Mikael Persbrandt
Acting • Born 1963-09-25
Biography
Mikael Åke Persbrandt, born 25 September 1963) is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films, he is perhaps best known for playing Gunvald Larsson in the Beck series of movies. He is internationally known for his starring role in the Academy Award-winning feature, In a Better World, directed by Susanne Bier. His performance earned him a 2011 European Film Award nomination for Best Actor. Other parts include the role of Carl Hamilton from the novels by Jan Guillou, Beorn in The Hobbit, as well as Jakob Nyman in the English TV series Sex Education. He has performed onstage with the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm and in numerous film and TV roles. Persbrandt is well known for his role as the hardboiled police inspector Gunvald Larsson, in the Beck series of films. He won the Guldbagge Award for Best Actor in a leading role twice, the first in 2009 for Everlasting Moments and the second in 2014 for Nobody Owns Me. In 2015, Persbrandt reported that he would quit starring in his popular role of Gunvald Larsson. In 2019, Persbrandt began playing Jakob Nyman in the Netflix comedy drama Sex Education. He was a leading actor in the film The Salvation.
Filmography
119 credits
Hammarskjöld: Fight for Peace
Movie • 2023
Dag Hammarskjöld
One Way
Movie • 2006
Tomas Gaal
Beck 08 - Trails in Darkness
Movie • 1998
Gunvald Larsson
At Point Blank
Movie • 2003
Frank
The Kautokeino Rebellion
Movie • 2008
Carl Johan Ruth
Adult Behaviour… It's All in the Mind
Movie • 1999
Georg
Day and Night
Movie • 2004
Thomas
In a Better World
Movie • 2010
Anton
The Lovelife of a Fat Thief
Movie • 2006
Priest
Everlasting Moments
Movie • 2008
Sigfrid Larsson
Gangster
Movie • 2007
Thomas
Solstorm
Movie • 2007
Tomas Söderberg
No Tears
Movie • 2006
Lars
Beneath the Surface
Movie • 1997
Roffe
The Last Contract
Movie • 1998
Roger Nyman
Double Shift
Movie • 2005
Jocke
Somewhere Else
Movie • 2011
Stefan
Hamilton: In the Interest of the Nation
Movie • 2012
Carl Hamilton
9 millimeter
Movie • 1997
Konstantin
Three Suns
Movie • 2004
Ulf
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Movie • 2013
Beorn
Heaven's Heart
Movie • 2008
Lars
Everyone Loves Alice
Movie • 2002
Johan
Bang Bang Orangutang
Movie • 2005
Åke
Stockholm East
Movie • 2011
Johan
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Movie • 2014
Beorn
Playing with Fire
Movie • 2004
Axel
Beck 22 - The Weak Link
Movie • 2007
Gunvald Larsson
Deadly Drift
Movie • 1999
Andreas Persson
Hamilton 2: But Not If It Concerns Your Daughter
Movie • 2012
Carl Hamilton
The Hypnotist
Movie • 2012
Erik Maria Bark
Beck 09 - The Price of Vengeance
Movie • 2001
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 26 - Buried Alive
Movie • 2010
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 16 - The Last Witness
Movie • 2002
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 17 - The Scorpion
Movie • 2006
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 25 - The Eye of the Storm
Movie • 2009
Gunvald Larsson
Now
Movie • 2003
Adam (young)
Nobody Owns Me
Movie • 2013
Hasse
Hela härligheten
Movie • 1998
Glenn
Gossip
Movie • 2000
Åke Frigårdh
Between Summers
Movie • 1995
Peter
Lovisa och Carl Michael
Movie • 2005
Westman
Nature's Warrior
Movie • 1997
Hjorth
Someone You Love
Movie • 2014
Thomas Jacob
Beck 21 - The Japanese Painting
Movie • 2007
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 24 - In the Name of God
Movie • 2007
Gunvald Larsson
Beck - The Man with the Icons
Movie • 1997
Gunvald Larsson
The Salvation
Movie • 2014
Peter Jensen
Beck 28 - The Family
Movie • 2015
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 27 - Room 302
Movie • 2015
