Kristofer Hivju plays Tormund Giantsbane in Game of Thrones, the big-bearded Wildling
leader with a soft spot for Brienne of Tarth.
Hivju's character has quickly become a fan favorite, but what else has the Norwegian
actor appeared in?
Why does he look so familiar?
The Thing
Although he had appeared on a few Norwegian TV shows and one feature film, Hivju's break
into international cinema came when he was cast as one of the Arctic researchers in 2011's
The Thing, a prequel to the 1982 John Carpenter classic.
Hivju's turn in the widely panned horror flick didn't win him any awards, but it put him
on American casting directors' radar, setting the wheels in motion for his eventual role
on Game of Thrones in 2013.
After Earth
The Thing may not have lived up to expectations, but Hivju's next movie, 2013's After Earth,
gave him a real crash course in how badly things can go wrong for a major motion picture.
Problems started for the actor when he showed up on set and the makeup artists decided to
cut off his long hair and bushy beard — a decision he fought, even getting star Jaden
Smith to back him up, but the makeup crew won in the end.
After Earth was mauled critically, so maybe losing the beard was worth it — it makes
him harder to recognize in a movie he'd probably rather forget.
Force Majeure
Hivju returned to his Scandinavian roots with 2014's Force Majeure, a dark comedy that follows
a downtrodden husband in an unhappy marriage.
Hivju, who plays the best friend character, told Scan magazine it was a refreshing change
of pace:
"I didn't have a sword in my hand, I wasn't climbing an ice wall, but playing a normal
man.
As an actor you always want to be extraordinary, but to play an ordinary man is a really big
challenge."
That challenge had a huge payoff: Hivju took the award for Best Supporting Actor at the
Scandinavian equivalent to the Oscars in 2015.
In Order Of Disappearance
That same year, Hivju played a gangster who gets beaten up by Swedish acting legend Stellan
Skarsgard in the darkly funny revenge drama In Order of Disappearance.
The movie follows a father who goes after a local drug gang in revenge for killing his
son.
The film, acclaimed for its artful blend of black comedy and bloody violence, has been
described as a Scandinavian version of Fargo.
Lilyhammer
Hivju rounded out a busy 2014 with a part in Netflix's Norwegian-American crime-drama
Lilyhammer, which follows a former American mafia boss hiding out in Norway.
Hivju appeared in the episode "Foreign Affairs," in a small role as a Greenpeace worker.
Sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed an allusion to Hivju's Game of Thrones gig: during one
scene, a television clearly shows Hivju as Tormund in a scene from the HBO hit.
The Last King
In 2016, Hivju got to act out one of the most important events in Norwegian history: the
protection of a future king during the Norwegian Civil Wars by a group of patriotic warriors.
Hivju grew up learning the 11th century story that inspired The Last King in school, and
he was excited about the role.
The characters in the movie spend a lot of time on skis, believe it or not, since that
was the fastest way for medieval Norwegians to get around — which led to some risky
stunts for Hivju.
Beck
The Scandinavian police procedural Beck has gone through many changes during its 20-year
run, including casting Hivju as the new partner of the show's namesake police detective Martin
Beck.
As a longtime fan of the show, Hivju eagerly accepted the chance to join the cast, telling
Scan magazine before he got the gig,
"I have played many bad guys and villainous roles, so to play a cop will be great fun
and very cool!"
The Fate of the Furious
Hivju's most high-profile movie role came courtesy of 2017's The Fate of the Furious,
in which he played Connor Rhodes, right-hand man and muscle for main villain Cipher, played
by Charlize Theron.
Hivju was a huge fan of the Fast and Furious franchise before he got his chance to join
it — and he also wasn't the only Game of Thrones star in the movie.
Nathalie Emmanuel, who plays Missandei, returned as Ramsey, the Crew's hacker.
Wyndham Rewards Commercials
Now, while Hivju usually plays dark, violent roles, he can also be silly when necessary
— like when he started playing the eccentric, wild-eyed Wyndham Rewards Wizard in the hotel
chain's string of commercials — clearly the greatest part of his career.
Not convinced?
Observe:
"Are we in the future?"
"Actually, we're in Branson, Missouri, and now you've got all the breakfast you can eat!"
"Yeah!
Waffles!"
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