AKSEL HENNIE has become one of Norway's favorite actors. At the age of 17, he was one of the first in Norway to be convicted of graffiti-tagging. This experience later became the basis of the film "UNO," which he wrote, directed, and starred in. Director Joachim Rønning has called the 33-year old a man "who is not afraid to stand up for others, even if he has to bleed for it." Known for his extensive repertoire, Hennie's roles have included a bodybuilder on steroids ("UNO"), an angel ("Through a Glass, Darkly"), a self-absorbed gay man ("Cold Lunch"), and most recently a lead role as a World War II resistance hero ("Max Manus"). "Max Manus" was one of Norway's largest box-office successes ever, in 2008/09.
NICOLAI CLEVE BROCH has appeared with his close friend and fellow actor Aksel Hennie in several films, and the two are considered by many to be Norwegian film's dynamic duo. Cleve Broch is known for going all out to get into character. For his most recent role in the wartime drama "Max Manus," his hair was bleached so extensively that his hair actually began falling out. The 33-year old's interest in acting came by way of a Dungeons and Dragons-style live-role-playing game in the forest, after he got tired of sitting in his room "pretending to be an elf." The actor always strives to give the audience something new: "The audience needs to be educated. I have never really understood why people want to see the same thing over and over again." Cleve Broch is married to Norwegian actress Heidi Gjermundsen. He got his breakthrough in the film "Buddy" in 2003. He has also appeared in "UNO" (2004), "Uro" (2006), and "Cold Lunch" (2007).
ANE DAHL TORP works in film and theater. When she works in the theater, she brings her dog, the Norfolk terrier Jonas, to work every day. The 33-year-old used to live in Molde, where she felt like "the loneliest actress in Norwegian history": "Several times I sat in bars with my gin and tonic, pretending to scout for people I was waiting for." Dahl Torp claims to have once forgotten her purse, forcing her to substitute a grocery store bag for it on the red carpet. Dahl Torp has received an Amanda award for her role in the film "Comrade Pedersen" (2006). She also starred in "Uro" (2006). Currently, she can be seen on Norwegian movie theaters in Tommy Wirkola's "Dead Snow," which screened at Robert Redford's Sundance Festival in Utah in February, and will be released in the United States later this year.
INGRID BOLSØ BERDAL hails from Nord Trøndelag in Norway. She was the lead in the thriller "Cold Prey" and in the sequel, "Cold Prey II," both box office successes. Twenty-nine-year-old Bolsø Berdal also starred in "Comrade Pedersen," "Sons," and "House of Fools." When preparing for "House of Fools," she admitted herself to a psychiatric ward for 24 hours for research. "It was an important experience. I am humble that I was allowed to stay there," she said. In 2007, she won an award for using her own regional dialect in films and her conscious use of dialect has become a big part of her image. This year she will be jury chairman of the Amandus festival, a Norwegian film festival for youths and children, which celebrates young filmmakers.
KRISTOFFER JONER has starred in "Darks Woods," "Next Door," and "Mongoland." According to Joner, who has recovered from a drinking problem, but still smokes up to 50 cigarettes per day, he leads a complicated life. "A world without problems will soon become dull," he claimed. He considers himself to be slightly neurotic and he is afraid of (among other things) flying and deep water. He is known for his strong opinions when it comes to issues such as the justice system and the Norwegian policy on drugs. Thirty-six-year-old Joner applied three times for the theater academy, but never got in. Still, he has played more roles in film than any other Norwegian actor since 2000. He was awarded the audience's prize for Best Norwegian Male Film Actor of the Century in 2005.
TROND ESPEN SEIM is best known for his role as private investigator Varg Veum in a film and TV series based on popular crime novels by Gunnar Staalesen. He has also starred in "Hawaii, Oslo" and "Troubled Water." The 37-year old claims he has two rules he has to abide by in relation to acting: "I must avoid acting in my regular underpants and I have to brush my teeth before every performance." Seim has the Latin words for "perpetual motion machine" tattooed on his chest. He is always optimistic: "If you want something bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen," he said.
PIA TJELTA made her film debut in 2001 with "Mongoland," shot in her hometown, Stavanger. According to 31-year-old Tjelta, if she had not been accepted by the Norwegian National Academy of Theater she would have majored in child welfare. Before she became a film actress, she toured Europe with a theater company. She is adamant that self-confidence is not something that comes naturally to her: "Everyone needs acceptance and confirmation that she is needed, that she matters, and that she is good at what she does. Me too." Norwegian TV2 called her "the first lady of Stavanger," because of her looks and popularity. Tjelta, who was last seen in "Fallen Angels," also starred in "Buddy" and "Cold Lunch."
MARIA BONNEVIE was born in Sweden to a Norwegian actress and a Swedish actor. She grew up in Oslo, and graduated from the Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting in 1997. She debuted in 1991, with "The Polar Bear King" and "The White Viking." Thirty-five-year-old Bonnevie has said that starring in the films changed her life: "I was a young girl with bad self-esteem, who often blushed. I was not very good in school and not very popular. Therefore it was a great experience to become the center of everyone's attention." Five years after her debut, she got her breakthrough in the film "Jerusalem." Bonnevie is also known for her lead role in "I Am Dina." Bonnevie was last seen in a Russian film, "The Banishment."