Mads Mikkelsen became the main headliner of the geek culture festival Comic Con Astana, which took place in the capital of Kazakhstan from July 25 to 28. The charismatic Danish actor spent more than eight hours communicating with fans and guests. Speaking about his favorite roles, Mikkelsen expressed a desire to return to the character of Tony from the 1996 film 'Pusher' and Hannibal. He considers his other characters already completed.
We share with you the most interesting of the actor's answers to fans' main questions.
What he pays attention to when choosing projects
Actually, the character is always in third place, because in second place is the director. It is very important for me to communicate well with him, even if I disagree with him on something, so that we have points of contact. And the character is always in third place, and in first place is always the story of the project. Even if the character is one-sided, I am ready to play that role if the story is cool.
Which characters does he prefer to play — good or bad
There is no difference, because when you play a bad character, you try to justify him somehow, find some good traits in him. The same with good and positive characters — we also try to find some flaws in them. So, essentially, there is no difference.
Will there be a continuation of 'Hannibal'?
Actually, we have been talking about continuing the series since we finished the last season. Both the actors and the director would be happy to continue. We just can't choose a company that will support us. But I think we need to hurry, because none of us are getting any younger.
About roles in other series
Appearing in some mainstream series after 'Hannibal' would be very strange. But I have always said that I would gladly appear in 'The Walking Dead', where I would most likely play a zombie.
The role of Grindelwald and replacing Johnny Depp
It was a very difficult situation. The world turned upside down. I know Depp, we communicate well. I have met him several times and I respect him very much. I was asked if I wanted to take on this role, and I hesitated. But I also knew that Johnny would not mind, so it was very important for me to preserve what he did for the film. I needed to do something completely different from his magnificent performance. Trying to copy him would be crazy and suicidal. So we tried to move away from that as much as possible.
About actors he would like to work with
I am lucky to work with fantastic actors. Of course, I would also like to work with Robert De Niro, whom I adore. I have already said that my favorite film is 'Taxi Driver'. I would be happy to work with Gene Hackman, Meryl Streep, and Jennifer Lawrence. There are also many Swedish and Danish actors I would like to work with. In general, I am lucky that my colleagues on set are always very cool people.
Does Mads Mikkelsen believe in miracles in cinema?
Yes, miracles happen in cinema. Because, firstly, you have to convey your idea to everyone involved in making the film, and these are all different people. And secondly, it is important that your idea and the final result are close to the original idea. This is very difficult and rare for the director, producer, and actors to all be satisfied. I think if that happens, it is truly a miracle.
What film he would like to make in Kazakhstan
If I were making a film, it would be a story about Attila, the ruler of the Huns. We have talked a lot here about where Attila was from. Some scholars believe he was from here, from the territory of modern Kazakhstan. Some claim he is from Mongolia. But if we were filming about him today here, he would definitely be a Kazakh. Attila's story is very interesting; it would be great to explore it in a film.
The most difficult role
There are different roles and always different difficulties. But for me, one of the difficult roles was in the film 'Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky'. Because I don't play the piano, and I don't speak Russian. But you have to cope with such tasks. And it is always difficult.
Is madness overrated in Hollywood?
I have played many crazy characters myself. But I don't think madness matters in this context. You can meet madmen who are frankly bad actors, and those who are excellent actors. Likewise, among those who can be called normal people, there are good and bad actors. Madness is not the prism through which to judge actors.
A funny incident from filming
When I auditioned for the role of Le Chiffre in 'Casino Royale', I forgot my script on the plane. And all actors' scripts are usually signed on the pages. So if someone loses it, you can know exactly who it was. And I was incredibly lucky that someone on the plane apparently cleaned up and just threw away my script. And no one ever found out.
Best book adaptation
I think that film adaptations of books are always difficult and few succeed. But I consider one of the best film adaptations to be 'The Lord of the Rings'. And I would probably like to star in an adaptation of 'The Brothers Lionheart' by Astrid Lindgren. If it ever gets made.
Favorite role
I have always liked my role in the Danish black comedy 'The Green Butchers'. We played weird guys there, and Sven was my favorite character.
Did his dance background help in filming 'Another Round'?
Actually, it didn't help much, although my character also used to dance, like me. But I didn't train specifically for the film. I improvised on set. We shot the scenes in just one day, and then for the next week my muscles ached. And it was terrible.
In the film 'Another Round', Mads Mikkelsen reunited with Thomas Vinterberg to tell a story about how to change life with the help of alcohol.
Open materialAbout his involvement in geek culture
Yes, I think I am involved. All my childhood I was a big fan of graphic novels and comics, and I have been collecting them ever since. And I still collect. As a child, I didn't go to such Comic Con festivals. I didn't even know they existed, at least in Denmark. But, you know, I always dreamed of getting into the universe of graphic novels. So, I can say I am a big fan of geek culture. And I will gladly participate in projects that are somehow related to geek culture and comics.
Who would he cosplay?
Choosing a character is difficult. If I were to choose someone to cosplay, it would be the one 'with horns'. It would be Hellboy. I really like this character.
How does he feel about the Marvel cinematic universe?
I really like the Marvel universe, and I think 'Doctor Strange' was a complete and finished project that had its own psychedelic universe. So I would really like to participate in something like that again. Every year, Marvel films and the technologies used in them develop more and more, so every year they become more interesting. I don't know, maybe I would play an old version of Spider-Man.
What is the biggest difference in filming for a movie and a game?
If you are filming for a video game and a movie, and you have motion capture, then in a movie you always want to reshoot some scene, and you do it. When Norman Reedus and I participated in Hideo Kojima's project, we were both in green suits, in front of a green screen, with sensors on our faces. And we tried to repeat every scene again, and Hideo said: 'No, don't, it's fine, I'll draw it later, I'll fix everything.' And that is the big difference.
About director Bryan Fuller's new project
The film is called Dust Bunny. It seems like a children's film, but actually it's not. This is Bryan Fuller! Dust Bunny is a very beautiful story about a little girl who thinks there is a monster living under her bed. I play her neighbor, who tries to prove to her that the monster doesn't exist. But in the end, it turns out I am wrong.
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