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Gísli Örn Garðarsson

Gísli Örn Garðarsson

Actor, also director and producer · Born December 15, 1973 (52) · Reykjavík, Iceland

Gísli Örn Garðarsson (born 15 December 1973, Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic actor, director, producer, and writer. He is one of the thirteen founding members of Vesturport, Iceland's premier theatre and film company. He is best known as Vidar Jutul in Ragnarok (2020–2023, Netflix) and for writing, producing, and acting in Children (2006), which earned him the Shooting Stars Award at the 2007 Berlin Film Festival. In film, he has appeared in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) and Against the Ice (2022). He was awarded the Order of the Falcon, Knight's Cross by the President of Iceland in 2010 and has won multiple Edda Awards.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 15, 1973 (52)
From
Reykjavík, Iceland
Works as
Actor, also director and producer
Titles
11 on MovieCove · 35 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 27Down 11% in 30 days

What are Gísli Örn Garðarsson's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Power.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Power
18%
Self
17%
Morality
16%
Society
12%
Ideas
5%
Family bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeParenthood2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 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 0 · Serious 1 · Dark 2

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 2 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 1 · Intense 2

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 0 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.

Shadow
2 of 3
Hero
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Melancholic
4
Cold
2
Contemplative
2
Thrilling
1
Other
2

How their films linger

Thought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet6

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 Gísli Örn Garðarsson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Gísli Örn Garðarsson'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

35 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page.

  • Greenland 2: Migration(2026)

    as Lars

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Everybody Loves Horses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 4 episodes · as Valdi

  • Krautz in Seltjarnarnes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • No Laughing Allowed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Wild Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Pétur

  • Against the Ice(2022)

    as Jørgensen

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Blackport(2021)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Creator · Producer · Writer · as Jón

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • For Life(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Overlege Alex Lind

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Grandma Hófí (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Actor

  • Ragnarok(2020)

    Show 15 episodes · as Vidar Jutul

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Exit(2019)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

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

    as Erik

  • Prisoners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 6 episodes · as Ásbjörn

  • The Oath(2016)

    as Óttar

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands(2016)

    Show 12 episodes · as Breca

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all shows

  • Graves & Bones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Sigurður

  • Spooks and Spirits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Ingi Brjánn

  • Tumult (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Dark Son

  • Korríró (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

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

    as Jói

  • Undercurrent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Producer · Writer · as Benni

  • Jitters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Haraldur

  • Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time(2010)

    as Hassansin Leader

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • King's Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Júníor

  • Country Wedding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Grjóni

  • Two Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Actor

  • Parents(2007)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

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

    as Garðar/Georg

  • Beowulf & Grendel(2005)

    as Erik

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Niceland (Population. 1.000.002) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Ethan

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

    Actor

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

    as Darri

  • Kill the Poet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Kadett

  • Terra Infirma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Su

  • Woyzeck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Translator

Career shape

Star power in the 93rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 35 titles, 32 of them dated from 2001 to 2026; peak year 2009.

Biggest box office

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

$336M worldwide

Highest rated

Ragnarok (2020)

Midcredits 69th

Most popular right now

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

Film career

20012026

Peak 2009 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. 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
Acting32 of 35: 30 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thDirecting3 of 35: 1 only directing, 2 with another roleWriting2 of 35: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing3 of 35: 1 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew2 of 35: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

35 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

2000s8 · 7 acting · 1 crew2010s14 · 13 acting · 2 crew2020s10 · 10 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 13% of 8 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 Gísli Örn Garðarsson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 3 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 3

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 11 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands (2016)

67th percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Exit (2019)

Midcredits 94th · 93% liked

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 Gísli Örn Garðarsson'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 49 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

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

Who does Gísli Örn Garðarsson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Gísli Örn Garðarsson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir shares the most, 2.

Actors