Ulrich Thomsen

{{Short description|Danish actor and filmmaker (born 1963)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}

{{Infobox person

| image = Ulrich Thomsen o.jpg

| image_size =

| name = Ulrich Thomsen

| caption = Thomsen at a press conference for The International in 2009

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|12|6|df=y}}

| birth_place = Odense, Denmark

| nationality = Danish

| occupation = Actor, filmmaker

| years_active = 1994–present

| spouse = Cathrine Ekehed

| children = 2

| website = {{URL|http://ulrichthomsenactor.com/}}

}}

Ulrich Thomsen (born 6 December 1963) is a Danish actor and filmmaker, known for his role of Christian in the 1998 film The Celebration and for the role of Kai Proctor in the Cinemax original series Banshee (2013–2016).

Early and personal life

Ulrich Thomsen was born in (Næsby) Odense, Denmark and graduated from the Danish National School of Theatre and Contemporary Dance in 1993, after which he performed in several theatres in Copenhagen, such as Dr. Dantes Aveny, Mungo Park and Østre Gasværks Teater.{{cite news | url=http://www.b.dk/livsstil/thomsens-tegn | title=Thomsens tegn | work=Berlingske | date=16 February 2003 | access-date=7 January 2016 | author=Lind Andersen, Ann | language=da}} He is married to Catherine Ekehed and they have two children, including Alma Ekehed Thomsen, who is an actress.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/with-an-all-star-cast-face-to-face-may-be-the-ultimate-nordic-noir/xu9njfrkv |title=With an all-star cast, Face to Face may be the ultimate Nordic Noir |website=SBS What's On |first=Anthony |last=Morris |date=10 January 2020 |access-date=18 February 2025 }} Both Ulrich and his daughter appeared in Face to Face portraying a father, Bjørn and his daughter, Christina.

Aside from his native language Danish, Thomsen is fluent in German and English. He is vegan.{{cite news | url=https://ekstrabladet.dk/flash/filmmagasinet/Filmnyheder/ulrich-thomsen-derfor-er-jeg-veganer/5963664 | title=Ulrik Thomsen: Derfor er jeg veganer | work=Ekstra Bladet | date=27 February 2016 | access-date=3 December 2017 | author=Kastrup, Kim | language=da}}

Career

His film debut was in 1994 in Nightwatch, directed by Ole Bornedal. Since then, he has starred in a number of roles including, among others, Thomas Vinterberg's The Biggest Heroes (1996), Susanne Bier's Sekten (1997) and Anders Thomas Jensen's Flickering Lights (2000). The major breakthrough in his career came in the 1998 film Festen followed by an important role in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999) portraying the part of henchman Sasha Davidov.

This established Thomsen as an international actor, famous outside his native Denmark. He played a part in the 2002 English film Killing Me Softly. In 2009, he played Jonas Skarssen, the lead villain in Tom Tykwer's The International. From 2013 to 2016, he starred as series regular in Banshee playing the role of primary antagonist, Kai Proctor.

Filmography

= Film =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

! scope="col" |Year

! scope="col" |Title

! scope="col"|Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable"|Notes

1994

! scope="row" | Nightwatch

| Rod 1

|

rowspan="4" | 1996

! scope="row" | Portland

| Lasse

|

scope="row"| De nye lejere

| Peter

| Short film

scope="row"| The Biggest Heroes

| Peter

| Robert Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Rouen Nordic Film Festival Award for Best Actor

scope="row"| Café Hector

| Christian

| Short film

rowspan="3" | 1997

! scope="row" | Kys, kærlighed og kroner

| Holger

| Short Film

scope="row"| Credo

| Svane

|

scope="row"| Royal Blues

| Christian

|

rowspan="5" | 1998

! scope="row" | Baby Doom

| Magnus

|

scope="row"| Tempo

| Dirgenten

|

scope="row"| Festen

| Christian Klingenfeldt-Hansen

| Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Robert Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated—European Film Award for Best Actor

scope="row"| Angel of the Night

| Alex

|

scope="row"| Election Night

| Peter

| Short movie

1999

! scope="row" | {{sortname|The|World Is Not Enough}}

| Sasha Davidov

|

rowspan="4" | 2000

! scope="row" | Maries Herz

|

| Short film

scope="row"| {{sortname|The|Weight of Water|dab=film}}

| John Hontvedt

|

scope="row"| Flickering Lights

| Peter

|

scope="row"| Solen er så rød

| Sælgeren

| Short film

rowspan="4" | 2001

! scope="row" | Mostly Martha

| Samuel "Sam" Thalberg

|

scope="row"| Mike Bassett: England Manager

| Dr. Hans Shoegaarten

|

scope="row"| {{sortname|The|Zookeeper|nolink=1}}

| Dragov

|

scope="row"| P.O.V.

