End of Sentence Officer Stone
2020 Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga Neils Brongus
2023 Operation Napoleon Einar

Television

List of television appearances, with year, title, and role shown
Year Title Role Notes
2006 The Eagle Computer thief 1 episode
2009 1066 The Battle for Middle Earth Gyrd 1 episode
Fangavaktin Loðfíllinn 7 episodes
2014 Banshee Jonah Lambrecht 2 episodes
True Detective Dewall 1 episode
Banshee Origins Jonah Lambrecht 1 episode
2015–21 Trapped Andri Ólafsson 21 episodes
2016 The Missing Stefan Andersen 4 episodes
Quarry Credence Mason 4 episodes
2016–17 Lady Dynamite Scott Marvel Cassidy 13 episodes
2017 Emerald City Ojo[12] 7 episodes
2018 Hilda 13 episodes
2019 The Widow Ariel Helgason 8 episodes
New Amsterdam Burl 1 episode
NOS4A2 Bing Partridge 20 episodes
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance The Archer (voice) 6 episodes
2020 Cursed Rugen the Leper King 1 episode
The Minister Benedikt Ríkharðsson 8 episodes
2021 Vegferð Ólafur Darri 6 episodes
2022 The Amazing Race 34 Himself 1 episode
2022–24 The Tourist Billy Nixon 6 episodes
2023 Boat Story Narrator 6 episodes
2024 Twilight of the Gods Tiwaz 5 episodes
2024 Somebody Somewhere Víglundur 'Iceland' Hjartarson Season 3
2024 La Palma Haukur 3 episodes
2025 Severance Mr. Drummond Season 2
TBA Reykjavik Fusion Jónas Lead role

Video games

List of video game appearances, with year, title, and role shown
Year Title Role Notes
2017 For Honor Highlander[13] Voice role
2023 The Last Worker Kurt[14] Voice role

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2006 Edda Awards Screenplay of the Year (with Gísli Örn Garðarsson, Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir & Ragnar Bragason) Children Won
Actor of the Year Children Nominated
2007 Edda Awards Best Film (with Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Víkingur Kristjánsson, Gísli Örn Garðarsson, Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir & Ragnar Bragason) Parents Won
Nordic Council Film Prize — Children Nominated
2010 Edda Awards Supporting Actor of the Year The Prison Shift Nominated
2011 Edda Awards Actor of the Year Stormland Won
Screenplay of the Year (with Ottó Geir Borg, Víkingur Kristjánsson, Víkingur Kristjánsson, Ólafur Egilsson, Gísli Örn Garðarsson, Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir & Árni Ólafur Ásgeirsson) Undercurrent Nominated
2013 Edda Awards Actor of the Year The Deep Won
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Best Actor Award XL Won
2014 Edda Awards Actor of the Year XL Nominated
2021 Edda Awards Actor of the Year The Minister Won

References

  1. ^ Friðrika Benónýsdóttir (18 December 2015). "Mömmustrákur með hjarta úr gulli". Fréttatíminn. p. 14. Retrieved 24 April 2023 – via Tímarit.is.Open access icon
  2. ^ a b Fleming, Mike (27 September 2012). "APA Signs 'The Deep' Star Olafur Darri Olafsson". Deadline. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b Indíana Ása Hreinsdóttir (28 September 2012). "Ólafur Darri fílar ekki frægðina". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). pp. 34–35. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  4. ^ a b Seymour, Tom (24 February 2016). "He's huge, he's hairy – and he's the hottest man in Iceland". The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  5. ^ Gunnar Leó Pálsson (16 December 2013). "Súrrealískt að vinna með Ben Stiller". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Ólafur Darri Ólafsson". Vesturport.com. 20 September 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  7. ^ OfMonstersAndMenVEVO (10 June 2016). "Of Monsters And Men - Winter Sound (Lyric Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  8. ^ Petski, Denise (27 June 2018). "'NOS4A2': Olafur Darri Olafsson, Virginia Kull & Ebon Moss-Bachrach Cast In AMC Horror Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Olafur Darri Olafsson BTVA".
  10. ^ Jónasdóttir, Marta María (7 August 2014). "Ólafur Darri og Lovísa eignuðust dóttur" [Ólafur Darri and Lovísa welcome a daughter]. Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Reykjavík. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  11. ^ Gallagher, Brian (6 August 2014). "'Last Witch Hunter' Adds 'True Detective' Actor Olafur Darri Olafsson". MovieWeb. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  12. ^ "Emerald City (2016) Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  13. ^ Q&A Interview with the Voice of Highlander, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, retrieved 5 November 2021
  14. ^ Romano, Sal (2 March 2023). "The Last Worker launches March 30". Gematsu. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
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