Tobias Santelmann: Movies & Box Office

Tobias Santelmann, born on August 8, 1980 in Freiburg, Baden‑Württemberg, West Germany, is a German‑born Norwegian actor whose career has spanned over a decade of critical and popular success. Raised in the coastal town of Lindesnes after his family emigrated to Norway, he relocated to Oslo at sixteen, where his passion for performance blossomed at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, from which he graduated in 2006. His early professional work at The Norwegian Theatre included challenging roles in classic productions such as The Castle, The Good Person of Szechwan and Nora, honing a stage presence that would later translate powerfully to the screen. Santelmann first gained international attention with his role in the Academy Award‑nominated film Kon‑Ti​ki (2012), a dramatization of Thor Heyerdahl’s historic Pacific expedition, and further solidified his reputation through notable Norwegian films like Flukt (2012), Jag Etter Vind (2013) and Jeg er din (2013). His venture into Hollywood saw supporting parts in Hercules (2014) and the action remake Point Break (2015), while his starring portrayal of Uhtred’s ally in the BBC series The Last Kingdom (2015‑2018) earned him a dedicated fan base across Europe and North America. From 2019 to 2023 he anchored the Norwegian hit series Exit, playing Henrik, a charismatic yet morally ambiguous financier; the show became the most streamed series in the history of Norwegian national television. In 2021 he tackled a dark, complex character as a serial killer in the mini‑series Those Who Kill, and in 2020 he embodied Prince Olav in the trans‑Atlantic production Atlantic Crossing. Looking ahead, Santelmann is set to lead the upcoming Netflix adaptation Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole as the legendary detective Harry Hole, promising yet another milestone in his versatile and dynamic career.