| Henrik

|

rowspan="3" | 2002

! scope="row" | Den gamle møller

| Kulturgangster I

| Short film

scope="row"| Killing Me Softly

| Klaus

|

scope="row"| Max

| Karl Mayr

|

rowspan="3" | 2003

! scope="row" | The Inheritance

| Christoffer

| Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Flaiano Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival Special Award for Best Actor
Robert Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Rouen Nordic Film Festival Award for Best Actor

scope="row"| Baby

| Marc

| Also executive producer

scope="row"| Blueprint

| Dr. Martin Fisher

|{{Cite news |last=Hüttmann |first=Oliver |date=2004-01-01 |title="Blueprint": Der traurige Klon |language=de |work=Der Spiegel |url=https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kino/blueprint-der-traurige-klon-a-279663.html |access-date=2023-08-27 |issn=2195-1349}}

rowspan="3" | 2004

! scope="row" | {{sortname|The|Rocket Post}}

| Gerhard Zucker

|

scope="row"| Brothers

| Michael

| San Sebastián International Film Festival Silver Seashell for Best Actor
Nominated—Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated—European Film Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Robert Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

scope="row"| Sergeant Pepper

| Johnny Sínger

|

rowspan="3" | 2005

! scope="row" | Adam’s Apples

| Adam Pedersen

| Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Fantasporto Directors' Week Award for Best Actor
Nominated–Robert Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

scope="row"| Kingdom of Heaven

| Templar Master

|

scope="row"| Allegro

| Zetterstrøm

|

rowspan="3" | 2006

! scope="row" | Han, hun og Strindberg

| {{n/a}}

| executive producer

scope="row"| Sprængfarlig Bombe

| Tonny Jensen

|

scope="row"| {{Ill|Impossibly Yours|de|Der Liebeswunsch}}

| Jan

|

rowspan="4" | 2007

! scope="row" | Opium: Diary of a Madwoman

| Dr. Brenner

|

scope="row"| The Substitute

| Jesper Osböll

| Nominated—Robert Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

scope="row"| Fremkaldt

| Nikolaj

| Short film

scope="row"| Hitman

| Mikhail Belicoff

|

rowspan="4" | 2008

! scope="row" | One Shot

| {{n/a}}

| executive producer

scope="row"| {{sortname|The|Broken|dab=film}}

| Dr. Robert Zachman

|

scope="row"| Fear Me Not

| Mikael

|Mar del Plata International Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated—Robert Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

scope="row"| Reservations

| Leigh

|

rowspan="4" | 2009

! scope="row" | Lulu und Jimi

| Harry Hass

|

scope="row"| {{sortname|The|International|dab=2009 film}}

| Jonas Skarssen

|

scope="row"| Duplicity

| Big Swiss Suit

|

scope="row"| Tell-Tale

| Lethe

|

rowspan="3" | 2010

! scope="row" | Centurion

| Gorlacon

|

scope="row"| The Silence

| Peer Sommer

|

scope="row"| In a Better World

| Claus

|

rowspan="2" | 2011

! scope="row" | Season of the Witch

| Johann Eckhardt

|

scope="row"| {{sortname|The|Thing|dab=2011 film}}

| Dr. Sander Halvorson

|

2012

! scope="row" | Aya

| Mr. Overby[http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-film-aya-fails-to-take-home-oscar-for-best-short-movie/ Israeli film Aya fails to take home Oscar for best short movie]

| Short film

rowspan="2" | 2013

! scope="row" | The Notebook

| Officer Tiszt

|

scope="row"| {{sortname|The|Miracle|nolink=1}}

| Jakob

|

rowspan="2" | 2014

! scope="row" | A Second Chance

| Simon

|

scope="row"| Livsforkortelses Ekspert

| Michael

|

rowspan="3" | 2015

! scope="row" | Mortdecai

| Romanov

|

scope="row"| Skyggen af en helt

| Gustaf (voice)

