Johan Philip “Pilou” Asbæk, born on March 2, 1982, in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a renowned Danish actor whose versatile performances have earned him international recognition.
Raised in a creative environment, Asbæk is the son of gallery owners Maria Patricia Tonn and Jacob A. Asbæk, who operate Galerie Asbæk in Copenhagen.
His mother, born in Casablanca, Morocco, has Danish and French ancestry, while his father hails from Hammel, Denmark.
Asbæk’s artistic upbringing, coupled with his training at the Danish National School of Performing Arts, where he graduated in 2008, laid the foundation for his dynamic career in film and television.
Siblings
Pilou has two older brothers, Thomas Asbæk and Martin Asbæk, both of whom have pursued careers in the art world.
Thomas works as an art consultant at Asbæk Art Consulting, where he leverages his expertise to guide clients in art acquisition and curation.
Martin owns and operates the Martin Asbæk Gallery, a space dedicated to contemporary art in Copenhagen, further extending the family’s influence in the Danish art scene.
Career
Asbæk’s acting career began shortly after his graduation from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in 2008, with his debut in the film Worlds Apart, which garnered critical acclaim.
His breakthrough came in 2010 with the role of Rune, an inmate in the prison drama R, directed by Tobias Lindholm and Michael Noer.
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From 2010 to 2013, Asbæk captivated audiences as Kasper Juul, a troubled spin doctor in the Danish political drama Borgen, a role that solidified his reputation as a leading actor in Denmark.
His international profile rose when he joined the cast of HBO’s Game of Thrones in 2016, portraying the pirate Euron Greyjoy across Seasons 6 and 7.
Asbæk’s ability to embody morally complex and villainous characters continued in Hollywood films such as Lucy (2014) alongside Scarlett Johansson, Ben-Hur (2016) as Pontius Pilate, Ghost in the Shell (2017) as Batou, and Overlord (2018) as Captain Wafner.
He also lent his voice to the Danish dub of The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) as Mario.
Other notable works include A Hijacking (2012), A War (2015), which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and more recent projects like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) and the upcoming Hidden Strike (2023).
Accolades
For his role in R, Asbæk won the Bodil Award for Best Actor and the Robert Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role from the Danish Film Academy in 2011.
In 2011, he was also named a Shooting Star at the Berlinale, an honor bestowed upon promising European actors, further cementing his rising status.
His work in Borgen earned widespread critical praise, contributing to the series’ BAFTA win and international acclaim.
Additionally, in 2019, Asbæk received a unique honor when a star was named after him in the Pisces constellation through the International Star Registry, a symbolic tribute to his stellar career.
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