Mads Mikkelsen does on 22nd November - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 51, at the end of this feature.
Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!
Sunday 20th November
- Bo Derek - Born 1956, turns 60 - Actress
- Andrea Riseborough - Born 1981, turns 35 - Actress
Monday 21st November
- Goldie Hawn - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actress | Producer
Tuesday 22nd November
- Jamie Lee Curtis - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actress | Director
- Scarlett Johansson - Born 1984, turns 32 - Actress | Producer | Singer
- Terry Gilliam - Born 1940, turns 76 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Animator
- Tom Conti - Born 1941, turns 75 - Actor
- Mads Mikkelsen - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actor
- Mark Ruffalo - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
Wednesday 23rd November
- Franco Nero - Born 1941, turns 75 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
- Vincent Cassel - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actor | Producer
- Miley Cyrus - Born 1992, turns 24 - Singer | Songwriter | Actress | Producer
Thursday 24th November
- Katherine Heigel - Born 1978, turns 38 - Actress | Producer
- Billy Connolly - Born 1942, turns 74 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Singer | Songwriter
- Stephen Merchant - Born 1974, turns 42 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
- Colin Hanks - Born 1977, turns 39 - Actor | Producer | Director
Friday 25th November
- Dougray Scott - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actor | Producer
- Joel Kinnaman - Born 1979, turns 37 - Actor
- Christina Applegate - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actress | Producer | Singer
Saturday 26th November
- Tina Turner - Born 1939, turns 77 - Singer | Actress
- Mark L. Lester - Born 1946, turns 70 - Director | Producer | Writer
Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen was born in Osterbro, Copenhagen, Denmark to mother Bente Christiansen, a nurse, and father Henning Mikkelsen, a bank clerk and Trade Union official. He has an older brother, Lars, also an Actor. He was raised in Norrebro in Copenhagen. In his younger years he had aspirations on becoming a gymnast and pursuing athletics professionally. He then studied dancing at the ballet academy in Gothenburg, and worked as a professional dancer for almost a decade before turning his attention to studying drama at the Arhus Drama School in 1996 so kick starting his career in acting.
He made his acting debut in the 43 minute short film 'Blomsterfangen' and the 16 minute short 'Cafe Hector', both in 1996 before his full length feature film debut in Nicolas Winding Refn Danish crime drama that was also the Director's debut feature - 'Pusher' which was the launchpad for Refn, Mikkelsen, and other starring Actors. That was also 1996 and the film was hailed a critical and commercial success. 'Wildside' Written and Co-starring fellow countryman Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was released in 1998 with 'Angel of the Night' and then 'Bleeder' for Nicolas Winding Refn in 1999.
The new decade kicked off with 'Flickering Lights' before a couple of comedies with 'Monas verde' and 'Shake It' in 2001; 'I Am Dina' in 2002 with Gerard Depardieu and Christopher Ecclestone; 'The Green Butchers' and 'Torremolinos 73' in 2003. It was perhaps Antoine Fuqua's telling of 'King Arthur' in 2004 that helped propel Mikkelsen on to the international scene with its huge ensemble cast and winning action, adventure and drama storyline. That same year he returned as Tonny in Nicolas Winding Refn's sequel to his first film with 'Blood on My Hands : Pusher II' for which the Actor picked up three Best Actor award wins.
'After the Wedding' which was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, 'Prague' and 'Exit' with Alexander Skarsgard followed in 2006, before his noted role as arch villain Le Chiffre in the 21st Bond outing 'Casino Royale' with the new James Bond, Daniel Craig later that year. In the meantime there had been the long running Police crime drama series 'Unit 1' in which Mikkelsen played a leading role over 32 episodes spanning four noted seasons from 2000 through until 2004, and then 'Julie' across five episodes of this short-lived family comedy series in 2005. This was followed up by 'Flame and Citron', and then his turn as Igor Stravinsky in the period romantic drama 'Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky' in 2009, before another offering with Nicolas Winding Refn at the helm of 'Valhalla Rising' and then 'The Door' that same year.
2010 saw the Louis Leterrier retelling of 'The Clash of the Titans' with an all star cast, before another fantasy period piece with Paul W.S. Anderson's 'The Three Musketeers' and 'A Royal Affair' with Alicia Vikander in 2012. 'The Hunt' followed to much critical acclaim, with 'Move On', 'Charlie Countryman' and 'Age of Uprising : The Legend of Michale Kohlhaas' coming next with Danish Western 'Salvation', 'Men & Chicken' and the recent turn as villain Kaecilius in the still on general release latest Marvel offering 'Doctor Strange' which has so far taken over US$500M at the global Box Office.
Meanwhile there has been 39 episodes across three seasons of the acclaimed NBC series 'Hannibal' with Mikkelsen playing the famed Dr. Hannibal Lecter based on the Thomas Harris character. Despite its critical success the series has been pulled after just three seasons due to declining viewership. Next up is 'Rogue One : A Star Wars Story' due in December this year for Director Gareth Edwards featuring an all star cast and Mikkelsen playing Galen Erso.
All up Mikkelsen has 47 acting credits to his name accumulating a haul so far of 25 award wins and another 33 nominations. He married his long term girlfriend Hanne Jacobsen in 2000 with whom he has a daughter Viola, and a son Carl.
Mads Mikkelsen - he of the chiseled Danish features and high cheek bones who cried tears of blood for Bond, James Bond and is the go to guy for Director Nicolas Winding Refn; keeps us entertained across just about all genres; and gives us his all with a gritty realism and grounded performances. Happy Birthday to you Mads, from Odeon Online.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
