I think 40 years ago, it would have been a little bit different because people had a tendency to think the actor was their part. I do find people who, all of a sudden, realize who is sitting in the restaurant and the first thing they react on is not necessarily, "There's that actor," but it's, "There's that killer guy."

Mads Mikkelsen

If you believe in Odin and Thor, people laugh themselves to death. While it's okay to believe in a man who turned water into wine, and walked on water

Mads Mikkelsen

god funny jesus

I think the meaning of life is life itself. We don't necessarily want to know what it is, but we want to live it. Hopefully, we'll go out fast without knowing it.

Mads Mikkelsen

meaning-of-life knowing thinking

I have a three-piece suit. I’m an art collector. I have a funny accent. So I’m probably the killer.

Mads Mikkelsen

pieces three art

All actors have to believe that our characters have a point that makes sense. Hopefully, they make sense to the crowd watching it, but at least he has to make sense in his own mind, in his own universe.

Mads Mikkelsen

mind character believe

I do read some of the scripts from America and, even though the themes or subject of the film is very interesting, and some of the scenes are very interesting, there is a tendency that they have to explain everything. There will be no dilemma. This guy was evil, and this girl was very sweet. And in the end, we'd have to see eight endings because we'd also have to know what happened to the uncle. It's like, "Are you kidding me?!"

Mads Mikkelsen

uncles girl sweet

I’m an Adidas guy who walks around in sports gear all the time because there’s always a ball right next to me somewhere. I do a lot of sports but I do enjoy wearing a lot of suits. I have quite a few suits that I really enjoy wearing but, unlike Hannibal, I like wearing them only at special occasions.

Mads Mikkelsen

guy special sports

One thing I can say about the French language is that no one in the world loves their language as much as they do.

Mads Mikkelsen

world-love one-thing language

I'm a beer man. I tried to drink whiskey and Scotch but I don't get it. It smells like a girl who didn't shower and just splashed a lot of perfume on.

Mads Mikkelsen

girl beer men

Actors are very good at not revealing anything, so they're safe.

Mads Mikkelsen

revealing actors safe

I take my work enormously seriously. When I do something, it has to feel right. Everything has to be right. I’m not ambitious about my career, but I am ambitious with each job. I can be fairly annoying to work with. No compromises, let’s put it this way. Compromises are from hell.

Mads Mikkelsen

ambitious careers jobs

Machiavelli had some cold tricks for people who wanted to be demagogues and wanted to take over the world.

Mads Mikkelsen

cold people world

I choose work with the people I like to work with.

Mads Mikkelsen

people

I'm terrified about psychic people who have their little shops.

Mads Mikkelsen

psychics littles people

I dont wear cologne. I do occasionally, but anytime I take a shower, I just put on deodorant. Thats basically what I smell like.

Mads Mikkelsen

deodorant smell showers

I'm not looking for a challenge, necessarily. I'm looking to make a really great film.

Mads Mikkelsen

really-great film challenges

I guess they have to label someone the sexiest person in the world, and it is always someone who is on telly even if it’s the weatherman. For a couple of years it was me and then it was someone else. It’s nicer being the sexiest man than the most ugly man. I live with it, and I don’t mind it, but I don’t go around with a big smile on my face everyday.

Mads Mikkelsen

couple men years

I ask a million questions, and I insist on having answers. I think that is what we have to do. I have to know what the director wants. Some are very much in their head, and I need to force it out of them. I just can't play around for eight hours and see if something happens.

Mads Mikkelsen

eight play thinking

Yeah, I do all the stuff I can. Let’s be frank, if you are in an action film, you are not in it for the characters, you are in it for the action – the stunts. If they take that away from you, it’s a sad story. Ha ha! I have damaged everything: knees, elbows, ribs. But I’m an old gymnast. I know how to survive.

Mads Mikkelsen

ribs stories character

If you're playing the bad guy, you have to find what you like about them.

Mads Mikkelsen

bad-guys guy ifs

I'm a big fan of film for one reason: because it is visual.

Mads Mikkelsen

film fans reason