Danish actor Nikolaj Coster Waldau was born on July 27, 1970 in Denmark and has appeared in numerous films and productions since the early 1990s. He was educated at the Statens Teaterskole in Copenhagen, where he learned and gained his early experiences in the field of acting. He made his debut as Laertes in a production of Hamlet at the Betty Nansen Theater.
Nikolaj Coster Waldau has appeared in several Danish productions, and gained fame in his home country with his role in 1994’s Nightwatch. He made his mark on many European films, some of them being Who’s Hitler?, Bent and Misery Harbour. He later made the transition to American cinema, playing Gordon in Black Hawk Down. Another role he became known for was as Kenneth in the film Rembrandt, and as a sheriff in Kingdom of Heaven. He was also seen in Lock, Stock… and 2001’s dramatic thriller Enigma, starring Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet and Saffron Burrows. In 2004, Coster-Waldau worked on the films My Name Is Modesty: A Modesty Blaise Adventure and the sport romance Wimbledon. The next year, he landed a role on the drama The Headsman. He later became known for playing Liam on the film Firewall, starring Harrison Ford. He continued to work on other European projects, and was seen on the comedy The Baker with Damian Lewis and Kate Ashfield. In 2008, he joined the cast of the FOX series New Amsterdam. He played the lead role, John Amsterdam, who is a brilliant and immortal homicide detective. Other projects that Coster-Waldau is involved in include writing, directing, and producing. Most of his films were released in Denmark. He is also credited for being the Executive Vice President of Hemmingsen Entertainment Corporation and affiliate Hemmingsen Creek Productions. He has starred and worked with James Barclay as well, in the 2008 crime drama Himmerland.