Skip to content
MovieCove
Mikael Persbrandt

Mikael Persbrandt

Actor, also producer · Born September 25, 1963 (63) · Jakobsberg i Stockholms län, Sverige

Mikael Åke Persbrandt, born 25 September 1963) is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films, he is perhaps best known for playing Gunvald Larsson in the Beck series of movies. He is internationally known for his starring role in the Academy Award-winning feature, In a Better World, directed by Susanne Bier. His performance earned him a 2011 European Film Award nomination for Best Actor. Other parts include the role of Carl Hamilton from the novels by Jan Guillou, Beorn in The Hobbit, as well as Jakob Nyman in the English TV series Sex Education. He has performed onstage with the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm and in numerous film and TV roles. Persbrandt is well known for his role as the hardboiled police inspector Gunvald Larsson, in the Beck series of films. He won the Guldbagge Award for Best Actor in a leading role twice, the first in 2009 for Everlasting Moments and the second in 2014 for Nobody Owns Me. In 2015, Persbrandt reported that he would quit starring in his popular role of Gunvald Larsson. In 2019, Persbrandt began playing Jakob Nyman in the Netflix comedy drama Sex Education. He was a leading actor in the film The Salvation.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 25, 1963 (63)
From
Jakobsberg i Stockholms län, Sverige
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 109 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 18% in 30 days

What are Mikael Persbrandt's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
32%
Survival
24%
Bonds
16%
Self
14%
Society
7%
Power
3%
Ideas
2%
Justice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 2 · Dark 12

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

Grounded 12 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 6 · Intense 7

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

A split, not a type: Steady 8 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 2 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 1

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 4 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 9

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 8 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

12 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 7 of 12 analyzed roles.

Hero
7 of 12
Ally
2 of 12
Shadow
2 of 12
Shapeshifter
1 of 12
Show the 12 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Melancholic
10
Contemplative
5
Dread
3
Warm
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Thought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous5
  • Cyclical1

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 Mikael Persbrandt's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mikael Persbrandt'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

109 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page; 12 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Marie Göranzon - När rampljuset slocknar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Gunvald Larsson (archive footage)

  • Odyssey(2025)

    as Mysterious Viking

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Kidnapping (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 8 episodes · as Markus

  • Beck - bakom kulisserna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Gunvald Larsson (archive footage)

  • Hammarskjöld: Fight for Peace(2023)

    as Dag Hammarskjöld

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Reindeer Mafia(2023)

    Show 8 episodes · as Stagge

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Till Sun Rises (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Peder

  • The Unlikely Murderer(2021)

    Show 5 episodes · as Hans Holmér

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Foundation(2021)

    Show 4 episodes · as The Mule

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

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

    as Victor Karlosson

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Invisible Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 6 episodes · as Harald Edelstam

  • Sex Education(2019)

    Show 20 episodes · as Jakob Nyman

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • X&Y (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as The Famous Actor

  • The Girl in the Spider's Web(2018)

    as Alexander Zalachenko

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Cake General(2018)

    Executive Producer · as Hasse P

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • King Arthur: Legend of the Sword(2017)

    as Greybeard

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Siege of Jadotville(2016)

    as Dag Hammarskjold

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Alone in Berlin(2016)

    as Prall

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Beck 31 - Gunvald (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 30 - The Hospital Murders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 29 - Invasion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 28 - The Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 27 - Room 302 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies(2014)

    as Beorn

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Salvation(2014)

    as Peter Jensen

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Someone You Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Thomas Jacob

  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug(2013)

    as Beorn

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Nobody Owns Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Hasse

  • The Hypnotist(2012)

    as Erik Maria Bark

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Agent Hamilton: But Not If It Concerns Your Daughter(2012)

    as Carl Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Hamilton: In the Interest of the Nation(2012)

    as Carl Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Någon annanstans i Sverige(2011)

    as Stefan

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Stockholm East(2011)

    as Johan

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • In a Better World(2010)

    as Anton

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Beck 26 - Buried Alive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 25 - The Eye of the Storm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Söndagsparty med Filip & Fredrik (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Everlasting Moments(2008)

    as Sigfrid Larsson

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Innocently Convicted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 24 episodes · Actor

