Aksel Hennie
{{Short description|Norwegian actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1975)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Aksel Hennie
| image = File:Aksel Hennie.jpg
| caption = Hennie posing with one of his graffiti works in October 2017
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|10|29|df=y}}
| birth_place = Oslo, Norway
| occupation = Actor, director, screenwriter
| yearsactive =
| spouse = {{marriage|Karoline Hegbom
|September 2019}}
| children = 3
}}
Aksel Hennie (born 29 October 1975) is a Norwegian actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for his roles in the films Headhunters (2011), Hercules (2014), and The Martian (2015).
Early life
Hennie was born in the Lambertseter suburb of Oslo on 29 October 1975.{{cite news|url=http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2004/10/07/410554.html|title=Aksel Hennies hemmelige fortid|last=Heyerdahl|first=Nicolai|author2=Frode Hansen|date=2004-10-07|work=Dagbladet|language=no|accessdate=2008-07-23}} In his late teens, he was arrested for graffitiing, and became an outcast in the graffiti community after confessing to the police. His "writes" or signatures were "Ceel" and "Mikro" and can still be seen around Oslo. Most of them are crossed out or lined over because of his confession. This personal story contributed much of the background for the film Uno. The conviction against Hennie was one of the first such cases in Norway.
Career
Hennie was admitted to the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre after applying four times.{{cite news | url=http://www.dagbladet.no/magasinet/2004/07/03/402167.html| title=Skuddsikker| last=Hartz| first=Kine B| date=2004-07-03| work=Dagbladet| language=no| accessdate=2008-07-23}} He graduated in 2001, and has acted both at Teatret Vårt in Molde (2001–2002) and at Oslo Nye Teater (since 2002), where he has been in plays such as Hamlet and Kvinnen Som Gifftet Seg Med en Kalkun (The Woman Who Married a Turkey).{{cite web|url=http://www.oslonye.no/om_teatret/skuespillere/6511.html |title=Aksel Hennie |publisher=Oslo Nye Teater |language=no |accessdate=2008-07-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010031149/http://www.oslonye.no/om_teatret/skuespillere/6511.html |archive-date=2007-10-10 }}
Hennie's most notable success has been as a film actor. He made his debut starring in the feature film Jonny Vang in 2003. Although the director, Jens Lien, originally thought Hennie was too young for the role, the actor convinced him he was the right man for the film.{{cite web | url = http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2002/06/28/340319.html | title = En bygdelatino går til filmen | work = Dagbladet | language = no | author = Sissel Fantoft | date = 2002-06-28 | accessdate = 2008-07-23}} That same year, he also acted in the films Buddy and Ulvesommer. The next year, Hennie made his debut as a director and writer with the film, Uno, in which he also acted. For this role, Hennie and his co-star, Nicolai Cleve Broch, undertook six months of hard physical training in order to perform convincingly as bodybuilders.
In 2001, Hennie was named "Theatre Talent of the Year" by the newspaper Dagbladet.{{cite web | url=http://www.snurrfilm.no/people.asp?personid=38778 |title=Aksel Hennie |publisher=Snurrfilm.no |language=no |accessdate=2008-07-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110182000/http://www.snurrfilm.no/people.asp?personid=38778 |archive-date=November 10, 2007 }} Hennie won the Amanda Award (an important Norwegian film award), for "Best Direction" for Uno in 2005. That year he was among the nominees for "Best Actor" and "Best Film." He won an Amanda Award for "Best Actor" for Jonny Vang in 2003. He was named one of European film's "Shooting Stars" by the European Film Promotion in 2004.
In 2008, Hennie starred in Max Manus, where he played the Norwegian war hero of the same name. The film had a large budget by Norwegian standards.{{cite news | url=http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2008/02/06/526108.html| title=Disse Skal Lage Norsk Krigsfilm til 50 Mill| last=Thorkildsen| first=Joakin| date=2008-02-06| work=Dagbladet| language=no| accessdate=2008-07-23}} In 2011, Age of Heroes was released, a World War II film primarily shot in Norway.{{cite news | url=http://www.side2.no/underholdning/article2877828.ece| title=Aksel Hennie I Britisk Krigsfilm Innspilling Over Påske.| last=Maaland| first=Borghild| date=2010-03-31| work=VG| language=no| accessdate=2010-10-14}} On 30 August 2013, Pionér, a docudrama, was released. Hennie plays the main role as a commercial offshore diver in the North Sea during the 1970s who witnesses an accident while diving under extreme conditions, prompting him to search for answers.{{cite news | last=Maugesten| first=Hanne Marie| title=Pionéren - Vi Kan Takke Magn Muledal og Hans Kolleger for Velferden vår, Mener Aksel Hennie. |newspaper=Aftenposten A-magasinet| date=2013-08-09| page=10| language=no}}
