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Joi Johannsson

Joi Johannsson

Actor · Born November 23, 1971 (54) · Reykjavík, Iceland

Joi Johannsson (born Jóhann G. Jóhannsson, 23 November 1971, Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic actor, producer, and writer. He made his acting debut in 1986 in the TV mini-series Nonni and Manni and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Hartford in 1994 with a B.A. in Theatre and Cinematic Arts. He is multilingual — fluent in Icelandic, English, German, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish — and has performed in nearly 50 theatre productions across the USA and Iceland, including A Winter's Tale (as Leontes) and One Man, Two Guvnors (as Stanley). He has also hosted, produced, and written over 200 TV episodes and 150 radio shows. His screen filmography spans more than 50 international productions. Notable credits include Flags of Our Fathers (2006), The Shamer's Daughter (2013), The Deep (2017), The Oath (2019), His Dark Materials (2019), Fortitude (2020), True Detective (2024), and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020). His most recent roles include Fractures (2022), Útilega (2024), The Fires (2025) as Kristinn, and The Brink of War (2026) as a KGB Colonel. He won the 2026 Edda Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Fires.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 23, 1971 (54)
From
Reykjavík, Iceland
Works as
Actor
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 40 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 64 days to Oct 27Down 15% in 30 days

What are Joi Johannsson's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
37%
Survival
22%
Bonds
22%
Morality
19%
Survival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
4
Melancholic
3
Warm
2
Cold
2
Hopeful
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Hopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Joi Johannsson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Joi Johannsson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

40 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Brink of War(2026)

    as KGB Colonel

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Fires(2025)

    as Kristinn

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Útilega (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · as Jóhann Sveinn

  • Aftergames (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Jóngeir

  • Fractures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · as Ragnar

  • Áramótaskaup 2021 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Actor

  • Sisterhood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 6 episodes · as Palli

  • Everything in the End (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Kristjan

  • Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga(2020)

    as Jorn

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Love on Iceland(2020)

    as Editor

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • His Dark Materials(2019)

    Show 2 episodes · as Iofur Raknison

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Arctic Circle(2018)

    Show 9 episodes · as Jens Mathiesen

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Scenario (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as The Fisherman

  • Rig 45(2018)

    Show 6 episodes · as Vidar

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • The Falcons(2018)

    as Tóti

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Miss Iceland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Co-Producer · as Jóhann

  • Summer Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as The Carpenter

  • Der Island-Krimi: Tod der Elfenfrau (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Der Island-Krimi: Der Tote im Westfjord (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Finsen

  • The Oath(2016)

    as Cop

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • In Front of Others (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • The Shamer's Daughter(2015)

    as Dres

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Lava Field (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 4 episodes · as Gísli

  • True Detective(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Crab Plant Manager

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Shetland(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Andreas Hagan

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Deep(2012)

    as Palli

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • City State (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Store owner

  • The Magic Wardrobe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Harpa presenter

  • Polite People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Producer · as Askur

  • The Cliff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show as Gisli

  • Circledrawers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Schubert

  • The Higher Force (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Ásgeir

  • Flags of Our Fathers(2006)

    as Sergeant on Beach

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Búbbarnir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 18 episodes · Actor

  • When Children Play in the Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Actor

  • LazyTown(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Johnny SportsCandyseed

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Áramótaskaup 2001 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Eyþór Arnalds

  • Angels of the Universe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Police Mman (uncredited)

  • The Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Vítus

  • Behind Schedule (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Teenage gang memeber #1

Career shape

Star power in the 85th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 40 titles from 1993 to 2026; peak year 2020.

Biggest box office

The Deep (2012)

$713K worldwide

Highest rated

The Deep (2012)

Midcredits 66th

Most popular right now

The Fires (2025)

Film career

19932026

Peak 2020 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 2012Screen debut· The Deep

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting40 of 40: 38 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thProducing2 of 40: 0 only producing, 2 with another role

By decade

1990s2 · acting2000s9 · acting2010s19 · 19 acting · 2 crew2020s10 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Joi Johannsson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · actor

The Falcons (2018)

81st percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

Midcredits 84th · 73% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 34. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Joi Johannsson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joi Johannsson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Baltasar Kormákur shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Producers

Mixed roles