|

scope="row"| Sommeren '92

| Richard Møller Nielsen

| Robert Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated—Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

rowspan="2" | 2016

! scope="row" | The Commune

| Erik

| Nominated—Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated—Robert Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

scope="row"| In Embryo

| Peter

| Also director, writer, and executive producer

rowspan="2" | 2017

! scope="row" | Dræberne fra Nibe

| Edward

|

scope="row"| Darling

| Kristian

|

rowspan="2" | 2018

! scope="row" | Gutterbee

| {{n/a}}

| Director and writer. Post-production

scope="row"| I Krig & Kærlighed

| Müller

|

rowspan="2" | 2019

! scope="row" | The Space Between the Lines

| Bernhard Rothner

|

scope="row"| Gooseboy

| Knud Heinesen

|

rowspan="2" | 2020

! scope="row" | The Good Traitor

| Henrik Kauffmann

|

scope="row" align="left"| Marco-effekten

| Carl Mørck

|

rowspan="2" | 2022

! scope="row" | Tag min hånd

| Claes

|

scope="row" align="left"| A Violent Man

| Governor Goodwillie

|

2024

! scope="row" | Den grænseløse

|

|

class="wikitable"

|+Key

| style="background:#FFFFCC;"| {{dagger|alt=Films that have not yet been released}}

|Denotes films that have not yet been released

= Television =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

! scope="col" |Year

! scope="col" |Title

! scope="col"|Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable"|Notes

1995

! scope="row" | Mappen

|

| Television film

1996

! scope="row" | Charlot og Charlotte

| Læge

| 1 episode: "Jeg så ind i dig"

rowspan="2" | 1997

! scope="row" | Bryggeren

| Gartner Jørgensen

| 1 episode: "7. afsnit, 1862–1864"

scope="row"| Deadline

|

| Television film

rowspan="2" | 1999

! scope="row" | Naja fra Narjana

| Far

| miniseries

scope="row"| Dybt vand

| Flygge

| Television film

2000

! scope="row" | Labyrinten

| Dansk polisman

| miniseries

2003

! scope="row" | Ins Leben zurück

| Eric Lundgren

| Television film

rowspan="2" | 2005

! scope="row" | Alias

| Ulrich Kottor

| 1 Episode: "Tuesday"

scope="row"| {{sortname|The|Virgin Queen|dab=TV serial}}

| Baron Casper Breuner

| miniseries (3 episodes)

2007

! scope="row" | {{sortname|The|Company|dab=miniseries}}

| Starik Zhilov

| miniseries (2 episodes)

rowspan="2" | 2009

! scope="row" | {{Ill|Abducted (2009 film)|de|3=Entführt (2009)|lt=Abducted}}

| Dr. Albert Brand

| Television film

scope="row"| Blekingegade

| Jørn Moos

| Lead role

rowspan="2" | 2011

! scope="row" | Den som dræber

| Martin Høeg

| 2 episodes

scope="row"| Fringe

| Man in Zeppelin / Mr X

| 1 episode: "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide"

2013–16

! scope="row" | Banshee

| Kai Proctor

| Series regular (37 episodes)

2014

! scope="row" | In der Überzahl

| Stig

| Television film

2016

! scope="row" | {{sortname|The|Blacklist|dab=TV series}}

| Alexander Kirk / Constantin Rostov

| Recurring role (10 episodes)

2017–18

! scope="row" | Counterpart

| Aldrich

| Recurring role (9 episodes)

2019

! scope="row" | Forhøret

| Bjørn Rasmussen

| Lead role (8 episodes)

2020

! scope="row" | The New Pope

| Doctor Helmer Lindegard

| Recurring role (4 episodes)

2022

! scope="row" | Trom

| Hannis Martinsson

| Lead role (6 episodes)

2026

! scope="row" | Lanterns

| Sinestro

|

= Web series =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

! scope="col" |Year

! scope="col" |Title

! scope="col"|Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable"|Notes

2013–16

! scope="row" | Banshee Origins

| Kai Proctor

| 8 episodes

References

{{reflist}}