On 1 December 2013, Hennie won an Angela Award at the Subtitle European Film Festival in Kilkenny for his role in the film 90 Minutes. That evening he appeared at a showing of Headhunters, and did a question and answer session with the audience in the theatre after the film.{{Cite web |url=http://www.filmireland.net/2013/12/02/angela-awards-announced-at-subtitle-in-kilkenny/ |title=Angela Awards Announced |access-date=2015-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105131052/http://filmireland.net/2013/12/02/angela-awards-announced-at-subtitle-in-kilkenny/ |archive-date=2015-11-05 |url-status=dead }}
Personal life
Aksel Hennie married former squash player, {{Ill|Karoline Hegbom|no}} on 6 September 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dagbladet.no/kjendis/na-er-de-gift/71572097 |title=Nå er de gift |trans-title=Now they are married |work=dagbladet.no |date=6 September 2019 |access-date=4 April 2025 |language=no }} His cousin Kalle Hennie is also an actor.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vg.no/rampelys/i/92L5l/fetteren-besoekte-aksel-hennie-paa-filmsettet-endte-opp-med-hollywood-rolle |title=Fetteren besøkte Aksel Hennie på filmsettet – endte opp med Hollywood-rolle |trans-title=The cousin visited Aksel Hennie on the film set – ended up with a Hollywood role |first=Jennifer |last=Bråthen |work=VG |date=24 January 2017 |access-date=4 April 2025 |language=no |url-access=subscription }}
Filmography
class="wikitable sortable" |
Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
---|
1990–1998
| | |
1998
| Arnt-Olaf | |
2000
| Even | Short film |
2002
| Anolit | Stefan | Short film |
rowspan="3"|2003
| Buddy | Geir | |
Jonny Vang
| Jonny Vang | |
Ulvesommer
| Pål | |
rowspan="5"|2004
| Stefan | |
Hawaii, Oslo
| Trygve | |
Uno
| David |Also directed |
Tell me everything goes well
| Smith |Short film |
The one who fears the wolf
| Stefan | |
rowspan="2"|2005
| |In the Norwegian version, all voices were performed by actor Aksel Hennie |
The Hardest Words In The World
| The Husband |Short film |
2007
| Sebastian | |
rowspan="3"|2008
| Max Manus | |
Salary
| Christer | |
In a mirror, in a riddle
| Enge | |
2010
| Samí | |
rowspan="2"|2011
| Roger Brown | |
Age of Heroes
| Lieutenant Steinar Mortensen | |
2012
| Trond | |
2013
| Pioneer | Petter Jensen | |
rowspan="2"|2014
| 24 | Karl Rask | Day 9: 4:00pm–5:00pm |
Hercules
| Tydeus | |
rowspan="2"|2015
| Geza Mott | |
The Martian
| Dr. Alex Vogel | |
rowspan="2"|2016
| Nobel | Erling Riiser |NOMINATED- 2017 Gullruten Best Actor, TV Drama |
Smuggler
| Arthur Omre | |
rowspan="2"|2018
| Volkov | |
Mordene i Kongo
| Joshua French | |
rowspan="2"|2020
| Borz | |
White Wall
| Lars Ruud | |
rowspan="2"|2021
| The Trip/ I Onde Dager | Lars | |
The Middle Man
| Arthur Clintstone | |
rowspan="2"|2022
| Sisu | Bruno Helldorf |Finnish film |
Kent State
| | |
rowspan="2"|2024
|Simen |Voice role |
Stayer
|Even Elstad |Starring role (two seasons, twelve episodes), also director (seven episodes) |
Theatre
class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title !Role !Director !Theatre |
2022 2023
|Actor |Peer Gynt written by Henrik Ibsen |Per Olav Sörensen |Gålå |
|
| | | |
|
| | | |
Awards and nominations
class="wikitable" width="75%" |
Year
!Organization !Category !Nominee(s) !Result !Ref. |
---|
rowspan="1" |2001
|Theatre Talent of the Year |Himself |{{won}} | |
rowspan="2" |2003
|Brussels European Film Festival |Best Actor |Himself for Jonny Vang |{{won}} | |
Amanda Award
|Best Male Lead |Himself for Jonny Vang |{{won}} | |
rowspan="4" |2004
|FIPRESCI Prize |Himself for Uno |{{won}} | |
Molodist Film Festival
|Best Actor |Himself for Uno |{{nominated}} | |
Molodist Film Festival
|Best Young Actor |Himself for Uno |{{won}} | |
Nordic Filmtage Lübeck
|Church Film Prize |Himself for Uno |{{won}} | |
rowspan="8" |2005
|Best Director |Himself for Uno |{{won}} | |
Amanda Award
|Best Male Actor |Himself for Uno |{{nominated}} | |
Festival Premiers Plans d'Angers
|Special Jury Prize |Himself for Uno |{{won}} | |
Cinequest Film Festival
|Best First Feature Award |Himself for Uno |{{won}} | |
Nordic Film Festival
|Jury's Grand Prix |Himself for Uno |{{won}} | |
Kosmorama Film Festival
|The Canon Prize for Best |Himself for Uno |{{won}} | |
Kosmorama Film Festival
|The best prize |Himself for Uno |{{won}} | |
Palic International Film Festival
|Silver Tower |Himself for Uno |{{won}} | |
2008
|Best Male Actor |Himself for Cold Lunch |{{nominated}} | |
2009
|Best Male Actor |Himself for Max Manus: Man of War |{{won}} | |
2012
|Best Male Lead |Himself for Headhunters |{{nominated}} | |
2013
|Best Male Lead |Himself for Pioneer |{{nominated}} | |
2014
|Best Male Actor |Himself for Pioneer |{{won}} |
2016
|Elle |Norway's Most Sexy Man 2016 |Himself |{{won}} | |
2017
|Best Actor, TV Drama |Himself for Nobel |{{nominated}} |
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0377336}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hennie, Aksel}}
Category:Norwegian male film actors
Category:Norwegian male stage actors
Category:Norwegian male voice actors
Category:Oslo National Academy of the Arts alumni
Category:Male actors from Oslo
Category:Norwegian film directors