The “most important” movie Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has ever seen
Sometimes, actors become eternally attached to certain characters, given the widespread popularity of a particular production. When it comes to the Danish film and television star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, it’s hard to look beyond his highly impressive and memorable effort as Jaime Lannister in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones.
However, Coster-Waldau has proven his talents elsewhere with compelling performances in the likes of Headhunters, Nightwatch and A Thousand Times Goodnight. At the same time, his philanthropic efforts for social causes such as gender equality and climate change have also contributed to a respected reputation in the entertainment world.
While Coster-Waldau hasn’t made a significant impression on the acting world outside of his native Scandinavia and Game of Thrones, it appears that he understands the deeper intricacies of the profession as something of a cinephile. When naming his favourite films of all time in a feature with Rotten Tomatoes, he explained how Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America is the “most important” movie he’s ever seen.
“That’s been one of my favourite movies forever,” the actor began. “I think it’s one of the most important movies I’ve ever seen because I was like a young teenager when I saw it the first time, and I was so… I mean, I grew up in the countryside in a small village in Denmark, as far from the Lower East Side of New York as you can possibly get, and still I remember just identifying 100 per cent with Noodles, the main character.”
He added, “I was feeling everything. I was going through his heartbreak. And I do remember feeling like, ‘I want to do that. Imagine if I could be in something where someone else could have the experience I just had watching this movie.’ So that was a very important film for me. I’ve seen it many times, and it’s just beautiful.”
Once Upon a Time in America, Leone’s final feature was released in 1984, with Robert De Niro and James Woods in the lead roles. The film focuses on the lives of two New York City Jewish ghetto youths who rise up into the world of organised crime, with Leone examining the nature of friendship, love, greed and betrayal in one of his best and most unique offerings.
The film was important to Coster-Waldau because De Niro’s performance showed him how deeply one could get lost in a character. “How profound the work of an actor can be if it’s done right,” he said. “How you can actually impact people on an emotional level. It was a huge eye-opener and motivator for me.”
Check out the trailer for Once Upon a Time in America below.
