A prolific Danish actor, Lars Mikkelsen rose to prominence in
the United Kingdom thanks to his starring roles in The Killing:
Series One and Borgen: Series Three - drama series imported from
Denmark and aired in subtitled form on BBC Four, attracting
audiences which eclipsed celebrated US imports such as Mad Men.
Mikkelsen had a storied journey to becoming an actor, going from
soldier (thanks to his national service) to a street performer and
juggler, having dropped out of studying Biology at the University
of Copenhagen. His discovered love of performance led him to enrol
at the National Theatre School of Denmark.
His role as Charles Augustus Magnussen in Sherlock was his first
English language television role.
Lars is the elder brother of Mads Mikkelsen, known for his roles
as principal villain La Chiffre in Casino Royale - Daniel Craig's
first outing as James Bond - and Hannibal Lecter in the NBC
television series Hannibal.