Interview: Nikolaj Coster Waldau (Moviegod.de)
Translation courtesy : Padawan

MovieGod.de: Nikolaj, after I read a short synopsis of the film, I assume that the story will revolve around a conflict between faith and friendship. Could you explain this conflict more clearly and do you think that it can be translated into our time ?

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: I hope that it can be translated into our time. We will find out when the film is done. The story is about these two men who grow up together. One of the them joins the church and the other one goes to the army. He's part of the political world and I ... (begins to laugh) I can't put it that way.

After the interviews with all the actors I could talk to main star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau without other journalists or actors present.

MovieGod.de: Nikolaj, your first film was Nightwatch - how did you change as an actor since then ?

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: One get's older and changes - I mean how one looks like. I think that you get experienced in what you're doing, because you know how to do it. Nightwatch was my first real job as an actor. I didn't really know what I did - well, somehow I did know ... but then I went on to explore acting. I mean I love to make films - it's my passion. It's getting more and more complicated once you understand the technical aspects - what the light is doing or the different camera lenses, just all the technical stuff. That knowledge makes it possible for me to be much more precise in my job.

MovieGod.de: You learned through experience ?

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: Yes, that's the only way to learn as an actor.

MovieGod.de: So acting school was just preperation and the rest was experience on set ?

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: Acting school is okay, but one simply doesn't learn certain things. You get an awareness of yourself, but I think as an actor, you can only learn through experience. That's the way I see it.

MovieGod.de: You also had a role in Black Hawk Down. Do you see any differences between Hollywood and Europe?

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: Well, of course the budget for once. It's a big difference: You have to construct everything. You have to build everything yourself. In Hollywood, a film like this would take 70 days. But the story would have been black and white. In a Hollywood-movie there wouldn't be a character like mine: he's an executioner and kills a good guy. It was his friend, but nonetheless he has to kill him. A typical Hollywood actor wouldn't dare tackling such a role. He'd say 'I can't do this, I can't stand by this character.' That's the interesting thing which hopefully makes us think about our own lives. There are things in life which are not black or white, but gray. We don't want to do them, but we have to. We grow up, we have kids - suddenly life changes. That's exactly what happens with Martin: all of sudden he has a family. He has to feed them and the only job he gets is that of the executioner. He has to do it or his kids would starve. Of course this is a critical issue: How far you can act against your own principles.

MovieGod.de: I think that brings us back to the question I asked you at the table. In which way can one translate the story into our time ?

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: First of all, Martin is a soldier - in Denmark we get sent into war. We don't like to talk about it. We have soldiers in Iraq. I don't think that these men were ready to kill or get killed. But it's their job - the circumstances have changed.

MovieGod.de: And here 'Henker' ('Executioner') ties in with our present time ?

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: Yes, I think so. It's about life or death, but in smaller proportions everyone has experienced it. You ask yourself 'Why do I do that ?' and then you say yourself 'Because I have to pay a mortgage!' or 'I have to pay money for school!' And then you start thinking 'Is that all ? Is that all what's life about ?'.

MovieGod.de: A good question and also a good end for the interview. Many thanks!