  • Heaven's Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Lars

  • Kaotokeino-opprøret (TV-serien) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 3 episodes · as Carl Johan Ruth

  • The Kautokeino Rebellion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Carl Johan Ruth

  • Beck 24 - In the Name of God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Solstorm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Tomas Söderberg

  • Beck 23 - The Silent Scream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • One Eye Red (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Mikael Persbrandt

  • Wonderful and Loved by All(2007)

    as Mikael Persbrandt

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Beck 22 - The Weak Link (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 21 - The Japanese Painting (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Gangster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Thomas

  • Beck 20 - The Lawyer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 19 - The Vulture (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 18 - The Girl in the Root Cellar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • One Way(2006)

    as Tomas Gaal

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • No Tears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Lars

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

    as Björn

  • Beck 17 - The Scorpion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • The Lovelife of a Fat Thief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Priest

  • Miss Julie: 100 Years in the Limelight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Actor

  • Lovisa och Carl Michael (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Westman

  • Bang Bang Orangutang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Åke

  • Medicinmannen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 8 episodes · as Martin Holst

  • Double Shift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Jocke

  • Den starkare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as X

  • Day and Night(2004)

    as Thomas

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Three Suns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Ulf

  • Playing with Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Axel

  • At Point Blank (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Frank

  • Gunnar Govin - en man, en röst, en resa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Kurt

  • Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Adam (young)

  • Everyone Loves Alice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Johan

  • Beck 16 - The Last Witness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 15 - The Boy in the Glass Ball (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 14 - The Advertising Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 13 - Sender Unknown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 12 - The Loner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 11 - The Cartel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Gunvald Larsson

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

    as Kullman

  • Beck 10 - The Man Without a Face (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 09 - The Price of Vengeance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Gossip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Åke Frigårdh

  • Beck(1997)

    Show 34 episodes · as Gunvald Larsson

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • Adult Behaviour… It's All in the Mind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Georg

  • Deadly Drift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Andreas Persson

  • Fatimas tredje hemlighet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as The paramedic

  • Hela härligheten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Glenn

  • Beck 08 - Trails in Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 07 - The Money Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 06 - The Monster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • 102 Years in the Heart of Europe: A Portrait of Ernst Jünger(1998)

    as Reader (voice)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Beck 05 - The Boarding House Pearl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck 04 - Eye for an Eye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • The Last Contract (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Roger Nyman

  • Beck 03 - White Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beck - The Man with the Icons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Beneath the Surface (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Roffe

  • Beck 01 - The Decoy Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Gunvald Larsson

  • Nature's Warrior (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Hjorth

  • 9 millimeter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Konstantin

  • Ellinors bröllop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as C-O

  • Anna Holt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 6 episodes · as Jocke

  • Between Summers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Peter

  • The Kingdom(1994)

    Show 5 episodes · as Helmer Jr.

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Svensson, Svensson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Anna Holt - Den vite riddaren (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 4 episodes · as Hellman

  • The Police Murderer(1994)

    as Police 1

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Rederiet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 30 episodes · as Ola Simonsson

  • Enemy's Enemy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 8 episodes · as Vanchaufför

  • Nigger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Svante

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 109 titles from 1990 to 2026; peak year 2013.

Biggest box office

In a Better World (2010)

$13M worldwide

Highest rated

In a Better World (2010)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Beck (1997)

Film career

19902026

Peak 2013 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 6 MovieCove titles. 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting109 of 109: 108 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thProducing1 of 109: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1990s28 · acting2000s46 · acting2010s25 · 25 acting · 1 crew2020s10 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 16% of 50 roles
9499040914

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; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Mikael Persbrandt's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 23; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Någon annanstans i Sverige (2011)

72nd percentile spread · 49% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

Midcredits 95th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 44. 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.

Is Mikael Persbrandt's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 19 · mildMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Mikael Persbrandt work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mikael Persbrandt's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Peter Aalbæk Jensen shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers