# Ólafur Darri Ólafsson
**Ólafur Darri Ólafsson** (born 1973) is an Icelandic-American actor, producer, and screenwriter known in Iceland for *Fangavaktin*, *Children*, *Trapped* (Ófærð), and *The Deep*, and internationally for roles in *Severance*, *Somebody Somewhere*, *The Tourist*, and *The Secret Life of Walter Mitty*.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/756/olafur-darri-olafsson) At 193 cm (6 ft 5 in) tall, he has been described as Iceland's biggest star, literally and figuratively.[2](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/olafur-darri-olafsson/pdf/) • [3](https://act4.is/the_crew/darri/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973 in Connecticut, USA; raised in Iceland from the age of four[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/) |
| Training | The Icelandic Drama School (Drama School of Iceland), BA, 1994–1998[5](https://vesturport.com/about/people-artists-in-our-production/olafur-darri-olafsson/) • [2](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/olafur-darri-olafsson/pdf/) |
| Signature Icelandic roles | Police chief Andri in *Trapped* (2015–2021, 28 episodes); Gulli in *The Deep*[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/) • [6](https://www.midpoint-institute.eu/en/person/olafur-2mcSvF) |
| International roles | Mr. Drummond in *Severance*; Iceland in *Somebody Somewhere*; Billy in *The Tourist*; Dewall Ledaux in *True Detective*[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/) • [7](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/olafur-darri-olafsson/) |
| Producing | Co-founder of the Vesturport theater company and of ACT4, founded in early 2023; executive producer of *Reykjavík Fusion*[5](https://vesturport.com/about/people-artists-in-our-production/olafur-darri-olafsson/) • [8](https://nordiskfilmogtvfond.com/news/stories/nordic-film-talks-olafur-darri-olafsson) |
| Recent recognition | Freyja award as best Nordic actor in a TV series for *Reykjavík Fusion* at the first Nordic TV and Film Awards[9](https://www.mbl.is/folk/frettir/2026/09/21/olafur_darri_og_ebba_katrin_verdlaunud/) |
| Upcoming | Thor in the live-action *God of War* series (filming); Drago in *How to Train Your Dragon 2* (post-production)[10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/fullcredits) |
## Early life and training
Ólafur Darri was born in [Connecticut](https://www.edgepedia.org/connecticut) in 1973 and moved to Iceland at the age of four, growing up there and attending The Icelandic Drama School.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/) He graduated in 1998 and has worked full time as an actor since graduation.[5](https://vesturport.com/about/people-artists-in-our-production/olafur-darri-olafsson/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/) He holds dual Icelandic and American citizenship.[11](https://rafhladan.is/bitstream/handle/10802/9579/ii-1-2013lowweb.pdf?sequence=2)
## Theatre
**Stage career.** After graduating, Ólafur Darri performed extensively with the National Theatre of Iceland in productions including *Ivanov*, *Peer Gynt*, *Celebration*, *King Lear*, and *The Bacchae*, and with the City Theatre of Reykjavík in *Of Mice and Men* (as Lennie), *Enemy of the People*, and others.[5](https://vesturport.com/about/people-artists-in-our-production/olafur-darri-olafsson/) • [7](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/olafur-darri-olafsson/) He is one of the founders of the Vesturport theater company, where he appeared in *[Woyzeck](https://www.edgepedia.org/woyzeck)*, *Romeo and Juliet*, *Bastards*, and *Titus Andronicus*.[5](https://vesturport.com/about/people-artists-in-our-production/olafur-darri-olafsson/) In 2011 he played Pierre in the original production of *The Heart of Robin Hood* with the [Royal Shakespeare Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-shakespeare-company) in [Stratford-upon-Avon](https://www.edgepedia.org/stratford-upon-avon).[5](https://vesturport.com/about/people-artists-in-our-production/olafur-darri-olafsson/)
## Icelandic screen work
Ólafur Darri's breakthrough role at home was Andri, the stoic police chief in *Trapped* ([Ófærð](https://www.edgepedia.org/trapped-icelandic-tv-series)), Iceland's most expensive television series at the time of its 2015 premiere, created by [Baltasar Kormákur](https://www.edgepedia.org/baltasar-kormakur) and shot over six months in the coastal village of Seyðisfjörður.[12](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/feb/24/trapped-bbc-olafur-darri-olafsson-interview) Kormákur said he did not want a typical leading man and that Ólafur Darri was always his first choice, adding that the actor had become something of a [Gérard Depardieu](https://www.edgepedia.org/gerard-depardieu) figure in Iceland.[12](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/feb/24/trapped-bbc-olafur-darri-olafsson-interview) He played Andri across three seasons, from 2015 to 2021.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/)
His film work in Iceland includes Gulli in *The Deep* (Djúpið), directed by Kormákur, which premiered at the 2012 [Toronto International Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-international-film-festival) and was picked up for distribution by Focus Features International.[6](https://www.midpoint-institute.eu/en/person/olafur-2mcSvF) He has also led Icelandic series such as *The Minister* (Ráðherrann), playing Benedikt Ríkarðsson across 16 episodes from 2020 to 2024.[7](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/olafur-darri-olafsson/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/)
## International screen work
Ólafur Darri has combined his Icelandic career with a steady stream of English-language roles. Early international credits include *1066* for [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4), *[True Detective](https://www.edgepedia.org/true-detective-season-1)* (as Dewall Ledaux, directed by Cary Fukunaga), and *Banshee* for HBO, and *The Secret Life of Walter Mitty* (2013), in which he plays a karaoke-singing helicopter pilot opposite [Ben Stiller](https://www.edgepedia.org/ben-stiller).[5](https://vesturport.com/about/people-artists-in-our-production/olafur-darri-olafsson/) • [7](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/olafur-darri-olafsson/) • [13](https://www.icelandair.com/en-gb/arora/olafur-darri-olafsson-interview/) Further film credits include *The BFG* (voice of Maidmasher), *Zoolander 2*, *The Meg*, *Murder Mystery*, *The Last Witch Hunter*, and *Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga* (as Neils Brongus).[7](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/olafur-darri-olafsson/) • [13](https://www.icelandair.com/en-gb/arora/olafur-darri-olafsson-interview/)
Television brought him a wider audience in the 2020s. He played Billy Nixon in *The Tourist*, Bing Partridge in AMC's *NOS4A2*, and Stefan McIntyre in the second series of [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one)'s *The Missing*.[7](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/olafur-darri-olafsson/) • [1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/756/olafur-darri-olafsson) In Apple TV+'s *Severance* he played Mr. Drummond in six episodes of the second season (2025), a performance that drew wide attention.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/) In HBO's *Somebody Somewhere* he played Víglundur "Iceland" Hjartarson, Sam's love interest in the third and final season, a role the show's team wrote for him; he had known star [Bridget Everett](https://www.edgepedia.org/bridget-everett) for a decade.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/) • [8](https://nordiskfilmogtvfond.com/news/stories/nordic-film-talks-olafur-darri-olafsson) • [14](https://time.com/7096025/bridget-everett-interview-somebody-somewhere-final-season/) His 2025 credits also include *Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue* (Travis Davies), *Your Friends & Neighbors* (Christian Tómasson), and the narrator of *Genghis Khan: The Secret History of the Mongols*.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/756/olafur-darri-olafsson)
## ACT4 and producing
In early 2023 Ólafur Darri founded the production company ACT4 with veteran producer Hörður Rúnarsson, Jónas Margeir Ingólfsson, and Birkir Blær Ingólfsson.[8](https://nordiskfilmogtvfond.com/news/stories/nordic-film-talks-olafur-darri-olafsson) ACT4 describes itself as an Icelandic production company focused on high-quality content, creative development, and strategic financing.[3](https://act4.is/the_crew/darri/) The company's first series was *Reykjavík Fusion*, which premiered at Canneseries; Ólafur Darri stars as Jónas, a chef released after 18 months in prison for arson and insurance fraud who tries to open a new restaurant in [Reykjavík](https://www.edgepedia.org/reykjavik), and he served as an executive producer.[8](https://nordiskfilmogtvfond.com/news/stories/nordic-film-talks-olafur-darri-olafsson) • [15](https://www.ruv.is/english/2024-08-07-olafur-darri-olafsson-and-hera-hilmarsdottir-in-new-drama-419132) • [10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/fullcredits) He has said the series was deliberately not made in the slow, brooding Scandi noir style, aiming instead for a more vibrant look with faster editing.[8](https://nordiskfilmogtvfond.com/news/stories/nordic-film-talks-olafur-darri-olafsson)
ACT4 has since expanded into international co-productions. With ZDF and ZDF Studios it greenlit *Vigilant*, a six-part English-language thriller directed by Kari Skogland and adapted for the screen by Ólafur Darri from Skúli Sigurðsson's novel *Stóri bróðir*, which won the Icelandic Crime Novel Award (Blóðdropinn) in 2023.[16](https://screenmdm.com/news/scripted/act4-zdf-zdf-studios-align-for-icelandic-thriller/) The company has also teamed with Kari Skogland to adapt *Dead Weight*.[17](https://www.act4.is/media)
## Recognition and upcoming roles
At the first Nordic TV and Film Awards, Ólafur Darri received the Freyja award as best Nordic actor in a television series for his role in *Reykjavík Fusion*, in which he was also one of the producers.[9](https://www.mbl.is/folk/frettir/2026/09/21/olafur_darri_og_ebba_katrin_verdlaunud/) His upcoming screen work includes the role of Thor in the live-action *[God of War](https://www.edgepedia.org/god-of-war-american-tv-series)* television series, currently filming, and Drago in Universal's live-action *How to Train Your Dragon 2*, in post-production for 2027.[10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/fullcredits)
## References
1. [Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/756/olafur-darri-olafsson)
2. [Olafur Darri Olafsson CV (PDF), Conway Van Gelder Grant](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/olafur-darri-olafsson/pdf/)
3. [Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, ACT4](https://act4.is/the_crew/darri/)
4. [Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/)
5. [Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Vesturport](https://vesturport.com/about/people-artists-in-our-production/olafur-darri-olafsson/)
6. [Olafur Darri Olafsson, MIDPOINT Institute](https://www.midpoint-institute.eu/en/person/olafur-2mcSvF)
7. [Olafur Darri Olafsson CV, Conway Van Gelder Grant](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/olafur-darri-olafsson/)
8. [Nordic Film Talks: Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Nordisk Film & TV Fond](https://nordiskfilmogtvfond.com/news/stories/nordic-film-talks-olafur-darri-olafsson)
9. [Ólafur Darri og Ebba Katrín verðlaunuð, mbl.is](https://www.mbl.is/folk/frettir/2026/09/21/olafur_darri_og_ebba_katrin_verdlaunud/)
10. [Ólafur Darri Ólafsson full credits, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959963/fullcredits)
11. [Icelandic Literature interview (Rafhladan archive PDF)](https://rafhladan.is/bitstream/handle/10802/9579/ii-1-2013lowweb.pdf?sequence=2)
12. [He's huge, he's hairy – and he's the hottest man in Iceland, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/feb/24/trapped-bbc-olafur-darri-olafsson-interview)
13. [Ólafur Darri Ólafsson: "Iceland is a huge part of who I am", Icelandair](https://www.icelandair.com/en-gb/arora/olafur-darri-olafsson-interview/)
14. [Bridget Everett on Bringing Her Full Self to Three Seasons of Somebody Somewhere, TIME](https://time.com/7096025/bridget-everett-interview-somebody-somewhere-final-season/)
15. [Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and Hera Hilmarsdóttir in new drama, RÚV](https://www.ruv.is/english/2024-08-07-olafur-darri-olafsson-and-hera-hilmarsdottir-in-new-drama-419132)
16. [ACT4, ZDF & ZDF Studios Align for Icelandic Thriller, ScreenMDM](https://screenmdm.com/news/scripted/act4-zdf-zdf-studios-align-for-icelandic-thriller/)
17. [ACT4 Media page](https://www.act4.is/media)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Nordic actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license