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 13 - Sender Unknown
Movie • 2002
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 23 - The Silent Scream
Movie • 2007
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 20 - The Lawyer
Movie • 2007
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 19 - The Vulture
Movie • 2007
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 18 - The Girl in the Root Cellar
Movie • 2006
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 15 - The Boy in the Glass Ball
Movie • 2002
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 14 - The Advertising Man
Movie • 2002
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 12 - The Loner
Movie • 2002
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 11 - The Cartel
Movie • 2001
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 10 - The Man Without a Face
Movie • 2001
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 07 - The Money Man
Movie • 1998
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 06 - The Monster
Movie • 1998
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 05 - The Boarding House Pearl
Movie • 1998
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 04 - Eye for an Eye
Movie • 1998
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 03 - White Nights
Movie • 1998
Gunvald Larsson
Dragonflies
Movie • 2001
Kullman
Alone in Berlin
Movie • 2016
Prall
Beck 29 - Invasion
Movie • 2015
Gunvald Larsson
Search
Movie • 2006
Björn
Creation of the Kingdom of Exodus
Movie • 2022
Self / Helmer Jr
Beck 30 - The Hospital Murders
Movie • 2015
Gunvald Larsson
Ellinors bröllop
Movie • 1996
C-O
Beck 31 - Gunvald
Movie • 2016
Gunvald Larsson
Beck 01 - The Decoy Boy
Movie • 1997
Gunvald Larsson
The Siege of Jadotville
Movie • 2016
Dag Hammarskjold
Odyssey
Movie • 2025
Mysterious Viking
Den starkare
Movie • 2004
X
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Movie • 2017
Greybeard
The Cake General
Movie • 2018
Hasse P
X&Y
Movie • 2018
The Famous Actor
102 Years in the Heart of Europe: A Portrait of Ernst Jünger
Movie • 1998
Reader (voice)
Cop Killer
Movie • 1994
Police 1
Fatimas tredje hemlighet
Movie • 1999
The paramedic
Wonderful and Loved by All
Movie • 2007
Mikael Persbrandt
Nigger
Movie • 1990
Svante
Miss Julie: 100 Years in the Limelight
Movie • 2006
Bergman: A Year in a Life
Movie • 2018
Self
The Girl in the Spider's Web
Movie • 2018
Alexander Zalachenko
Gunnar Govin - en man, en röst, en resa
Movie • 2003
Kurt
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Movie • 2020
Victor Karlosson
One Eye Red
Movie • 2007
Mikael Persbrandt
Till Sun Rises
Movie • 2021
Peder
Beck - bakom kulisserna
Movie • 2024
Gunvald Larsson (archive footage)
Carl och spelreklamshelvetet
Movie • 2019
Self (archive footage)
Sjöwall & Wahlöö - Berättelsen om ett brott
Movie • 2016
Self (archive footage)
Rederiet
TV • 1992
Ola Simonsson
Innocently Convicted
TV • 2008
Ett herrans liv
TV • 2006
Self
Svensson, Svensson
TV • 1994
The Unlikely Murderer
TV • 2021
Hans Holmér
Beck
TV • 1999
Gunvald Larsson
Foundation
TV • 2021
The Mule
Tillsammans med Strömstedts
TV • 2017
Himself
Enemy's Enemy
TV • 1990
Vanchaufför
Medicinmannen
TV • 2005
Martin Holst
The 7 Deadly Sins
TV • 2007
Himself
Sex Education
TV • 2019
Jakob Nyman
Vänligen: Lars Lerin
TV • 2016
Self
Invisible Heroes
TV • 2019
Harald Edelstam
Expeditionen
TV • 2019
Self
Söndagsparty med Filip & Fredrik
TV • 2009
Anna Holt - Den vite riddaren
TV • 1994
Hellman
Anna Holt
TV • 1996
Jocke
Reindeer Mafia
TV • 2023
Stagge
The Kingdom
TV • 1994
Helmer Jr.
Kidnapping
TV • 2025
Markus
Kaotokeino-opprøret (TV-serien)
TV • 2008
Carl Johan Ruth
Mauri och Morberg - på en liten resa
TV • 2025
Self
Ett jobb för Berg
TV • 2015
Self