Best Icelandic Actors

Ingvar Sigurdsson was born on 22 November 1963 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an actor and producer, known for Everest (2015), The Northman (2022) and A White, White Day (2019).

Hilmir Snær Guðnason was born on 24 January 1969 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an actor and writer, known for White Night Wedding (2008), Lamb (2021) and 101 Reykjavík (2000).

Gisli Gardarsson, born in Iceland but grew up in Norway where he started his acting career. He is now more or less based in the UK.

He finished a four year acting degree at the Icelandic Academy of the Arts, graduating in the year 2001.

Gisli is a founder of the internationally acclaimed theatre and film company Vesturport.

Since it's foundation in 2001, Vesturport has performed in most major theatre venues around the World and has produced 5 feature films (Childeren, Parents, Brim, Country Wedding (co-producer) and Kings Road (co-producer).

Gisli's international break through came with his directional debut of Romeo and Juliet (where he also played Romeo). It premiered at the Reykjavik City Theatre, but then transferred to the Young Vic Theatre in London where it opened to great critical and audience acclaim. The production transferred to the West End in London in 2004. Again being hailed by the press as one of the most exciting theatrical events for years.

Gisli has created numerous theatre productions, which have toured the World.

He has collaborated with musicians Nick Cave and Warren Ellis on Woyzeck, Metamorphosis and Faust.

Gisli was awarded the European Film award Shooting Star for his role in Children at the Berlin Film Festival in 2007.

In England, as an actor, he has performed with Knee High Theatre company under the direction of Emma Rice in A Matter of Life and Death, as Jack Walser in Angela Carters Nights at the Circus and as Don John, in an adaptation of Don Juan.

Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson was born on 23 April 1961. He is an actor, known for Noi the Albino (2003), White Night Wedding (2008) and Solitude (2023).

Sigurður Sigurjónsson was born on 6 July 1955. He is an actor and writer, known for Rams (2015), Under the Tree (2017) and City State (2011).

Björn Hlynur Haraldsson was born in Iceland on 8 December 1974. His first role was as Guðjón In Reykjavik Guesthouse: Rent a Bike (2002) before landing a leading role alongside Daniel Brühl in King's Road (2010). After playing the lead role as police detective Helgi Marvin in both mini-series The Cliff (2009) & The Lava Field (2014) he gained more fame after his role as Trausti Einarsson in the murder mystery series Trapped (2015). It has perhaps been his portrayal of Eric Odegard in the psychological thriller series Fortitude (2015) that has seen his popularity rise to even new heights.

Tómas Lemarquis was born on 3 August 1977 in Iceland. He is an actor and producer, known for Blade Runner 2049 (2017), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) and Snowpiercer (2013).

Baltasar Kormákur is an actor, producer and director whose work spans theater, movies and television. Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, he graduated as an actor from Iceland's National Academy of Fine Arts in 1990. He was immediately signed on by the National Theatre of Iceland, where he worked as one of the leading young performing artists until 1997. During the last two years of his assignment, he also directed several ambitious works, after having produced and directed highly popular, independent stage productions alongside his projects with the National Theatre. In 2000, he wrote, directed, acted in and produced the feature film "101 Reykjavik," which became an international hit and earned the Discovery Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Subsequently, Variety selected him as one of the "10 Directors to Watch," along with Alejandro González Iñárritu, Lukas Moodysson, Christopher Nolan and other newcomers at the time.

Soon after, Kormákur started Blueeyes Productions and since then has maintained his focus on feature film writing, producing, and directing. His films "The Sea," "A Little Trip To Heaven," "Jar City" and "White Night Wedding" have all been very successful in Iceland, and won numerous international awards. Kormákur's "The Deep," which eerily captures the tragic real-life story of the lone survivor of a capsized fishing boat off the frigid Icelandic coast, premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and went on to become Iceland's Oscar nominee and was shortlisted for the foreign language Academy Award. It opened in Iceland on September 21, 2012 and took in over 50% of the country's box office receipts that weekend and earned a record number of Edda Awards, 11 in all, including Best Film of the Year, Best Director and Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Kormákur has also directed features in the United States, including "Inhale," an independent film produced by the LA based 26 Films, starring Dermot Mulroney, Diane Kruger and Sam Shepard and "Contraband," starring Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, and Kate Beckinsale, which took first place at the US box office during its opening weekend, early January 2012. Universal Pictures released "Contraband," which was a remake of Oskar Johansson's "Reykjavik Rotterdam," that starred Kormákur and he produced with Agnes Johansen through his Blueeyes Productions, along with Working Title Films.

Kormákur's next film was the thriller "2 Guns," starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, which Universal Pictures will release in August 2013. Other projects include the HBO pilot "The Missionary," a spy thriller he will direct and Mark Wahlberg, Steve Levinson and Malcolm Gladwell will produce; "Everest," the cautionary tale and real life adventure on the mountain in 1996 when eight climbers died in the span of two days, due to a series of horrific mishaps and bad decisions. Working Title Films and Emmett/Furla Productions will produce "Everest" with Kormákur. Also, "Viking," a big budget action adventure set in the world of the famed Norse warriors, which will film in Iceland. Kormákur optioned Iceland's beloved, Nobel Prize-winning book Independent People to develop as a feature film and will produce the American remake of "Jar City" along with CEO of Lava Bear Films, David Linde. He is also producing the Icelandic drama "Rocketman," which acclaimed Icelandic filmmaker Dagur Kari is directing.

Jóhannes was born and raised in Iceland, and partly in the Faroe Islands. He fluently speaks Icelandic, Faroese, Danish and English. A Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from the Iceland Academy of the Arts, class of 2005.

