Mads Mikkelsen names his favourite American TV shows
Mads Mikkelsen is probably one of Denmark’s biggest acting exports. He has been incredibly successful in film and television. However, he’s known just as much for his eccentric, old-spirited personality as for his acting chops.
Beloved for his ability to make the most amoral or downright evil characters likeable, one of his most renowned performances to date is as Dr Hannibal Lecter in the 2013 TV show Hannibal. Based on Thomas Harris’ novels Red Dragon, Hannibal and Hannibal Rising, the show focuses on the relationship between the titular character, forensic psychiatrist – and cannibal – Lecter, and FBI special agent Will Graham.
People were initially weary of Mikkelsen’s ability to portray the iconic character, who was long associated with Anthony Hopkins, due to his portrayal of the character in Silence of the Lambs. However, the show went on to achieve massive critical and commercial success, solidifying Mikkelsen as a talented character actor and the show as one of the greats of the new Golden Era of television.
This unsurprisingly inspired fans to speculate on the actor’s favourite television shows. Hannibal was on television at the same time as Mad Men and the end of the Breaking Bad era. But speaking to HeyUGuys, in his usual nonchalantly enigmatic way, Mikkelsen makes it clear that he doesn’t have much time for television. When asked which television shows he might like to work with, he stated, “If I were into that world, I would know much more about it than I do… But I’m not as educated in TV as other people are, I rarely have the time.”
So, one of television’s most beloved and gripping villains doesn’t even participate in the medium. It’s not unlike the time his daughters had to educate him on the star that is Rihanna, berating him for not knowing who she was when he was offered the part to play the ‘bitch’ in “Bitch Better Have My Money”.
However, the actor gave a list of the shows he watched and enjoyed, which were mostly the biggest shows of the time. “I mean, there are a couple of things… Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Walking Dead.” He also seemed excited to perhaps work in television again in the future, “There are a lot of interesting people out there that, hopefully, one day I’ll get called up by.” However, he has yet to star in another television show since Hannibal ended in 2015.
It does seem strange to imagine someone as eccentric and cool as Mikkelsen sitting around watching TV, but regardless, the actor seems to be aware of the possibility of the medium. “I can see that right now, television can get away with things that films cannot get away with… on TV, we are as radical as can be. With TV, we’ve found a way how to make it better, tackle it better, instead of bowing to heritage.”
It’s unsurprising then that Hannibal pushed and played with the boundaries of the medium, playing with narrative, memory and imagery in a new way at the time. Perhaps it will take something as equally experimental and intriguing to pique Mads’ interest and get him back on the television.
