Mikael Åke Persbrandt is a Swedish actor born on September 25, 1963. He is widely recognized for his portrayal of Gunvald Larsson in the Beck film series, which has cemented his status as a Swedish film icon.
Internationally, Persbrandt is notable for his starring role in Susanne Bier's Academy Award-winning feature, In a Better World, earning him a 2011 European Film Award nomination for Best Actor.
In addition to his notable film roles, Persbrandt has also appeared on stage with the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm and has taken on numerous film and television roles throughout his career.
Persbrandt is perhaps best known for his role as the hard-boiled police inspector Gunvald Larsson, a character he has portrayed in the Beck film series. His performance in this role earned him the Guldbagge Award for Best Actor in a leading role not once, but twice - first in 2009 for Everlasting Moments and again in 2014 for Nobody Owns Me.
In 2015, Persbrandt announced that he would be leaving his iconic role as Gunvald Larsson, marking the end of an era for fans of the Beck series. However, he has continued to appear in a variety of roles, including his most recent part as Jakob Nyman in the Netflix comedy drama Sex Education, which premiered in 2019.
Persbrandt has also appeared in other notable films, including The Salvation, in which he took on a leading role.