Married to economist Rósa Björk Sveinsdóttir since 2011. Together they have three children.

Former resident artist at The National Theatre of Iceland. His first international film role was in Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah', as Cain (the world's first murderer).

Ólafur Darri was born on the 3rd of March in Connecticut, USA in 1973. Growing up in Iceland from the age of 4 he went to The Icelandic Drama School. Olafur Darri has been fortunate enough to work full time as an actor from his graduation with the help of a lot of good people. He is one of the founders of the Vesturport Theatre Company as well as the production company ACT4. Olafur Darri lives in Reykjavik with his partner, two daughters and Waffle the dog.

Þorsteinn Bachmann was born on 25 October 1965. He is an actor and producer, known for Katla (2021), True Detective (2014) and The Darkness (2024).

Thorvaldur Kristjansson has a BFA degree in drama from The Juilliard School in New York, which was funded by scholarships and through the personal assistance of Academy Award winner and former Juilliard alumnus, Robin Williams. Since graduating, he has been very active in his work life and was nominated as Best Leading Actor at The Icelandic Film and TV Academy Awards (Eddan) for his first feature film, BLACK'S GAME, and then won the prize in 2020 as Best Supporting Actor in a TV series for THE MINISTER. Films such as I REMEMBER YOU and LIFE IN A FISHBOWL were blockbuster hits in Iceland, and a number of his films have screened in major international festivals. Kristjansson has also done voice-over work for animated films, including one of the leading roles in the short YES-PEOPLE, which was nominated for an Academy Award at the 2021 Oscars. Kristjansson has a notable on-stage career, having performed in Iceland's most renowned theatres, including The Icelandic National Theatre and Reykjavik City Theatre. He was nominated as Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Icelandic National Theatre Awards (Gríman) for his work in the play CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME. His latest film, the critically acclaimed A LETTER FROM HELGA, was released in 2022 and went straight to the top of the Icelandic box office list during its first weekend. The film received 12 nominations at The Icelandic Film and TV Academy Awards (Eddan), including Kristjansson's nomination as Best Leading Actor. Mr Kristjansson that same year also received EFP's Shooting Stars award at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival.

Theodór Júlíusson was born on 21 August 1949. He is an actor, known for Rams (2015), Volcano (2011) and The Deep (2012).

Atli Óskar received the prestigious Berlinale European Shooting Stars nomination in wake of starring in Rúnar Rúnarsson's Sparrows (2015). A film that won the Golden Shell at the 63rd San Sebastián Film Festival. Through his teenage and young-adult years he has garnered an impressive body of work with roles in films, TV shows and shorts. He was nominated for the Icelandic Edda Academy Award for his leading role in Baldvin Z's Jitters (2010), as a troubled gay teenager. His screen debut, Two Birds (2008), was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 61st Cannes Film Festival.

Gunnar Eyjólfsson was born on 24 February 1926. He was an actor, known for Beowulf & Grendel (2005), The Sea (2002) and The Viking Sagas (1995). He died on 21 November 2016 in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Helgi Björnsson was born on 10 July 1958. He is an actor, known for Eleven Men Out (2005), Paris of the North (2014) and Beowulf & Grendel (2005).

Jóhann Sigurðarson was born on 21 April 1956. He is an actor and director, known for White Night Wedding (2008), Fornbókabúðin (1997) and Woman at War (2018).

Damon Younger is known for Dirty Pretty Things (2002), Black's Game (2012) and Finale (2018).

Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson (born January 6, 1976) is an award-winning Icelandic actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He graduated from the Icelandic Art Academy in 2006 and had previously studied philosophy at the University of Iceland. Sveinn works equally on stage, TV, and in cinema.He has appeared in numerous Icelandic films, including "Summerlight and Then Comes the Night" (2022), "The County" (2019), and "Heartstone" (2016), for which he received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Edda Film Awards. Sveinn has also starred in the TV series "Happily Never After" (2019, 2024), for which he received a nomination for Best Leading Actor. He starred in and co-wrote "Either Way" (2011) and the TV mini-series "Manners," earning a nomination for Best Leading Actor at the Edda Film Awards for the former and winning "Best TV Drama" for the latter. He was also nominated for Best Supporting Role for "Metalhead" (2013).Additionally, Sveinn has appeared in productions from Europe and the United States, most notably in "King and the Conqueror" (BBC, CBS), where he played Harald Hardrada, the last Viking king.

Hilmar Guðjónsson was born in Reykjavik Iceland. His first role after graduation was in the film Either Way, a part which he got nominated for at the Icelandic Film Awards. He then was contracted at Reykjavik City Theater for 10 years, getting awarded and nominated for his performances. Moved to the National Theater of Iceland and started his directing career. Roles in films, TV and short films count dozens. His latest in Godland by Hlynur Pálmason. In 2012 Hilmar was awarded as a Shooting Star by the European Film Promotion.

Þorsteinn Gunnarsson is known for Epilogues (2024), Noi the Albino (2003) and When the Raven Flies (1984).

Atli Rafn Sigurðsson was born on 16 September 1972. He is an actor, known for Jar City (2006), Reykjavík (2016) and 101 Reykjavík (2000).

Björn Thors was born on 12 January 1978 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an actor and producer, known for Katla (2021), The Valhalla Murders (2019) and Paris of the North (2014).

Jón Gnarr was born on 2 January 1967. He is an actor and writer, known for Foster Brothers (1997), Gnarr (2010) and The Prison Shift (2009).

Jörundur Ragnarsson is known for Mr. Bjarnfreðarson (2009), Chum (2014) and Woman at War (2018).